Public · University

University of Maine

Orono, Maine · Small suburb

96.6%
Admit rate
$17,510
Avg net price
55%
Graduation rate
$48,653
Median earnings

University of Maine is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Orono, Maine (small suburb setting), enrolling 8,496 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 8,496 undergradsSmall suburbAccessible · 97% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Colonial Athletic AssociationCold wintersSnowyNear the coast

About Orono, Maine

Orono is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. Located on the Penobscot and Stillwater rivers, it was first settled by American colonists in 1774. They named it in honor of Chief Joseph Orono, a sachem of the indigenous Penobscot nation who long occupied this territory. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
24 miles
Nearest airport
10 miles to Bangor (BGR)

How University of Maine compares

Selectivity96.6%

More selective than 10% · #12 most selective of 15 in Maine

Graduation rate55%

Higher than 50% · #9 of 17 in Maine

First-year retention83%

Higher than 71%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$48,653

Higher than 35% · #9 of 17 in Maine

Average net price$17,510

Cheaper than 62% · #8 cheapest of 17 in Maine

Median debt at graduation$25,000

Lower than 34%

Student–faculty ratio15 : 1

Lower than 35%

Undergraduate enrollment8,496

Larger than 87%

Percentiles compare University of Maine with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Maine.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

10,924students
  • Undergraduate8,49678%
  • Graduate2,42822%

Undergraduates by gender

8,496undergrads
  • Women4,10448%
  • Men4,39252%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White82%
  • Black2.0%
  • Hispanic4.9%
  • Asian1.6%
  • Other or multiracial9.0%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
8,496
Graduate enrollment
2,428
Student–faculty ratio
15 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
23%
First-generation students
23%
Students over 25
10%
Median family income
$65,562
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$102,825
Endowment
$479,309,000

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 1,869 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Maine59%
  • Other U.S. states40%
  • International1.2%

A regional draw: about 59% of first-years come from Maine, the rest from elsewhere.

1% came from outside the U.S. 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.

Admissions

Admission rate
96.6%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$13,326
Out-of-state tuition
$36,756
Room & board
$13,410
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$27,328
Average net price
$17,510

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 (within 6 years)
55%
Graduated on time (4 years)
41%
First-year retention
83%
Transferred to another college
26%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$43,124
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$48,653
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Students with federal loans
42%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
67%

About 14% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
41%
Low-income (Pell)
42%
First-generation
42%

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
3,634
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
43%
Housing charge (year)
$6,320
Meal plan (year)
$6,376
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Colonial Athletic Association
Varsity athletes
617 (356 men · 261 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 (9)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)251
Football110
Swimming and Diving (combined)60
Ice Hockey52
Baseball41
Basketball32
Soccer29
Field Hockey21
Softball21

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
48
Property offenses (2022–2024)
11

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 5 campuses (12,029 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.

20reported offenses a year
16 violent a year3.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
10
Fondling
4.7
Burglary
3.7
Aggravated assault
1.0
Robbery
0.3

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.

< $30k
$12,642
$30–48k
$13,280
$48–75k
$14,631
$75–110k
$18,508
$110k+
$22,018

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.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$63,969

$14,631/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

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.

95%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$9,220
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 95% — get grant money from University of Maine itself, averaging $9,220, which softens the sticker price.

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 1,852 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)
$48,653
Typical debt at graduation
$25,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
51%
Out-earn a HS grad
63%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women
$44,006
Men
$53,507

Men out-earn women by $9,501 (22%) 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
81°F
Winter low
11°F
Annual rain
44.4″
Annual snow
74.6″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.14.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Orono, ME US station (0.2 mi from campus).

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 University of Maine

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Maine side by side →

Colleges near University of Maine

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.