University of Maine: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Orono, Maine · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
University of Maine is a public university in Orono, Maine that admits about 96% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $18,045 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Business Administration, Management and Operations, Mechanical Engineering and Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 55% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.4 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University of Maine is a public institution located in Orono, Maine. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of Maine admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 96%. Admitted students typically post an ACT composite around 26. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $18,045 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of Maine is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for University of Maine?
University of Maine has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does University of Maine weight in admissions?
University of Maine reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Standardized test scores
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores University of Maine typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year — check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
| 25th percentile | 1060 |
| 50th percentile | 1190 |
| 75th percentile | 1280 |
| % submitting SAT | 16% |
| 25th percentile | 21 |
| 50th percentile | 26 |
| 75th percentile | 30 |
| % submitting ACT | 2% |
- • Test-blind: University of Maine does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if submitted.
- • Policy detail: Not considered
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 18% |
| Top 25% of class | 43% |
| Top 50% of class | 76% |
| % submitting class rank | 49% |
How much does University of Maine actually cost?
Published tuition is $12,606 for in-state students and $35,346 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $12,696 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $18,045 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 22% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | — |
| Room and board | — |
| Average net price (after aid) | $18,045 |
| Application fee | — |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of Maine
| Notification date | Rolling beginning Oct 1 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 or within 2 weeks if notified thereafter |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
Will my child graduate from University of Maine?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at University of Maine
The most popular undergraduate programs at University of Maine, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Mechanical Engineering and Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Across all programs, University of Maine confers roughly 732 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business Administration, Management and Operations program report a median income of about $62,799 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 118 | $62,799 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 111 | $87,105 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 94 | $77,342 |
| Psychology, General | 90 | $44,274 |
| Marketing | 87 | $64,199 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 78 | $42,684 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 77 | $50,136 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 77 | $66,565 |
Is University of Maine safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University of Maine disclosed 20 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.4 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 17 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at University of Maine?
About 42% of undergraduates at University of Maine live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Maine parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of Maine
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of Maine recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University of Maine
What GPA do I need for University of Maine?
University of Maine has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does University of Maine typically admit?
University of Maine does not publish standardized test ranges in the most recent reporting cycle. Test-optional policies have made scores less universally required, but submitting strong scores still helps when available.
How much does University of Maine actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Maine after grants and scholarships is $18,045 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University of Maine realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University of Maine is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Maine?
University of Maine accepts about 96% of applicants out of roughly 14,044 who apply each year. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is University of Maine test-optional?
University of Maine is test-blind: it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if you submit them.
What is the graduation rate at University of Maine?
About 55% of students at University of Maine graduate within six years. 83% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does University of Maine look for in applicants?
University of Maine rates course rigor, class rank and GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is University of Maine a public or private school, and where is it located?
University of Maine is a public institution located in Orono, Maine.
What are the most popular majors at University of Maine?
The largest undergraduate majors at University of Maine by annual graduates are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Mechanical Engineering and Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. The school awards about 732 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University of Maine safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University of Maine reported 20 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.4 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at University of Maine?
At University of Maine, 42% of undergraduates live on campus, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of Maine, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.