2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine ranking - to help you make that decision.
We analyzed 23 colleges and universities across Maine to determine which were the best for veterans and active service members. Our ranking is based on over 20 objective factors, including the school's overall quality, the number of GI Bill® recipients at the school, and the percentage of costs covered by the GI Bill®. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.
Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Top Colleges for Veterans in Maine
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
Our analysis found University of Southern Maine to be the best school for veterans in Maine in this year’s ranking. Portland, Maine is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,644 students in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, University of Southern Maine supports 8,022 students, and 428 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 237 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,377. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Out of the 23 schools in Maine that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maine landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Orono, Maine, the fairly large public school awarded 2,409 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 427 of the 11,741 students enrolled at UMaine were GI Bill® students, of which 221 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,466. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Out of the 23 schools in Maine that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maine at Fort Kent landed the #3 spot on the list. This small public school is located in Fort Kent, Maine, and it awarded 243 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 42 of the 1,624 students enrolled at UMFK were GI Bill® students, of which 22 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,577. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine list means Maine Maritime Academy is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Castine, Maine, the small public school handed out 191 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 941 students enrolled at Maine Maritime, 79 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,918. During this same period, 6 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Maine Maritime does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Maine Maritime also made our Best Schools in Maine list, coming in at #4.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maine at Augusta. The school came in at #5 in Maine on this year’s best for vets ranking. UMA is a small public school situated in Augusta, Maine. It awarded 528 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 4,202 students enrolled at UMA, 307 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 141 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,037. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
University of New England landed the #6 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine ranking. Located in Biddeford, Maine, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 1,602 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 7,208 students enrolled at UNE, 218 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 179 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,487. On top of their other funding sources, 23 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. In addition to its best for vets ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UNE is ranked #5 for overall quality in Maine.
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine ranking. Saint Joseph’s College of Maine is a small private not-for-profit school located in Standish, Maine that handed out 494 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 1,967 students enrolled at Saint Joseph’s Maine, 38 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,341. Saint Joseph’s Maine does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Maine at Presque Isle came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine ranking. UMPI is a small public school situated in Presque Isle, Maine. It awarded 198 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 1,467 students enrolled at UMPI, 38 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 16 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,770. UMPI does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Central Maine Community College landed the #9 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine ranking. Central Maine Technical College is a small public school situated in Auburn, Maine. It awarded 408 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 128 of the 3,115 students enrolled at Central Maine Technical College were GI Bill® students, of which 67 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,253. Central Maine Technical College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Kennebec Valley Community College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine ranking, coming in at #10. Kennebec Valley Community College is located in Fairfield, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 318 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
According to our most recent data, Kennebec Valley Community College supports 2,297 students, and 92 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 35 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,436. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a ranking of #11, Eastern Maine Community College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine list. Located in Bangor, Maine, the small public school handed out 311 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 2,042 students enrolled at Eastern Maine Community College, 135 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 70 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,009. Eastern Maine Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a ranking of #12, University of Maine at Farmington did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine list. UMaine Farmington is a public institution located in Farmington, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 372 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, UMaine Farmington supports 1,862 students, and 65 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 26 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,773. UMaine Farmington does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Southern Maine Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine ranking. SMCC is a medium-sized public school situated in South Portland, Maine. It awarded 716 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 5,789 students enrolled at SMCC, 274 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 208 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,299. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a ranking of #14, Unity College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine list. Located in Unity, Maine, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 226 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Among the 1,429 students enrolled at Unity, 62 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 37 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,447. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Unity does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Husson University landed the #15 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine ranking. Husson is located in Bangor, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 922 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
With a ranking of #16, Maine College of Health Professions did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine list. Maine College of Health Professions is a small private not-for-profit school located in Lewiston, Maine that handed out 63 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 216 students enrolled at MCHP, 9 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,720.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
With a ranking of #17, University of Maine at Machias did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine list. Located in Machias, Maine, the small public school awarded 75 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Among the 762 students enrolled at University of Maine-Machias, 32 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 12 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,022. University of Maine-Machias does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Maine College of Art came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine ranking. Maine College of Art is a private not-for-profit institution located in Portland, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 129 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 435 students enrolled at Maine College of Art, 14 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,265. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
With a ranking of #19, College of the Atlantic did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine list. College of the Atlantic is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bar Harbor, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 61 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 370 students enrolled at College of the Atlantic, 2 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,158. During this same period, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Bowdoin College landed the #20 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine ranking. Located in Brunswick, Maine, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 666 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Among the 1,777 students enrolled at Bowdoin, 17 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 13 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,764. In addition to receiving other benefits, 13 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Bowdoin did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Schools in Maine list.
With a ranking of #21, Colby College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine list. Colby is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Waterville, Maine. It awarded 651 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 2,155 students enrolled at Colby, 9 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $34,738. On top of their other funding sources, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Colby also made our Best Schools in Maine list, coming in at #2.
Bates College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine ranking. Bates is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewiston, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 576 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Bates supports 1,876 students, and 8 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $33,624. To help with additional expenses, 5 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Bates also made our Best Schools in Maine list, coming in at #3.
Thomas College landed the #23 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Maine ranking. Waterville, Maine is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 253 students in 2019-2020.
Among the 1,705 students enrolled at Thomas College, 34 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 16 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,656. On top of their other funding sources, 5 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Best Colleges for Veterans in the New England Region
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Best Colleges in the New England Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 23 schools only.
**GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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