More selective than 56% 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 $23,717. College Scorecard.
Higher than 18% of Maine colleges we cover and 26% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 53% of Maine colleges we cover and 41% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of Southern Maine acceptance rate & admissions
Of 5,823 applicants, University of Southern Maine admitted 4,618 and 718 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 990–1250 on the SAT or 24–28 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of Southern Maine tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Maine residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What University of Southern Maine costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Southern Maine took 5.3 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 | $9,999 | $52,495 | 3.9 years |
| $30–48k | $10,847 | $56,947 | 4.3 years |
| $48–75k | $12,550 | $65,888 | 5.0 years |
| $75–110k | $16,750 | $87,938 | 6.6 years |
| $110k+ | $19,180 | $100,695 | 7.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 5.3 years, the average time graduates took (3% 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 ($49,958) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in ME (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $13,297 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.
University of Southern Maine majors, earnings & careers
University of Southern Maine offers 53 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 9
- Business & Finance · 8
- Science & Math · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Engineering · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at University of Southern Maine
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | $88,515 | $35,731 |
| Information Technology | $79,352 | $25,000 |
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $77,734 | $24,771 |
| Nursing | $75,465 | $29,242 |
| Finance | $73,068 | $20,500 |
| Accounting | $71,945 | $19,230 |
| Political Science | $65,836 | $19,212 |
| Business Administration | $65,230 | $25,042 |
Quick list of all 53 majors
- Accounting$71,945
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$57,790
- Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services—
- Anthropology—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$58,164
- Business Administration$65,230
- Chemistry—
- Communications$53,033
- Computer Science—
- Criminology$59,270
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering—
- English$43,823
- Environmental Science / Conservation$60,665
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$73,068
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- History$42,778
- Hospitality Management$47,748
- Industrial Engineering—
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$77,734
- Information Technology$79,352
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$60,086
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$48,909
- Linguistics$55,435
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$57,968
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$88,515
- Music—
- Nursing$75,465
- Philosophy—
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Political Science$65,836
- Psychology$45,529
- Public Health—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Social Sciences, Other$45,523
- Social Work$52,903
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations—
- Studio Art$43,514
- Theatre$33,005
— 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% 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 University of Southern Maine with similar schools
Similar public 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern Maine | 79% | $13,596 | 40% | $49,958 | This school |
| University of Maine at Augusta | — | $10,924 | 27% | $40,342 | |
| University of Maine at Fort Kent | 98% | $7,482 | 39% | $51,077 | |
| University of Maine at Presque Isle | 100% | $7,035 | 52% | $40,956 | |
| University of Maine at Farmington | 97% | $16,857 | 52% | $44,433 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Southern Maine would cost you $2,672 more per year than University of Maine at Augusta, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of Southern Maine, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$2,950).
- University of Southern Maine gives aided families $1,993 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Maine resident | University of Southern Maine | UMA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $11,284 | $8,888 | +$2,396 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,200 | −$200 |
| Housing & meals | $11,650 | $8,700 | +$2,950 |
| Personal & travel | $3,242 | $3,600 | −$358 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,459 | −$3,336 | −$123 |
| Sticker price | $23,717 | $19,052 | +$4,665 |
| Average grants | −$10,121 | −$8,128 | −$1,993 |
| You pay | $13,596 | $10,924 | +$2,672 |
“+” means University of Southern Maine 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 University of Southern Maine
What is the University of Southern Maine acceptance rate?
University of Southern Maine accepts 79% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 4,618 of 5,823 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 990–1250 on the SAT or 24–28 on the ACT.
How much does University of Southern Maine cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $23,717 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $13,596 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,999 and families earning $110k+ pay $19,180.
How much do University of Southern Maine graduates earn?
Former University of Southern Maine students earn a median $49,958 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of Southern Maine graduation rate?
40% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 74% return for their second year.
How long does a University of Southern Maine degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Southern Maine costs about $65,888 after grants ($12,550 a year for 5.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $49,958 ten years after starting, $13,297 more than high school graduates in Maine ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 5.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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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: “University of Southern Maine: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-southern-maine (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).