The U.S. state of Maine has twenty-nine accredited, degree-granting institutions of higher learning. The state's land-grant university and only research university is the University of Maine in Orono. It is the flagship of the University of Maine System, which also has institutions in Augusta, Portland/Gorham/Lewiston, Farmington, Fort Kent, Machias, and Presque Isle.[1] Maine's public education system also includes the Maine Community College System, comprising seven schools, and the Maine Maritime Academy.
The state's three oldest institutions of higher education are Bowdoin College (founded in 1794), Colby College (1813), and Bates College (1855). The three colleges collectively form the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium and are ranked among the best colleges in the United States; often placing in the top 10 percent of all liberal arts colleges.[2][3][4]
The largest institution in the state is the private University of New England, with 13,439 students. The smallest, with 79 students, is The Landing School, an institution focused on boat building. UMaine is home to the state's only NCAA Division I athletic program, the Maine Black Bears. The collegiate system of Maine also includes numerous baccalaureate colleges such as Husson University, Unity College, and Thomas College. There is only one medical school in the state, the University of New England's College of Osteopathic Medicine, and only one law school, the University of Maine School of Law.
Open institutions[edit]
Defunct institutions[edit]
| School | Location(s) | Founded | Closed | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor Theological Seminary | Bangor | 1814 | 2013 | [17] |
| Bliss College | Lewiston | 1897 | 1972 | [18] |
| Casco Bay College | Portland | 1863 | 1999 | [c][19][20] |
| Eastern State Normal School | Castine | 1867 | 1942 | [21] |
| Gorham State College | Gorham | 1878 | 1970 | [22] |
| Immaculate Heart of Mary Institute | Saco | [23] | ||
| John F. Kennedy College | Fort Kent | 1965 | 1975 | [24] |
| LaMennais College | Alfred | 1951 | 1959 | [25] |
| Mid-State College | Augusta | 1867 | 2003 | [26] |
| Nasson College | Springvale | 1912 | 1983 | [27] |
| Northern Conservatory of Music | Bangor | 1929 | 1972 | [28] |
| Oblate College & Seminary | Bar Harbor | 1941 | 1969 | [29] |
| Ricker College | Houlton | 1848 | 1978 | [30] |
| Salt Institute for Documentary Studies | Portland | 1973 | 2016 | Acquired by the Maine College of Art [31] |
| Westbrook College | Portland | 1831 | 1996 | [d] |
Out-of-state institutions[edit]
- Northeastern University's Roux Institute, a graduate school of technology, is located in Portland.[32]
- Purdue University Global, formerly Kaplan University, part of the Indiana-based Purdue University system, has a campus in Augusta. It formerly had locations in South Portland and Lewiston and partly traces back to the formerly independent Andover College, which was acquired by Kaplan in 2005.[33][34][35]
Unaccredited institutions[edit]
A few schools are recognized by the state as degree-granting institutions, but not have been accredited by a recognized accrediting body:[36]
- Heartwood College of Art — Biddeford
See also[edit]
- List of college athletic programs in Maine
- Higher education in the United States
- Lists of American institutions of higher education
- Education in Maine
References[edit]
- General
- National Center for Education Statistics. "Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System". Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- Peterson's (2004). Peterson's Colleges in New England. Thomson Peterson's. ISBN 0-7689-13829.
- U.S. News & World Report. "America's Best Colleges 2008". Retrieved September 29, 2007.
- Specific
- ^ "About UMaine". Umaine.edu. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ^ "National Liberal Arts College Rankings | Top Liberal Arts Colleges | US News Best Colleges". colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Archived from the original on 2016-10-12. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
- ^ "College Guide Rankings 2015 – Liberal Arts Colleges". Washington Monthly. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
- ^ "America's Top Colleges". Retrieved 2016-08-12.
- ^ Beal University. "Course Catalog". p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 9, 2008. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ Central Maine Community College. "About CM". Archived from the original on 2008-05-08. Retrieved September 29, 2007.
- ^ "About". Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ Eastern Maine Community College. "Our History". Archived from the original on 2007-07-02. Retrieved September 29, 2007.
- ^ Wunsch, Oliver (September 1, 2010). "Do artists need PhDs?". Art21. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- ^ Kennebec Valley Community College. "Fall 2006 Profile". Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. Retrieved September 29, 2007.
- ^ The Landing School. "History". Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ "History of the College". Maine College of Health Professions. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
- ^ Northern Maine Community College. "About NMCC". Archived from the original on 2007-10-23. Retrieved September 29, 2007.
- ^ Southern Maine Community College. "History of SMCC". Retrieved September 29, 2007.
- ^ Washington County Community College. "Student Handbook" (PDF). p. 6. Retrieved September 29, 2007.[permanent dead link]
- ^ York County Community College. "History". Archived from the original on 2007-08-07. Retrieved September 29, 2007.
- ^ "About". The BTS Center. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
- ^ "Bliss College on Lisbon Street, Lewiston". Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ Vegh, Steven G. (August 10, 1999). "Andover buys Casco Bay College". Portland Press Herald. ProQuest 276912665. – via ProQuest (subscription required)
- ^ "Casco Bay College advertisement". Burlington Free Press. July 7, 1986 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Beveridge, Pam (2012-01-18). "Heirlooms Reunited: Eastern State Normal School at Castine, Maine - 1881 Catalog/Names". Heirlooms Reunited. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Campus Descriptions - Gorham | Special Collections | University of Southern Maine". usm.maine.edu. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Saco school is among affiliates of Catholic U". Biddeford-Saco Journal. May 5, 1962 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Daigle, Laurel J. (2009-01-01). Fort Kent. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738563831.
- ^ Robert Crichton (1959-01-01). The Great Impostor. RandomHouse.
- ^ Chmelecki, Lisa (August 27, 2003). "Questions left at Mid-State". Sun Journal. Lewiston, Maine. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- ^ www.dawnsweb.net. "Nasson College Alumni Association: History". www.nasson.org. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
- ^ Burnham, Emily (September 26, 2008). "Rite of fall: Bangor Symphony Orchestra kicks off new season Sunday". Bangor Daily News. – via ProQuest (subscription required)
- ^ "Several new assignments made by Oblates of Mary". The Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
- ^ "America's Lost Colleges". America's Lost Colleges. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
- ^ "Maine College of Art Announces Acquisition of Salt Institute of Documentary Studies". Maine College of Art. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
- ^ Grunewald, Will (2021-03-30). "Can the Roux Institute Turn Portland Into a Tech Hub?". Down East Magazine. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
- ^ "Andover College becomes Kaplan University" (Press release). Kaplan University. May 26, 2010. Retrieved 2018-02-21 – via BusinessWire.
- ^ Collins, Kate Irish (December 6, 2017). "Kaplan University closes South Portland campus". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- ^ Sherlock, Steve (March 7, 2018). "Purdue gets final OK to purchase Kaplan; Purdue Global to launch in April". Sun Journal. Lewiston, Maine. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
- ^ "Maine Degree Granting". Maine Department of Education. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
Notes[edit]
- ^ School types are based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
- ^ Enrollment is the 12-month unduplicated headcount as reported by IPEDS for 2018-19.
- ^ Casco Bay College was purchased by Andover College in 1999.
- ^ The Westbrook College campus is now known by the University of New England as the UNE Portland Campus.