More selective than 62% of Maine colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $60,128. College Scorecard.
Higher than 29% of Maine colleges we cover and 45% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 18% of Maine colleges we cover and 14% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Maine College of Art & Design acceptance rate & admissions
Of 913 applicants, Maine College of Art & Design admitted 708 and 121 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Maine College of Art & Design tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Maine College of Art & Design costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Maine College of Art & Design took 5.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Maine. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $31,589 | $170,896 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $33,075 | $178,936 | more than 20 years |
| $48–75k | $35,283 | $190,881 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $40,992 | $221,767 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $42,001 | $227,225 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 5.4 years, the average time graduates took (12% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($40,778) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in ME (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $4,117 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Maine College of Art & Design majors, earnings & careers
Maine College of Art & Design offers 5 bachelor's majors across 2 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at Maine College of Art & Design
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Film and Photography | $41,600 | — |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $39,443 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $34,720 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 5 majors
- Crafts / Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry—
- Film and Photography$41,600
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$39,443
- Graphic Communications—
- Studio Art$34,720
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design → Graphic designer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 1.7% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Portland
Overall prices in the Portland-South Portland, ME area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,941. Housing costs 5% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, 69 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Cumberland County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cumberland County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Maine College of Art & Design with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Maine by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine College of Art & Design | 76% | $38,338 | 52% | $40,778 | This school |
| Maine College of Health Professions | 71% | $26,312 | 67% | $79,840 | |
| College of the Atlantic | 70% | $25,184 | 68% | $40,264 | |
| Saint Joseph's College of Maine | 84% | $27,555 | 66% | $59,045 | |
| Thomas College | 96% | $18,885 | 54% | $44,991 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Maine College of Art & Design would cost you $12,026 more per year than Maine College of Health Professions, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Maine College of Art & Design.
- Maine College of Art & Design gives aided families $21,275 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Maine resident | Maine College of Art & Design | MCHP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $60,128 | $26,827 | +$33,301 |
| Average grants | −$21,790 | −$515 | −$21,275 |
| You pay | $38,338 | $26,312 | +$12,026 |
“+” means Maine College of Art & Design costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Maine College of Art & Design
What is the Maine College of Art & Design acceptance rate?
Maine College of Art & Design accepts 76% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 708 of 913 applicants were admitted.
How much does Maine College of Art & Design cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $60,128 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $38,338 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $31,589 and families earning $110k+ pay $42,001.
How much do Maine College of Art & Design graduates earn?
Former Maine College of Art & Design students earn a median $40,778 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Maine College of Art & Design graduation rate?
52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.
How long does a Maine College of Art & Design degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Maine College of Art & Design costs about $190,881 after grants ($35,283 a year for 5.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $40,778 ten years after starting, $4,117 more than high school graduates in Maine ($36,661), so repaying the cost would take more than 20 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Maine College of Art & Design the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Maine College of Art & Design: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/maine-college-of-art-and-design (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).