Best Colleges for Social Mobility in Maine (2026)
Updated
Best Colleges for Social Mobility in Maine lists 16 four-year institutions in Maine. Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for Maine, highest first.
The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. Unity Environmental University ranks 1st on this list and reports $45,016 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing. The list includes 6 public and 10 private nonprofit schools.
Bowdoin College ranks 216th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally, and University of Maine at Fort Kent posts the lowest average net price at $7,482. Bowdoin College reports the highest six-year completion rate on the page, graduating 95% of its students within six years.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unity Environmental University · New Gloucester, ME | $45,016 | $19,104 | $18,370 | Not reported |
| Unity Environmental University reports median earnings of $45,016 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 29%. | |||||
| 2 | University of Maine · Orono, ME | $63,056 | $17,510 | $12,642 | 96.6% |
| University of Maine admits 97% of applicants and carries an average net price of $17,510. | |||||
| 3 | Bowdoin College · Brunswick, ME | $79,722 | $14,398 | $3,145 | 7.1% |
| Bowdoin College ranks 216th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and graduates 95% of its students within six years. | |||||
| 4 | Colby College · Waterville, ME | $77,429 | $17,180 | $4,049 | 7.1% |
| Colby College posts an average net price of $4,049 for families earning under $30,000 and a six-year completion rate of 89%. | |||||
| 5 | Bates College · Lewiston, ME | $70,028 | $29,351 | $2,397 | 13.3% |
| Bates College reports median earnings of $70,028 for its graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 13%. | |||||
| 6 | University of Southern Maine · Portland, ME | $60,816 | $13,596 | $9,999 | 79.2% |
| University of Southern Maine has a six-year completion rate of 40% and an average net price of $9,999 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 7 | Maine College of Art & Design · Portland, ME | $40,550 | $38,338 | $31,589 | 76.1% |
| Maine College of Art & Design admits 76% of applicants and reports median earnings of $40,550 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Maine Maritime Academy · Castine, ME | $113,298 | $23,414 | $9,511 | 54.1% |
| An average net price of $23,414 accompanies median earnings of $113,298 for graduates of Maine Maritime Academy four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | College of the Atlantic · Bar Harbor, ME | $32,352 | $25,184 | $20,415 | 70.2% |
| College of the Atlantic graduates 68% of its students within six years and carries an average net price of $20,415 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | Thomas College · Waterville, ME | $54,264 | $18,885 | $12,655 | 96.3% |
| Thomas College admits 96% of applicants and reports median earnings of $54,264 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of Maine at Farmington · Farmington, ME | $44,430 | $16,857 | $13,301 | 96.7% |
| University of Maine at Farmington has an average net price of $16,857 and a six-year completion rate of 52%. | |||||
| 12 | University of New England · Biddeford, ME | $71,281 | $38,107 | $31,371 | 91.6% |
| Graduates of University of New England earn a median of $71,281 four years after completing, and the school admits 92% of applicants. | |||||
| 13 | Husson University · Bangor, ME | $62,950 | $21,005 | $16,606 | 81.0% |
| Husson University reports median earnings of $62,950 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $16,606 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 14 | University of Maine at Fort Kent · Fort Kent, ME | $74,979 | $7,482 | $8,163 | 97.9% |
| University of Maine at Fort Kent holds the lowest average net price on the page at $7,482 and reports median earnings of $74,979 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | University of Maine at Augusta · Augusta, ME | $51,475 | $10,924 | $9,421 | Not reported |
| An average net price of $9,421 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with a six-year completion rate of 27% at University of Maine at Augusta. | |||||
| 16 | Saint Joseph's College of Maine · Standish, ME | $73,164 | $27,555 | $20,728 | 83.5% |
| Saint Joseph's College of Maine posts a six-year completion rate of 66% and an average net price of $20,728 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for Maine, highest first. The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The pillar draws on the median earnings of federally aided completers four years after completing, when they are working and not enrolled. It does not measure earnings in any one major or teaching quality. The list spans 6 public and 10 private nonprofit institutions.