Private nonprofit · University

University of New England

Biddeford, Maine · Midsize suburb

#4 graduation rate in Maine
91.6%
Admit rate
$38,107
Avg net price
68%
Graduation rate
$55,921
Median earnings

University of New England is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Biddeford, Maine (midsize suburb setting), enrolling 2,135 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,135 undergradsMidsize suburbAccessible · 92% admitNCAA Division III with football · Conference of New EnglandCold wintersSnowyNear the coast

About Biddeford, Maine

Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The first European to settle at Biddeford was physician Richard Vines in the winter of 1616–17 at Winter Harbor, as he called Biddeford Pool. Anchoring Biddeford's historic downtown are McArthur Public Library and Biddeford's City Theater. Biddeford has a number of properties and two Historic Districts entered into the National Register of Historic Places. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
15 miles to Portland, ME
To the ocean
1 mile
Nearest airport
14 miles to Portland International Jetport (PWM) · major hub

How University of New England compares

Selectivity91.6%

More selective than 20% · #10 most selective of 15 in Maine

Graduation rate68%

Higher than 75% · #4 of 17 in Maine

First-year retention79%

Higher than 61%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$55,921

Higher than 56% · #6 of 17 in Maine

Average net price$38,107

Cheaper than 6% · #16 cheapest of 17 in Maine

Median debt at graduation$25,250

Lower than 29%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment2,135

Larger than 59%

Percentiles compare University of New England 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

4,824students
  • Undergraduate2,13544%
  • Graduate2,68956%

Undergraduates by gender

2,135undergrads
  • Women1,57874%
  • Men55726%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White85%
  • Black2.1%
  • Hispanic4.3%
  • Asian2.4%
  • Other or multiracial6.7%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,135
Graduate enrollment
2,689
Student–faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
12%
First-generation students
22%
Students over 25
24%
Median family income
$84,109
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$87,021
Endowment
$330,754,456

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 589 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Maine20%
  • Other U.S. states81%

A national draw — only 20% of first-years come from Maine; 81% arrive from other states.

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
91.6%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$44,210
Room & board
$18,000
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$63,245
Average net price
$38,107

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)
68%
Graduated on time (4 years)
57%
First-year retention
79%
Transferred to another college
26%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$48,957
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$55,921
Median debt at graduation
$25,250
Students with federal loans
41%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
68%

About 11% 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
57%
Low-income (Pell)
60%
First-generation
64%

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
1,534
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
72%
Application fee
$40
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Conference of New England
Varsity athletes
495 (245 men · 250 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 (13)

Football106
Lacrosse62
Soccer57
Ice Hockey53
Basketball35
Track and Field (Outdoor)31
Cross Country30
Swimming26
Other Sports25
Field Hockey21
Softball20
Golf16
Volleyball13

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
15
Property offenses (2022–2024)
2

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (6,573 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.

5.7reported offenses a year
5.0 violent a year0.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
3.7
Fondling
1.3
Burglary
0.7

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
$31,371
$30–48k
$32,046
$48–75k
$32,348
$75–110k
$36,237
$110k+
$41,991

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
$137,520

$32,348/year × about 4.3 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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$20,648
average award, among those who get one

University of New England discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $20,648. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

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 731 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)
$55,921
Typical debt at graduation
$25,250
Debt vs. one year's pay
45%
Out-earn a HS grad
68%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.5 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
$54,211
Men
$61,155

Men out-earn women by $6,944 (13%) 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
77°F
Winter low
13°F
Annual rain
52″
Annual snow
48.9″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.85.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Kennebunkport, ME US station (8 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 New England

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

Colleges near University of New England

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.