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
$11,729
-$4.2k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

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

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.

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

4.0pp gap
Pell recipients
37%
Non-Pell
41%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 4.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

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

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.

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.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$7,226
$30–48k$8,330
$48–75k$10,828
$75–110k$14,704
$110k+$17,346

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

Avg net price
$11,729
-$4,204vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $15,934
Federal loans
34.1%
In-state tuition
$10,920
Out-of-state
$27,104

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 1,943 students received $10.8M in Pell grants, alongside $31.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,943
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$10.8M
$10,774,046 total
Direct Loans
$31.6M
4,314 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
1,354 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$7.1M
1,622 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$13.2M
880 loan awards
Parent PLUS$2.1M
134 loan awards
Grad PLUS$3.8M
324 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.

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.

Distinct CIP programs139
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,440 total completions
01Health Professions
36425.3%
02Education
28519.8%
03Business
21314.8%
04Social Sciences
16511.5%
05Psychology
1107.6%
06Legal Professions
886.1%
07Public Admin
795.5%
08English Language
493.4%
09Communication
443.1%
10Visual/Performing Arts
433.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
7,604
12-mo unduplicated
9,676
Undergraduate
6,941
Graduate
2,735

Gender split

Men
36%3,452
Women
64%6,224

Race / ethnicity composition

White
75.8%
Black
8.1%
Hispanic
4.5%
Two or more
4.1%
Asian
2.7%
Unknown
2.1%
Non-resident
1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

Athletes
427
240 M · 187 W
Women athletes
43.8%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$4.8M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$3K
$10K
Head-coach salaries
$39K
$48K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
80 M · 60 W
$333K
Soccer
34 M · 35 W
$307K
Lacrosse
39 M · 25 W
$158K
Ice Hockey
31 M · 20 W
$381K
Basketball
20 M · 18 W
$302K
Wrestling
35 M ·
$146K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.90
22 offenses · 7,583 students

3-year trend

1.002 yrs ago1.631 yr ago2.90Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
43
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
22
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
3

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
11
Fondling
6
Arson
3
Robbery
2

By location

22total
  • On campus19
  • Public property3

Includes 19 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

2
Domestic violence
6
Dating violence
1
Stalking
9 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs01
Liquor2115

Residence-hall fires

  • Upton/Hastings Hall3 fires
    Hazardous products Vape cartridgesDamage $10,000-$24,999
  • Upton/Hastings Hall3 fires
    Damage $10,000-$24,999
  • Upton/Hastings Hall3 fires
    Damage $1,000-$9,999

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

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.

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$11,729Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Fitchburg State University
55%86.9%5,892$15,432Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Rhode Island College
48%91.8%6,155$10,988Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Southern Connecticut State University
50%91.5%9,377$20,877Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Central Connecticut State University
48%73.3%9,997$16,435Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Bridgewater State University
53%87.8%9,727$17,970Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median49%87.8%8,491$15,934

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 $11,729 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.

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