Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublic

University of Southern Maine

Portland, Maine·Public, 4-year or above·New England·usm.maine.edu
6-yr Graduation
40%
-9.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
7,604
peer median 8,491
Avg net price
$13,596
-$1.7k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
5,822
5,822 candidates competed
Admitted
4,613
79.2% acceptance rate
Enrolled
707
15.3% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
40%-9.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
26%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
40%
Full-time retention
74%

Pell equity

6.2pp gap
Pell recipients
37%148 of 403
Non-Pell (all)
43%222 of 514
Subsidized loan, no Pell
41%64 of 157
No Federal Aid
44%158 of 357

Non-Pell students graduate at a 6.2-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 114 Title IV programs, 35 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 78 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
114
Passing
35
30.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
0.9% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.9%
+0.3pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

114programs
  • Passing35 · 30.7%
  • No Data78 · 68.4%
  • Failing1 · 0.9%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
1
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
6
Safe
28
No data
78

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

36
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-9.6%
$33,005 vs $36,497
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+7.5%
$52,322 vs $48,653
History
Bachelor Degree · History
+17.2%
$42,778 vs $36,497
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+19.0%
$53,547 vs $45,005
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+19.2%
$43,514 vs $36,497
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+20.1%
$43,823 vs $36,497
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+24.7%
$45,529 vs $36,497
Social Sciences Other
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+24.7%
$45,523 vs $36,497

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

29
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
117%
$98,325 debt · $83,912 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
103%
$58,334 debt · $56,490 earn
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
79%
$53,581 debt · $67,576 earn
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
78%
$41,000 debt · $52,322 earn
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
58%
$36,532 debt · $62,912 earn
History
Bachelor Degree · History
52%
$22,297 debt · $42,778 earn
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
48%
$56,889 debt · $118,908 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
47%
$20,580 debt · $43,514 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1960Next review Jun 2033

Programmatic accreditations · 11

Action history · 11

  1. Sep 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
  2. Dec 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Council on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPBG) - Baccalaureate and Graduate level programs offered outside a school of public health
  3. Apr 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
  4. Jul 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education
  5. Mar 2020Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    Council on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$9,999
$30–48k$10,847
$48–75k$12,550
$75–110k$16,750
$110k+$19,180

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$13,596
-$1,726vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $15,323
Federal loans
34.7%
In-state tuition
$11,284
Out-of-state
$27,944

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 1,943 students received $10.8M in Pell grants, alongside $31.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,943
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$10.8M
$10,774,046 total
Direct Loans
$31.9M
4,343 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
’20
2k
’21
2k
’22
2k
’23
2k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$5.4M
1,358 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$7.1M
1,629 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$13.4M
891 loan awards
Parent PLUS$2.1M
134 loan awards
Grad PLUS$3.9M
331 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 1,824 borrowers who entered repayment, 26 (1.4%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.4%
-0.9pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,824
Defaulted
26
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
6.1%
2017
6.0%
2018
4.2%
2019
1.4%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at University of Southern Maine

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs139
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,438 total completions
01Health Professions
31221.7%
02Education
29920.8%
03Business
22715.8%
04Social Sciences
15610.8%
05Psychology
1007.0%
06Public Admin
936.5%
07Legal Professions
876.1%
08Visual/Performing Arts
624.3%
09Communication
523.6%
10English Language
503.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
7,604
12-mo unduplicated
9,702
Undergraduate
6,885
Graduate
2,817

Gender split

Men
35%3,442
Women
65%6,260

Race / ethnicity composition

White
75.2%
Black
8.6%
Two or more
4.7%
Hispanic
4.5%
Asian
2.8%
Unknown
1.9%
Non-resident
1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
497
278 M · 219 W
Women athletes
44.1%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$4.8M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$5K
$7K
Head-coach salaries
$35K
$47K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
92 M · 81 W
$372K
Lacrosse
45 M · 29 W
$226K
Soccer
35 M · 37 W
$298K
Ice Hockey
34 M · 22 W
$406K
Basketball
22 M · 21 W
$377K
Wrestling
41 M · —
$158K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.46
11 offenses · 7,528 students

3-year trend

1.632 yrs ago2.901 yr ago1.46Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
46
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
29
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
3

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
10
Fondling
1

By location

11total
  • On campus11

Includes 10 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
4
Dating violence
7
Stalking
12 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs08
Liquor268

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
14.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
261

University of Southern Maine vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions University of Southern Maine selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectUniversity of Southern Maine
40%—7,604$13,596Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Fitchburg State University
55%86.9%5,892$14,262Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Rhode Island College
48%91.8%6,155$9,478Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Southern Connecticut State University
50%91.5%9,377$20,857Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Central Connecticut State University
48%73.3%9,997$16,857Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Bridgewater State University
53%87.8%9,727$16,383Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median49%87.8%8,491$15,323

Institutions like University of Southern Maine

Explore the federal data for institutions in University of Southern Maine's comparison group.

IPEDS

University of Southern Maine Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Department of Analysis, Applications, and Institutional Research
Phone
1-800-800-4876
Address
P.O. Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104

Institutional Research serves the University of Southern Maine by providing information that supports institutional decision-making, policy formation, strategic planning, program evaluation, and quality enhancement.

Visit IR office page
Team
4 members
  • Jon Barker
    Director, Analysis, Applications, and Institutional Research
  • Chris Barr
    Research Analyst
  • Pat Davis
    Senior Associate
  • John Derouche
    Associate Director

Common Data Set

University of Southern Maine's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about University of Southern Maine

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about University of Southern Maine.

What is the graduation rate at University of Southern Maine?

University of Southern Maine reports a 6-year graduation rate of 40% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend University of Southern Maine?

University of Southern Maine reports a total enrollment of 7,604 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at University of Southern Maine?

The average net price at University of Southern Maine is $13,596 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at University of Southern Maine?

University of Southern Maine's yield rate is 15.3%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is University of Southern Maine located?

University of Southern Maine is located in Portland, Maine 04103.

Who runs Institutional Research at University of Southern Maine?

University of Southern Maine's IR work is done by the Department of Analysis, Applications, and Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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