Skip to content
AlmaSpire

Portland, ME · Public · 4,222 undergraduates · urban

University of Southern Maine

Less selective

The Portland-Gorham structure lets students combine city-based internships with a more conventional residential university setting.

Campus image / Publicly hosted campus image

Institutional profile

Established Strong in affordability, and steady in mobility.
Academic Steady Affordability Strong Career Steady Mobility Steady Experience Emerging
Academic standing Steady
Affordability Strong
Career outcomes Steady
Mobility Steady
Student experience Emerging
Admission
79.3% admitted

5,823 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
49.5%

$49,958 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets University of Southern Maine apart

Academic design

Programs span business, nursing, education, engineering and technology, arts, sciences and public service, with internships and community partnerships common in many fields. The university serves both traditional undergraduates and a large regional student population.

Campus pattern

Students move between an urban Portland campus and the more residential Gorham campus, with additional programs in Lewiston-Auburn. Portland gives direct access to Maine’s largest concentration of employers, hospitals and cultural institutions.

Defining feature

The Portland-Gorham structure lets students combine city-based internships with a more conventional residential university setting.

Can I get in?

79.3% admitted

Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.

Recent applicant pool

5,823

About 79 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 79.3%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%995–1280
8201460
ACT middle 50%23–26
2128

Of admitted students, 12% submitted an SAT, and 1% submitted an ACT. Almost nobody admitted here sent a score, which leaves the SAT and ACT ranges standing on a handful of files.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA17%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for University of Southern Maine, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What University of Southern Maine weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Programs span business, nursing, education, engineering and technology, arts, sciences and public service, with internships and community partnerships common in many fields. The university serves both traditional undergraduates and a large regional student population.

02

Make the fit specific

The Portland-Gorham structure lets students combine city-based internships with a more conventional residential university setting.

03

Account for the tradeoff

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.

Early ActionDec 1
Regular Decisionrolling
Fee and waiverNo application fee

Check eligibility for a fee waiver

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

BusinessAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

EngineeringAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Health professionsAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$29,300
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$14,000
Affordability profileStrong

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at University of Southern Maine

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

The Portland-Gorham structure lets students combine city-based internships with a more conventional residential university setting.

Complete within 8 years49.5%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one74.8%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$49,958

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Social Sciences, Other

Recent graduates59
Median earnings$45,523

Psychology, General

Recent graduates56
Median earnings$45,529

What is campus life like?

University of Southern Maine beyond the classroom

Students move between an urban Portland campus and the more residential Gorham campus, with additional programs in Lewiston-Auburn. Portland gives direct access to Maine’s largest concentration of employers, hospitals and cultural institutions.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Programs span business, nursing, education, engineering and technology, arts, sciences and public service, with internships and community partnerships common in many fields. The university serves both traditional undergraduates and a large regional student population.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Students move between an urban Portland campus and the more residential Gorham campus, with additional programs in Lewiston-Auburn. Portland gives direct access to Maine’s largest concentration of employers, hospitals and cultural institutions.

Distinctive edge

What changes the experience

The Portland-Gorham structure lets students combine city-based internships with a more conventional residential university setting.

4,222 undergraduatesNew Englandurban settingCampus housing available