Best Colleges In Maine

Overview

Colby College was founded in 1813 in Waterville, Maine. Colby is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the nation and one of America’s most selective liberal arts colleges. The campus houses 714 acres that overlooks downtown Waterville and the Kennebec River Valley. This area is also home to the 128-acre Perkins Arboretum wildlife refuge that is bog preserve and environmental studies lakefront property. Colby is located 20 minutes from the state capital and an hour north of Portland or south of Bangor.

Features

Colby College offers 58 majors for 1,857 undergraduate students. Most students at Colby live on campus in one of the 26 co-ed residence halls. Inside the classroom, student-faculty ratio is 10-to-1. Nearly 76% of the classes have less than 20 students. Outside the classroom, students have access to over 100 student organizations. 70 % choose to study abroad in more than 60 countries. Students look forward to cheering on their NCAA Division III athletic teams. Top majors include:

• Social Sciences
• Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
• Biological & Biomedical Sciences
• English
• Physical Sciences

Notables

In the past 200 years, Colby has seen their fair share of setbacks. However, Colby’s tradition for academic rigor and innovative thinking has never wavered. Here is a small list of some of the college’s firsts in the new nation: First collegiate anti-slavery society (1833). The first previously all-male New England college to admit women (1871). First intercollegiate women’s varsity ice hockey game (1975). The first college to issue e-mail accounts to all students (1983). Finally, in April 2013, Colby became one of the first colleges to achieve carbon neutrality.

Overview

Bowdoin College was founded in 1794 in Brunswick, Maine, and named after the French Bowdoin family who became one of the wealthiest merchant families in Massachusetts. Initially, Bowdoin College was for men only. However, in the mid-1970s, the college became co-ed. The main campus has 207 acres. Bowdoin College is noted for being one of the selective schools to make the SAT and ACT scores optional in 1969. They also count Nathaniel Hawthorne and former U.S. President Franklin Peirce as some of their own alumni.

Features

Bowdoin College offers 40 majors for 1,799 undergraduate students. Please note that freshmen are required to live on campus and are assigned to a college house that provides residential social activities. Inside the classroom, the student-faculty ratio is 9-to-1. Nearly 68% of the classes have less than 20 students. Outside the classroom, students have access to over 100 student organizations and cheer for their NCAA Division III sports teams. Top majors include:

• Political Science & Government
• Economics
• Mathematics
• Biology/Biological Sciences

Notables

Bowdoin abolished fraternities in 1997 and replaced them with a system of college-owned social houses. One of the largest and most active student groups on campus is the Outing Club, which offers the chance to go on over 100 excursions each year. Another point of interest is the Peucinian Society, one of the oldest literary and intellectual societies. The society was founded in 1805 and was attended by poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Overview

Bates College was founded in 1855 in Lewiston, Maine, along the Androscoggin River by Oren B. Cheney, a Dartmouth graduate, abolitionist statemen and Freewill Baptist minister. The college was named after Benjamin E. Bates, a Boston manufacturer. Today, it is a private, highly selective, residential college academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, egalitarianism, social justice and freedom. The college owns the following properties: 133-acre main campus, 600 acre Bates Mountain, and 80-acre Coastal Center.

Features

Bates College offers 36 majors and 25 minors for 2,000 undergraduate students – 22% of the student body comes from unrepresented groups. Nearly 95% students live on campus. Inside the classroom, the student-faculty ratio is 10-to-1. 68% of the classes have less than 20 students. Outside the classroom, students have access to over 100 student organizations. Students look forward to cheering on their NCAA Division III sport teams. Top majors include:

• Social Sciences
• Biological & Biomedical Sciences
• English Language & Literature/Letters
• Psychology
• Foreign Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics

Notables

Bates was the first coeducational college in New England, admitting students without regard to race, religion, national origin, or sex. It was one of the only colleges in the U.S. to admit black students before the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment. It is also the first to award a degree to a woman in New England.

Overview

The University of Maine (UMaine) was founded in 1865 in Orono, Maine, on the banks of the Stillwater River. IT was created in response to the Morrill Act. Today, the University of Maine is one of only nine land, sea and space grant institutions in the nation. It is flagship university of the University of Maine System and Maine’s only public research university. The main campus has 660 acres about 60 miles from the Atlantic coast and approximately 100 miles from the Canadian border.

Features

The University of Maine offers 100 majors for 9,323 undergraduate students. Inside the classroom, the student-faculty ratio is 16-to-1. Nearly 40% of the classes have less than 20 students. Outside the classroom, students have access to over 200 student organizations. Students look forward to cheering their NCAA Division I teams to victory. Top majors include:

• Business
• Engineering
• Education
• Social Sciences
• Health Professions

Notables

The University of Maine is the largest and most research-comprehensive university in the state with a firm foundation in the liberal arts and ranks among the top 102 public research universities by the National Science Foundation. Notable UMaine alumni include bestselling horror author Stephen King, who wrote “Carrie” and “The Green Mile.”

Overview

Saint Joseph’s College of Maine was founded in 1912 on the shore of Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine by the Portland Regional Community of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. Today, it is Maine’s only co-ed Catholic college. The college provides certificates as well as undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program that operates in collaboration with the College’s Sebago Lake 474-acre campus. Standish, Maine is located 18 miles northwest of Portland, Maine’s largest city and 2 hours north of Boston.

Features

Saint Joseph’s College of Maine offers 40 majors for 1,000 on-campus undergraduate students and over 2,500 online students. Inside the classroom, the student-faculty ratio is 12-to-1. The average class size is 17. Outside the classroom, students have access to over 40 student clubs and organizations. Students look forward to cheering on their NCAA Division III teams. Top majors include:

• Nursing
• Business
• Education
• Exercise Science & Sports Management
• Biology

Notables

Saint Joseph’s is a member of the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP). This collaboration offers students the ability to study abroad at 265 colleges in 37 countries. Students have the option to study abroad for either a semester or a full academic year.

