1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [University of Southern Maine](/school/university-of-southern-maine/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # University of Southern Maine Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/university-of-southern-maine/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-southern-maine/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-southern-maine/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-southern-maine/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-southern-maine/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do University of Southern Maine graduates earn? The reported median is $60,816 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is $3,515 per year. The return picture is mixed: graduates earn about $1,642 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places this earnings-beyond-expectations result, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 49th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,351. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,709. Four years after completion, median earnings are $60,816, in the 54th percentile. That is $3,515 above the peer median of $57,301 for comparable institutions (same type and size), so the peer comparison and model result point in the same direction. Program choice marks a wide range in modeled earnings at University of Southern Maine. The downside earnings scenario is $44,937, the typical scenario is $60,816, and the upside scenario is $77,985, all modeled from the program mix rather than observed groups. At the higher end, Mechanical Engineering completers earn a median of $88,515 four years after completion, Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management completers earn $79,352, and Nursing completers earn $75,465. Those fields show why the modeled range extends well beyond the typical scenario. An estimated 30.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Four-year earnings count completers who are working and not enrolled, so this estimate matters when reading the earnings figure. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $60,816 **Rank for difference from expectations** 61st percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **University of Southern Maine reported median** $60,816 **Peer schools comparable schools · $3,515 below University of Southern Maine** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $1,642 below University of Southern Maine** $59,174 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $44,937 to $77,985, around the reported median of $60,816. Compare the lower scenario with [University of Southern Maine borrowing and monthly payments](/school/university-of-southern-maine/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $44,937 **Median · reported** $60,816 **Higher estimate** $77,985 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do University of Southern Maine graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). University of Southern Maine graduates’ reported earnings are $1,642 above that expectation, the 61st percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending University of Southern Maine caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$6,351 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$4,709 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$1,642 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at University of Southern Maine report the highest earnings? Mechanical Engineering marks the high end of the program picture at University of Southern Maine: its median earnings are $88,515 four years after completion, with 24 degrees awarded. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management also sits at the higher-earning end, posting $79,352 from 9 degrees awarded. These smaller programs show the upper range within the fields presented here. Nursing combines a higher earnings figure of $75,465 with 158 degrees awarded, making it the largest program in this group. By contrast, Social Sciences posts $45,523 four years after completion and awarded 74 degrees. The contrast between these fields shows that program choice is closely tied to the earnings figures shown here. Published program earnings show how outcomes differ by field, with each median measured four years after completion. Mechanical Engineering awarded 24 degrees and had median earnings of $88,515. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management awarded 9 degrees, with median earnings of $79,352. Nursing awarded 158 degrees and had median earnings of $75,465. Finance awarded 16 degrees, with median earnings of $73,068. Accounting awarded 24 degrees and had median earnings of $71,945. These fields offer a more detailed view than a single institution-wide earnings figure. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Mechanical Engineering** $88,515 **Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management** $79,352 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $75,465 **Finance and Financial Management Services** $73,068 **Accounting and Related Services** $71,945 **Political Science and Government** $65,836 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $65,230 **Natural Resources Conservation and Research** $60,665 [Explore University of Southern Maine program cohorts and field ranks](/school/university-of-southern-maine/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix run from a downside of $44,937 through a typical scenario of $60,816 to an upside of $77,985, showing that earnings vary by field. Mechanical Engineering has median earnings of $88,515 four years after completion, while Social Sciences is at $45,523 among the largest programs. University of Southern Maine graduates have median earnings of $60,816 four years after completion, among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings cohort covers 1,530 completers. Graduates earn about $1,642 more than the model expects for similar students. This is [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students. Azimuth puts that measure in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The typical earnings scenario matches the observed median, with a downside scenario of $44,937 and an upside scenario of $77,985. An estimated 30.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).