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University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME Β· Public Β· 4,222 undergrads (small, city) Β· website β†—

What you'll actually pay

Average net price per year β€” tuition, fees, room & board minus grant and scholarship aid β€” for in-state students by household income.

Household incomeAvg net price / year
Under $30,000$9,999
$30,000 – $48,000$10,847
$48,000 – $75,000$12,550
$75,000 – $110,000$16,750
Over $110,000$19,180
All incomes (average)$13,596

Sticker tuition and fees: $11,284 in-state, $27,944 out-of-state β€” before aid, from the same earlier College Scorecard release as the net prices above.

These are averages. For an estimate for your family, use University of Southern Maine's own net price calculator β€” every college that takes federal student aid must publish one.

Net price calculator β†—

Other costs of attendance, 2025–26

The college's own estimate for a full-time undergraduate for the year, before aid, from the October 2026 College Scorecard. It is a newer year than the tuition and net prices above, so don't add the two together.

Housing and meals, on campus$12,484
Housing and meals, off campus (not with family)$18,026
Books and supplies$1,000
Other expenses, on campus$3,160
Other expenses, off campus$3,160

Grants and loans for first-year students, 2022–23

What the college reported for its full-time, first-time students (729 of them) in 2022–23; 98% got some kind of aid, loans included. Each average is over the students who received that kind of aid, not over everyone. It is an older year than the 2025–26 costs above.

Type of aidStudents awardedAverage amount
Any grant or scholarshipFederal, state, local and the college's own95%$10,158
Federal Pell GrantNeed-based, from the federal government38%$5,011
The college's own grants and scholarshipsNeed- or merit-based, funded by the college91%$6,701
Federal student loansBorrowed by the student; repaid with interest. No Parent PLUS or private loans48%$4,902

IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Student Financial Aid 2022–23 (SFA2223, provisional release); full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates; public domain.

Admissions & outcomes

Acceptance rate
79%
Average SAT
1116
Median ACT
22
Students with Pell grants
28%
Graduation rate (6yr)
40%
Freshman retention
74%
Median earnings @ 10yr
$49,958
Median debt at graduation
$19,060
International undergrads
80 (1.4%)

For comparison, the median across all 1,596 four-year colleges on this site: graduation rate 56%, earnings ten years after entering $54,869, debt at graduation $23,250.

Admission policy, test scores and teaching

SAT/ACT policy
Required

Required to be considered for admission (fall 2024)

Application fee
None

undergraduate, 2023–24

Students per faculty member
14 to 1

undergraduates, fall 2024

Faculty who are full-time
40%

fall 2024

Open admission
No

fall 2024

Middle 50% of test scores, fall 2024

25th to 75th percentile of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores. A quarter scored below the first figure and a quarter above the second. Section ranges can't be added together into a total-score range.

SAT Reading and Writing
500–650
SAT Math
490–600
ACT composite
24–28

What the college considers in admission decisions, fall 2023

How the college said it used each item when deciding on first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking applicants for fall 2023. For SAT and ACT scores, see the fall 2024 policy above.

High school GPANot considered
High school class rankConsidered if submitted
High school recordRequired
Completion of a college-preparatory programConsidered if submitted
RecommendationsRequired
Formal demonstration of competencies (e.g. portfolio)Not considered
English proficiency test (for applicable students)Required
Other test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.)Not considered
Work experienceConsidered if submitted
Personal statement or essayRequired
Legacy statusNot considered
First-time applicants
5,823

fall 2023

Admitted
4,618

fall 2023

Enrolled
718

fall 2023, full and part time

Counts of first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking students, including early decision and early action. The acceptance rate higher up this page comes from a different College Scorecard release, so it may not match these counts.

IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Admissions 2023–24 (ADM2023, provisional release), fall 2023; open admission from IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023–24 (revised); public domain.

Most popular fields of study

Share of bachelor's degrees awarded.

Health & Nursing21%
Business20%
Social Sciences15%
Visual & Performing Arts6%
Psychology5%
Communications & Media5%
Biology & Life Sciences4%
Education4%
Computer Science3%
History3%

Earnings and debt by field of study

Median annual earnings of graduates who received federal student aid and were working, not studying: one year after completing (graduates of 2020–21 and 2021–22) and four years after (2017–18 and 2018–19), measured in 2022 and 2023 and shown in 2024 dollars. Median debt is federal Direct and Grad PLUS loans borrowed at this college by 2022–23 and 2023–24 graduates; it leaves out Parent PLUS and private loans. β€œNational” is the median for the same field and credential across all US colleges.

