Top Five Schools in Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine has come a long way from its first class, which entered in 1868 with 12 students and only two faculty members. Today, the undergraduate students number 9,527 and choose from 88 undergraduate majors. The campus is located in beautiful Orono, along the banks of the Stillwater River. The University of Maine boasts of having one of the best library systems and the oldest Honors College programs in the nation and students at the undergraduate level experience hands-on research opportunities.
University of Southern Maine
Located in the bustling urban center of Portland, the University of Southern Maine provides a rich environment for its 8,287 undergraduate students. The institution consistently appears in The Best of Northeastern Colleges guide, where students praise its three major campuses and their efforts to provide many cultural and research opportunities. The University of Southern Maine was founded in 1878 and has grown to enjoy a reputation for providing quality education and small class sizes at a surprisingly affordable price.
University of Maine at Augusta
The University of Maine at Augusta was established in 1965 as a continuing education institution, but has grown substantially over the years to offer a wide range of associate's and bachelor's degrees. It now has 5,238 undergraduate students on its Augusta and Bangor campuses and many online courses that reach place-bound students across the state. The university is well known for providing excellent accommodations for non-traditional and returning students by its part-time and evening class schedules.
St. Joseph's College
St. Joseph's College was founded in 1915 as a Catholic, liberal arts college in Standish, Maine. Although the college has retained its religious traditions and small size, it is now a coeducational institution with 2,161 undergraduates. Standish is located just 18 miles from the metropolitan Portland area in a gorgeous setting along the shores of the state's second-largest lake. The advantage of this small town is that students can take advantage of many outdoor recreational activities. One of the most respected programs that St. Joseph's offers is its excellent nursing program. The college has a student to faculty ratio of 16:1 and the average class size is 17 students. First-year students are provided with a faculty mentor.
University of New England
In the lovely town of Biddeford, Maine, right where the Saco River flows into the Atlantic Ocean, lies the gorgeous campus of the University of New England. This institution began as a Franciscan high school during the mid 1940's, but had eventually developed into a four-year university by 1961. Today, the university is a quintessential New England campus that grants degrees in more than 40 disciplines to 1,856 undergraduate students. It also is proud to be the home of the only medical school in the state of Maine, as well as offering programs in liberal arts, education, management, human services, natural sciences and health sciences. U.S. News and World Report ranked it as one of the Northeast's best regional universities.
