Online and On-Campus Colleges in MAINE

Originally established as the Maine College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts, the flagship Orono location of the University of Maine was founded shortly after the U.S. Civil War. Just 13 students walked the halls in its inaugural year of 1868, but it's clearly grown in leaps and bounds since.

Today, it boasts the largest campus by enrollment among all Maine universities. The eight academic schools and colleges at this institution of more than 11,000 students offer around 210 programs in total, including 90 bachelor's plans and close to 120 graduate and doctoral programs.

Students looking for fully or partially online degree programs have a range of options here, especially at the graduate level. UMaine has one of the state's biggest selections of online degrees and online courses, as well as offering graduate certificates in health care, business, education, engineering and more.

This private institution has its roots in two small Maine schools founded more than 100 years apart: St. Francis College, founded in 1939 as a high school and junior college for Quebecois boys in Maine, and Westbrook College, established as a seminary in 1830. St. Francis took the University of New England name in 1978 and merged with Westbrook under the older institution's charter in 1996.

Total enrollment here is over 8,200, with a significant majority of students pursuing graduate or professional degrees. Undergraduates compose less than 30 percent of the population -- around 2,400 students -- while master's and doctoral degree programs claim close to 50 percent.

UNE also features a great way for students to travel the world while they learn. The institution maintains a satellite campus in Tangier, Morocco, where you can spend a semester learning and exploring.

The University of Southern Maine is the regional institution of the University of Maine System, featuring three separate campuses across the southern reaches of the state. Its primary academic center is located in Portland, with a residential undergraduate hub in Gorham and a smaller campus in Lewiston.

Around 60 undergraduate majors are available here, which works out to a total of more than 120 degree programs. Plenty of program options are available for graduate students as well -- more than two dozen post-baccalaureate certificate plans and 50 full-fledged master's degrees are available.

This public institution was also one of the top colleges and universities in Maine for students who want to get into grad school as fast as possible. Accelerated pathways to USM graduate programs offer expedited graduate admissions and allow you to begin taking advanced courses while still an undergraduate.

Located in the St. John Valley by the Canadian border, the University of Maine at Fort Kent is the University of Maine System's prime rural university. Enrollment here is modest, with just over 1,750 students on the rolls in 2017, so you're unlikely to feel like just another face in the crowd during your time on campus.

UMFK also makes a strong showing among online colleges in Maine, offering more than a dozen degrees and certificates in the virtual classroom. Students can pursue online bachelor's degrees in business management, cybersecurity and health care, along with two-year programs in accounting, criminal justice and emergency management.

Students who fear a mountain of debt after leaving school can take heart here, as well. A recent report showed that UMFK graduates had some of the lowest student debt numbers in the nation.

The University of Maine at Farmington was the first public institution of higher education established in Maine, opening its doors to a class of 31 students in 1864. The entire student body of Farmington Normal School, as it was called then, fit into an attic above a downtown building.

Today, UMF is one of the top liberal arts schools in Maine, serving around 1,600 students and working to provide a close-knit academic setting. Approximately two-thirds of classes here have fewer than 20 students, and the student-faculty ratio is a comfortable 13:1.

The town of Farmington is a culturally engaged community of around 7,500 that has a lot to offer lovers of the outdoors. Students can go on kayaking excursions on the Kennebec River, hike up Tumbledown Mountain and take snowshoeing trips on the Maine Huts and Trails.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle features one of the lowest tuition and fees expenses among the best schools in Maine. Not only does its average 30-credit year cost less than most other Maine colleges -- roughly $7,900 for in-state students in 2018 -- but the cost is around $2,000 more affordable than the national average expense at four-year public colleges.

The learning environment at UMPI is low-key, with just over 1,400 students enrolled in 2017. The academic catalog consists of exclusively undergraduate plans, including more than 20 bachelor's degrees and several two-year programs.

UMPI students also have access to the school's Personalized Learning initiative, which gives students more control over their education and helps them develop their résumés and job interview skills. Personalized Learning permits students to attend class either on campus, online or both over the course of their degree plans.

This small institution near the eastern tip of the state is another great option for cost-minded Maine students. Tuition for the 2018-19 academic year at the University of Maine at Machias cost over 20 percent less than the national public university average, and around 90 percent of students receive some form of financial aid each year.

UMM may also be one of the top schools in Maine for students who like the feel of a small campus. Around 700 students attend school here, making for an intimate college atmosphere, and the ratio of 12 students per faculty member makes individual faculty help available.

Online degrees and certificates can also be earned at UMM. Programs in psychology and community studies, business and entrepreneurial studies and the open-ended Bachelor of College Studies (B.C.S.) degree each can be personalized with a range of specializations.

Ensuring that Maine students have access to education is a big part of the mission at the University of Maine at Augusta. The institution operates two comprehensive campuses in Maine -- the Augusta flagship and one in Bangor -- and contributes its courses and degree programs to University College centers in Ellsworth, Houlton, Rockland, Rumford and East Millinocket, among others.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the distance education catalog at UMA is one of the most robust among all Maine colleges. More than three dozen accredited undergraduate programs are available, including a bachelor's degree in public administration, an associate degree in music and certificates in Web development and human resource management.

The city of Augusta and the surrounding Kennebec Valley offer plenty to do in your time away from class. Kayaking, fly-fishing and other river sports abound, and towns in the area are steeped in local history.