Bachelor's degrees (32)

Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing176$78,849$75,465national $88,910$18,750
Business Administration, Management and Operations102$51,483$65,230national $68,257$18,750
Social Sciences, Other87$38,977$45,523national $56,812$19,768
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions68$45,039$57,790national $70,786$16,625
Psychology, General50$39,895$45,529national $50,706$21,500
Communication and Media Studies44$44,400$53,033national $56,359$18,000
History33$37,726$42,778national $50,680$22,500
Marketing31$42,618$57,968national $69,303$18,314
English Language and Literature, General30$39,001$43,823national $48,590$22,207
Biology, General30$47,501$58,164national $57,214$20,250
Political Science and Government27$34,187$65,836national $63,293$22,219
Finance and Financial Management Services27$53,149$73,068national $83,343$18,500
Computer Science24$68,465β€”national $107,009$20,500
Social Work24$44,269$52,903national $51,790$12,757
Accounting and Related Services23$51,035$71,945national $76,194β€”
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas20$42,951β€”national $51,389$13,350
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods18β€”β€”national $47,382$22,500
Mechanical Engineering18$75,507$88,515national $92,135$22,375
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services16$34,364$55,435national $49,984$16,329
Criminology16$43,218$59,270national $55,556$19,982
Fine and Studio Arts16β€”$43,514national $41,367β€”
Music16β€”β€”national $42,892$24,820
Natural Resources Conservation and Research13$45,801$60,665national $55,012β€”
Economics13$50,211β€”national $82,686β€”
Sociology13$36,259β€”national $52,657β€”
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness12$39,022$60,086national $54,562β€”
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities10β€”$48,909national $53,072β€”
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering9$74,882β€”national $100,647β€”
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management8β€”$79,352national $85,063β€”
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft8β€”$33,005national $39,775β€”
Hospitality Administration/Management8β€”$47,748national $56,726β€”
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians6β€”$77,734national $80,890β€”
Master's degrees (13)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language58$49,036β€”national $65,767$18,792
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology56$60,300β€”national $65,184$35,655
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods52$48,983$53,547national $59,916$20,500
Special Education and Teaching49$51,924$58,059national $64,397$19,000
Student Counseling and Personnel Services34$49,504$56,490national $60,111$38,775
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing29$108,772$118,908national $120,193$29,850
Social Work28$56,015$62,912national $65,123$35,138
Educational Administration and Supervision27$75,054β€”national $71,685$20,500
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions27$59,430$67,576national $71,416$44,007
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies19$45,915$52,322national $55,035$57,135
Public Policy Analysis17$62,062$66,469national $93,020$23,450
Public Health15$69,294$88,404national $82,751β€”
Business Administration, Management and Operations12$61,646$94,721national $103,485β€”
First professional degrees (1)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Law85$66,803$83,912national $107,773$62,244
Post-baccalaureate certificates (1)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Lawβ€”$83,045β€”β€”

A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured β€” not zero. 121 more programmes at this college have every figure suppressed and are not listed.

Contact and accreditation

Address
96 Falmouth St, Portland, ME 04103
Phone
(207) 780-4141
Institutional accreditor
New England Commission on Higher Education

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts) and IPEDS Fall Enrolment for international student counts. College Scorecard, October 2026 release: net price calculator link, mission flags and religious affiliation (2025–26), enrolment shares, test policy, SAT/ACT ranges and student-to-faculty ratio (fall 2024), cost-of-attendance components (2025–26), and earnings and debt by field of study. IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023–24 for the application fee and the IPEDS 2024 directory for the phone number. IPEDS Admissions 2023–24 (ADM2023, provisional release) for admission requirements and first-time applicants, admits and enrolments (fall 2023). IPEDS Student Financial Aid 2022–23 (SFA2223, provisional release) for grants and loans to full-time, first-time students. All are U.S. Department of Education data in the public domain. Verify current costs and requirements with the school.

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