Overview

The University of New England can trace its beginnings to a small co-ed boarding school in 1831 in Biddeford, Maine, where the Saco River flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The main campus in Biddeford has 540 acres. However, there are two other campuses available for students to pursue their educational goals. One campus is in Portland, Maine. The second is in Tangier, Morocco.

Features

The University of New England offers over 40 majors for 3,801 undergraduate students. Inside the classroom, the student-faculty ratio is 13-to-1. Nearly 48% the classes have less than 20 students. Outside the classroom, students have access to over 60 student organizations and cheer for their NCAA Division III (without football) sports teams. Top majors include:

• Health Professions
• Biological & Biomedical Sciences
• Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies
• Psychology
• Social Sciences

Notables

The University of New England has pioneered an inter-professional approach to medical education. It offers a cosmopolitan environment that allows students to intermix, gain a global perspective and hands-on learning experiences. While University of New England has Maine’ s only medical and dental schools, their approach also includes pharmacy, nursing and an array of allied health professions. The goal is to produce well-rounded scholars and professionals who can adapt, prosper and lead in a rapidly evolving global world.

Overview

The Maine Maritime Academy was founded in 1941 in Castine, Maine, overlooking the Castine Harbor as a nautical training institute. Today, it is a public, co-educational college on 30 acres with rigorous courses and experiential programs to equip students with the practical skills, knowledge, and training to launch successful careers with their degree. Academy students can choose to be in the independent or regimental programs. Students who enroll in a regimental program are considered midshipmen and train on the ship, State of Maine. Students who enroll in independent programs go about their day as a regular residential school student. After graduation, students are not obligated to go to sea or into the military. Only 5% of the graduates take a commission in the military.

Features

The Maine Maritime Academy offers 18 programs of study to 950 undergraduate students. Inside the classroom, the student-faculty ratio is13-to-1. Nearly 52% the classes have less than 20 students. Outside the classroom, student have access to 30 student organizations – over 80% participate. Students look forward to cheering on their NCAA Division III sports teams. Top majors include:

• Engineering Technologies & Engineering-Related Fields
• Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering
• Marine Science/Merchant Marine Officer
• International Business/Trade/Commerce
• Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Notables

The Maine Maritime Academy continues Maine’s seafaring traditions and builds upon their worldwide reputations for shipbuilders and sea captains. Maine peoples are leaders in every aspect of maritime affairs. The first English ship built in America, the Virginia, was built and launched in 1607 from Maine. Today, Mainers continue to build and sail vessels including custom yachts, warships, windjammers, fishing fleets, and America’s Cup defenders.

Overview

Husson University was founded in 1898 in Bangor, Maine. Today, Bangor, Maine, has a total population of 30,000 residents with one of the lowest urban crime rates in the United States. Husson University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in business, health, education, sciences, English and pharmacy. The campus has 200 acres and is approximately 250 miles north of Boston and 250 miles east of Quebec City.

Features

Husson University offers degree options for 2,800 undergraduate students – 61% live off campus. Inside the classroom, the student-faculty ratio is 15-to-1. The average class size is 21 students. Nearly 53% the classes have less than 20 students. Outside the classroom, students have access to over 35 student organizations and cheer for their NCAA Division III teams. Top majors include:

• Business
• Health Professions
• Psychology
• Communications Technologies/Technicians
• Criminal Justice & Corrections

Notables

Husson University looks to provide a top-notch curriculum to motivated, career-oriented students who want both academics and hands-on learning experiences. All students will need to complete a variation of an internship prior to graduation. All students will get to know their professors because most professors know all their students by name.

Overview

Thomas College was founded in 1894 in Waterville, Maine. The college is named after John L. Thomas Sr., a New Hampshire-based railroad administrator and graduate of the Thomas College business program. The main campus has 120 acres of woods and fields along the historic Kennebec River.

Features

Thomas College supports 1,212 undergraduate students’ educational pursuits at their highly residential campus. Inside the classroom, the student-faculty ratio is 15-to-1. Nearly 57% the classes have less than 20 students. The average class has 18 students. Outside the classroom, students have access to over 40 student organizations and cheer for their NCAA III sports teams. Top majors include:

• Criminal justice
• Business & Accounting
• Psychology
• Education
• Computer Science

Notables

Thomas College has a 100% guarantee. Their students are guaranteed the following: a job upon graduation; guaranteed tuition; guaranteed to graduate in four years; and guaranteed career services for life. Thomas College wants to give you the best possible start in your career. So, check out the Thomas Guarantee to get your start in the right direction.

Overview

The University of Southern Maine was founded in 1878. Today, USM’s has three primary campuses that are in Portland, Gorham and Lewiston. USM provides students with a free, energy-efficient shuttle bus to commute between the Portland and Gorham campuses. The trip will take about 30 minutes; but, you are in luck – the bus has Wi-Fi. It’s a safe and sustainable way to get around — and it even makes occasional stops at the Maine Mall.

Features

The University of Southern Maine offers 50 majors and 50 minors for 6,126 undergraduate students – 80% live off campus. Inside the classroom, the student-faculty ratio is 16-to-1. Nearly 51% the classes have less than 20 students. Outside the classroom, student have access to over 100 various student engagement opportunities. Students look forward to cheering on their NCAA Division III sports teams. Top majors include:

• Health Professions
• Business
• Social Sciences
• Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Notables

When you become part of the University of Southern Maine, you are part of the Husky Pack. Students are immediately engaged with welcome week activities, student life events and the Husky Fest. It is not just a meeting of the minds, it has jousting, obstacle courses, dunk tanks, and more.