Taylor Erwin, right, and Hannah Rote walk to the dining hall on the Southern Maine Community College campus in South Portland on Thursday. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
Maine’s public university and community college systems reported slight enrollment growth over last fall in preliminary data released this week, with leaders pointing to affordability and new programming as drivers of student interest.
The University of Maine System saw about 1% growth in enrollment, while the Maine Community College System reported 3.2% growth for the same window. However, not every school within each system saw increases over the previous year.
The data released this week from both systems is preliminary. Official fall enrollment numbers will be calculated in October.
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE SYSTEM
Just over 25,000 students have enrolled in Maine’s public universities this fall. This is the second year — and sixth semester — of enrollment growth in the overall system, which had experienced a steady decline in student numbers for more than a decade thanks largely to a shrinking number of Maine high school graduates.
This year’s enrollment remains below student numbers five years ago.
“When our public universities grow, so does Maine’s workforce and economy,” UMaine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy said in a written statement Thursday. “Our sixth consecutive semester of enrollment gains demonstrates that the University of Maine System is meeting the market with relevant, high-quality academic programs that are affordable, accessible and a proven path to great-paying Maine careers.”
The statement credits growth to new programs, affordability compared to other state universities in the Northeast and guaranteed admission for graduates of Maine’s community colleges. It also points to a big influx of transfer students. The number of students coming into the system from other colleges is up 13% over last year, and up 51% over two years ago.
The largest growth happened at the system’s two Aroostook County schools, the University of Maine at Presque Isle and the University of Maine at Fort Kent, which saw increases of 19.7% and 7%, respectively, over this time last year. Presque Isle has more than doubled its enrollment from five years ago, which the system attributes to YourPace, the school’s flexible online degree program designed for adult learners.
The University of Maine School of Law, the state’s only law school, also hit its highest enrollment since 1997, which will allow the school to expand its free legal aid clinics, the statement said. For the first time in 15 years, the school was ranked by U.S. News & World Report’s 100 best law schools, coming in at No. 88.
Some of the system’s schools, however, including the flagship University of Maine in Orono and the University of Southern Maine, saw slight enrollment decreases over this time last year.
Despite those declines, there has been growth in specific student populations. For example, graduate student enrollment at UMaine is up 27% over five years ago, and the number of first time in-state students has grown at USM.
Tim Shannon of Philadelphia shops in the University Store at the University of Southern Maine’s McGoldrick Center in Portland on Thursday. Shannon, who said that he took some years off following the pandemic, decided to go back to school, where he is studying environmental science. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer)
MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM
At the state’s seven-school community college system, overall enrollment rose 3.2% over this time last year, marking the third consecutive year of enrollment growth, the system said.
“Maine’s community colleges are great places to get an excellent education at an unbeatable price. It’s no surprise more people are taking advantage of this incredible opportunity,” David Daigler, president of the Maine Community College System, said in a written statement.
The system attributes the growth to several factors, including the addition of new short-term workforce programs, new degree offerings, remote learning options and affordability.
Students on the Southern Maine Community College campus in South Portland on Thursday. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
It also highlights Maine’s free community college tuition program, which faces an uncertain future after being established by Gov. Janet Mills in 2022.
During the last legislative session, lawmakers declined to make that program permanent. They did include $20 million in the state budget to fund free tuition for the latest high school graduating class, but in a statement at the time, Daigler expressed disappointment in the decision not to make it permanent while acknowledging the state’s challenging financial situation.
“Gubernatorial and legislative support for continuing the program is strong, but the state must also consider the impact of current economic pressures,” Daigler said Thursday. “So, we will have to work collaboratively with the governor and the Legislature if we are to find a way to continue the program.”
Much of the system’s enrollment growth is attributable to one college, Central Maine Community College in Auburn, which saw a 13.7% rise in enrollment over this time last year, an increase of more than 400 students. Other colleges, like Southern Maine Community College in South Portland and Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, saw a modest growth of about 2.5%, while three institutions — York County, Washington County and Northern Maine — saw enrollment decline over last year.
CMCC President Betsy Libby said the growth at her college is likely thanks to the launch of six new programs this fall, including a certificate in health sciences that more than 100 students have signed up for already. That’s a one-year program designed for students who are interested in health careers like nursing, and sets them up with relevant advisers, instructors and peers. Previously, they might have gone into general studies. There are also new associate’s degrees in pre-engineering, communication and new media, and data science.
She also pointed to new athletics programs like women’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s outdoor track that have brought new students.
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