University of Maine
Orono, Maine
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.
The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
18% gap between the two groups
22% gap between the two groups
4% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $12,642 |
| $30k–$48k | $13,280 |
| $48k–$75k | $14,631 |
| $75k–$110k | $18,508 |
| $110k+ | $22,018 |
How University of Maine compares
This college against the Maine and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of University of Maine students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at University of Maine
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Associate's | $100,066 | $27,000 | +1,128% | Strong return |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Associate's | $92,847 | $25,528 | +980% | Strong return |
| Chemical Engineering | Associate's | $88,680 | $19,750 | +935% | Strong return |
| Mechanical Engineering | Associate's | $87,105 | $26,073 | +846% | Strong return |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | Associate's | $79,068 | $26,411 | +663% | Strong return |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's | $77,342 | $27,000 | +621% | Strong return |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Associate's | $76,868 | $26,716 | +612% | Strong return |
| Civil Engineering | Associate's | $75,894 | $26,975 | +589% | Strong return |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Associate's | $66,565 | $23,425 | +395% | Strong return |
| Marketing | Associate's | $64,199 | $25,000 | +335% | Strong return |
| Biology, General | Associate's | $62,960 | $25,000 | +307% | Strong return |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's | $62,799 | $26,353 | +299% | Strong return |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's | $59,983 | $27,000 | +234% | Strong return |
| Political Science and Government | Associate's | $59,286 | $24,750 | +224% | Strong return |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Associate's | $57,652 | $25,334 | +186% | Strong return |
| Communication and Media Studies | Associate's | $55,948 | $25,168 | +148% | Strong return |
| Marine Sciences | Associate's | $55,546 | $27,000 | +135% | Strong return |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | Associate's | $51,410 | $25,000 | +45% | Break-even |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Associate's | $51,173 | $27,000 | +38% | Break-even |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Certificate | $54,507 | — | +36% | Break-even |
| Social Work | Certificate | $55,056 | $41,000 | +18% | Break-even |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Associate's | $50,136 | $26,000 | +15% | Break-even |
| Animal Sciences | Associate's | $49,452 | $25,000 | +1% | Break-even |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's | $49,255 | $20,223 | +0% | Break-even |
| Food Science and Technology | Associate's | $46,498 | $22,000 | -65% | Poor return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at University of Maine
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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