Highest Paying Colleges in Maine (2026)
Updated
Highest Paying Colleges in Maine ranks 16 four-year institutions in Maine by Azimuth's return pillar, highest first. Maine Maritime Academy ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $113,298 for its graduates four years after completing. The list includes 6 public and 10 private nonprofit schools in Maine.
The group is 38% public, counting 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.
Bowdoin College graduates 95% of its students within six years, the highest six-year completion rate on the page.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine Maritime Academy · Castine, ME | $113,298 | $23,414 | $9,511 | 54.1% |
| Maine Maritime Academy reports median earnings of $113,298 for its graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Bowdoin College · Brunswick, ME | $79,722 | $14,398 | $3,145 | 7.1% |
| Bowdoin College admits 7% of applicants and graduates 95% of its students within six years. | |||||
| 3 | Colby College · Waterville, ME | $77,429 | $17,180 | $4,049 | 7.1% |
| With an average net price of $17,180, Colby College ranks 3rd on this list. | |||||
| 4 | University of Maine at Fort Kent · Fort Kent, ME | $74,979 | $7,482 | $8,163 | 97.9% |
| University of Maine at Fort Kent posts an admission rate of 98% and an average net price of $7,482. | |||||
| 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 and an average net price of $2,397 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | Saint Joseph's College of Maine · Standish, ME | $73,164 | $27,555 | $20,728 | 83.5% |
| Saint Joseph's College of Maine ranks 6th on this list and shows a six-year completion rate of 66%. | |||||
| 7 | 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, alongside an admission rate of 92%. | |||||
| 8 | Husson University · Bangor, ME | $62,950 | $21,005 | $16,606 | 81.0% |
| Husson University reports an average net price of $21,005 and median earnings of $62,950 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of Maine · Orono, ME | $63,056 | $17,510 | $12,642 | 96.6% |
| University of Maine admits 97% of applicants and reports median earnings of $63,056 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | University of Southern Maine · Portland, ME | $60,816 | $13,596 | $9,999 | 79.2% |
| Ranking 10th on this list, University of Southern Maine posts a six-year completion rate of 40%. | |||||
| 11 | Thomas College · Waterville, ME | $54,264 | $18,885 | $12,655 | 96.3% |
| With an average net price of $18,885, Thomas College reports median earnings of $54,264 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of Maine at Augusta · Augusta, ME | $51,475 | $10,924 | $9,421 | Not reported |
| University of Maine at Augusta shows a six-year completion rate of 27% and an average net price of $9,421 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 13 | College of the Atlantic · Bar Harbor, ME | $32,352 | $25,184 | $20,415 | 70.2% |
| College of the Atlantic, a private nonprofit institution in Bar Harbor, reports median earnings of $32,352 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | University of Maine at Farmington · Farmington, ME | $44,430 | $16,857 | $13,301 | 96.7% |
| University of Maine at Farmington admits 97% of applicants and carries an average net price of $16,857. | |||||
| 15 | Unity Environmental University · New Gloucester, ME | $45,016 | $19,104 | $18,370 | Not reported |
| Graduates of Unity Environmental University earn a median of $45,016 four years after completing, and the school's six-year completion rate stands at 29%. | |||||
| 16 | Maine College of Art & Design · Portland, ME | $40,550 | $38,338 | $31,589 | 76.1% |
| Maine College of Art & Design ranks 1453rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows an average net price of $38,338. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by Azimuth's return pillar for Maine, highest first. The pillar measures four-year earnings, modeled value added and program earnings relative to national benchmarks, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The figures are median earnings of federally aided completers across all fields, measured four years after completing, among those working and not enrolled. The list does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. Maine Maritime Academy reports $113,298 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing, while Bowdoin College reports $79,722.