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2024 Best Nursing Schools in Maine

13 Colleges in Maine
1,249 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$75,535 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #3 in popularity, nursing is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 13 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Nursing Schools in Maine ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,249 degrees in nursing during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in Maine The nursing program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Nursing rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for nursing schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Nursing Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Nursing
Bachelor's Degrees in Nursing
Master's Degrees in Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Nursing

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Nursing Schools in Maine list to help you make the college decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Nursing in Maine

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the nursing degree levels they offer.

10 Top Maine Schools in Nursing

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
206 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$77,648 Median Starting Salary

University of Southern Maine is a great option for students interested in a degree in nursing. University of Southern Maine is a medium-sized public university located in the city of Portland. A Best Colleges rank of #1158 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Southern Maine is a great university overall.

There were roughly 206 nursing students who graduated with this degree at University of Southern Maine in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from University of Southern Maine earn $2,112 more than the standard nursing graduate.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Southern Maine

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$80,102 Median Starting Salary

Saint Joseph's College of Maine is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in nursing. Located in the rural area of Standish, Saint Joseph's Maine is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1122 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Saint Joseph's Maine is a great college overall.

There were approximately 102 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Saint Joseph's Maine in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from Saint Joseph's College of Maine receive $4,567 more than the standard nursing graduate.

More information about a degree in nursing from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
52 Nursing Degrees Awarded
23.1% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat Maine College of Health Professions if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the city of Lewiston, MCHP is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

There were roughly 52 nursing students who graduated with this degree at MCHP in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program make around $57,355 for their early career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Maine College of Health Professions

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
136 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$128,399 Median Starting Salary

University of New England is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in nursing. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Biddeford, UNE is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #709 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNE is a great university overall.

There were roughly 136 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UNE in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing major at University of New England make $52,864 above the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of New England

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
129 Nursing Degrees Awarded
6.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Bangor, Husson is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1542 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Husson is a great university overall.

There were roughly 129 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Husson in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from Husson University earn a boost of about $5,383 above the average earnings of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from Husson University

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
77 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$56,724 Median Starting Salary

SMCC is a medium-sized public college located in the small city of South Portland. A Best Colleges rank of #1760 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SMCC is a great college overall.

There were approximately 77 nursing students who graduated with this degree at SMCC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $56,724.

More information about a degree in nursing from Southern Maine Community College

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
169 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$61,135 Median Starting Salary

Located in the rural area of Fort Kent, UMFK is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 13th out of 19 schools for overall quality in the state of Maine.

There were approximately 169 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UMFK in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $61,135 for their early career.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Maine at Fort Kent

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$62,568 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Bangor, Eastern Maine Community College is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 17th out of 19 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maine.

There were about 38 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Maine Community College in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, nursing degree recipients usually earn around $62,568 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Eastern Maine Community College

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
$52,322 Median Starting Salary
$12,000 Median Student Debt

Northern Maine Community College is a fairly small public college located in the remote town of Presque Isle.

There were about 22 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Northern Maine Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $52,322 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in nursing from Northern Maine Community College

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
$55,373 Median Starting Salary
$19,150 Median Student Debt

Central Maine Technical College is a small public college located in the rural area of Auburn. This college ranks 15th out of 19 schools for overall quality in the state of Maine.

There were about 29 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Central Maine Technical College in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, nursing degree recipients generally earn an average of $55,373 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Central Maine Community College

Best Nursing Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Massachusetts3016,436
Connecticut2413,035
New Hampshire2102,059
Rhode Island2001,084
Vermont194390

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
Registered Nursing855
Nursing Science169
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing80
Clinical Nurse Leader60
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing37
Nurse Anesthetist21
Nursing Administration21
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing5
Nursing Practice1

View All Nursing Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Allied Health Professions313
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions255
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services237
Health Sciences & Services223
Health & Medical Administrative Services197
Public Health178
Medicine162
Mental & Social Health Services155
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences89
Dental Support Services87

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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