Public · Community college
Southern Maine Community College
South Portland, Maine · Small city
- 16%
- Transfer rate
- $11,086
- Avg net price
- 28%
- Grad / completion
- $41,661
- Median earnings
Southern Maine Community College is a public associate-granting institution in South Portland, Maine (small city setting), enrolling 5,675 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About South Portland, Maine
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-most populous city in the state, incorporated in 1898. South Portland was first colonized in 1630, and it grew to become a small residential community with many farms. The village was raided by natives in Father Rale's War (1724). In 1858, the City of Portland purchased land near the Fore River for the Forest City Cemetery. South Portland has a number of parks and open spaces. One of the main features of South Portland is the historic Greenbelt walkway, which is a three-mile (5 km) paved trail that crosses through several neighborhoods and provides views of the harbor. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 2 miles to Portland, ME
- To the ocean
- < 1 mile
- Nearest airport
- 4 miles to Portland International Jetport (PWM) · major hub
How Southern Maine Community College compares
Higher than 10% · #14 of 14 in Maine
Higher than 19%
Higher than 75% · #7 of 12 in Maine
Cheaper than 66% · #7 cheapest of 14 in Maine
Lower than 44%
Lower than 29%
Larger than 92%
Percentiles compare Southern Maine Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Maine.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women3,12055%
- Men2,55545%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White72%
- Black12%
- Hispanic5.0%
- Asian2.5%
- Other or multiracial7.9%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 5,675
- Student–faculty ratio
- 20 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 30%
- First-generation students
- 39%
- Students over 25
- 23%
- Median family income
- $26,271
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $71,586
- Endowment
- $2,266,256
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 1,983 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Maine94%
- Other U.S. states5.7%
Most first-years stay in state — Southern Maine Community College draws overwhelmingly from Maine.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $4,156
- Out-of-state tuition
- $7,036
- Room & board
- $10,974
- Books & supplies
- $1,400
- Total cost of attendance
- $18,531
- Average net price
- $11,086
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 28%
- First-year retention
- 57%
- Transferred to another college
- 16%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $36,780
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $41,661
- Median debt at graduation
- $10,331
- Students with federal loans
- 12%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 44%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 690
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 12%
- Housing charge (year)
- $7,316
- Meal plan (year)
- $3,658
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- USCAA
- Varsity athletes
- 131 (70 men · 61 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (6)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.6 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 14
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (7,900 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 32% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,240. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,054 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $41,661
- Typical debt at graduation
- $10,331
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 25%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 48%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $9,286 (24%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 80°F
- Winter low
- 16°F
- Annual rain
- 48.1″
- Annual snow
- 68.7″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Portland Intl Jetport, ME US station (3.6 mi from campus).
What Southern Maine Community College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Southern Maine Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Southern Maine Community College side by side →
Central Maine Community College
Auburn, Maine · Small city · 33 mi to Portland
- Students
- 2,952
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $42k
Eastern Maine Community College
Bangor, Maine · Small city · 110 mi to Portland
- Students
- 1,840
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 10%
- Earnings
- $42k
Monterey Peninsula College
Monterey, California · Midsize suburb · 52 mi to San Jose
- Students
- 5,624
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $42k
Crafton Hills College
Yucaipa, California · Large suburb · 16 mi to Riverside
- Students
- 5,687
- Tuition
- $1k
- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $43k
Linn-Benton Community College
Albany, Oregon · Small city · 37 mi to Eugene
- Students
- 5,174
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $41k
Clark College
Vancouver, Washington · Midsize city · 8 mi to Portland
- Students
- 4,945
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $42k
Colleges near Southern Maine Community College
Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts
Portland, ME · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Maine College of Art & Design
Portland, ME · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 415 students
University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME · Public · Bachelor's · 4,222 students
Northeast Technical Institute
Scarborough, ME · Private for-profit · Certificate · 74 students
Spa Tech Institute-Westbrook
Westbrook, ME · Private for-profit · Certificate · 263 students
University of New England
Biddeford, ME · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,135 students
Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 964 students
Unity Environmental University
New Gloucester, ME · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 6,483 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.