Maine
Student Access & Success
Maine’s four-year institutions receive an average grade in this category, with a relatively high percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants but below average retention rate, completion rate, and credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates. Maine’s two- year institutions receive a good grade, with a completion rate and credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates that rank in the top third of states.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Maine receives a low grade in this area for four-year institutions, with a cost per completion ($78,549) and state and local funding per completion ($51,501) that rank in the bottom third of all states nationally. Maine’s two- year institutions receive an average grade, with a cost per completion ($56,834) and state and local funding per completion ($31,934) both slightly below the national medians of $57,210 and $35,476, respectively.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a Maine bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $14,500 (or 48%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 4 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $7,100 (or 23%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 3 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Maine receives very low scores for its consumer information and public accountability resources. The state neither tracks student labor market outcomes, nor does it measure student learning.
Policy Environment
Maine gets a very low mark for its policy environment. The state’s higher education plan for four-year institutions includes hard targets concerning student outcomes and goals for system efficiency. However, there is no comparable plan for the two-year system. The state does not use outcomes-based funding, and it is one of just a handful of states with no statewide articulation and credit transfer system.
Innovation
The “Online.Maine” portal provides information on the online programs and courses available at public institutions across the state, but Maine’s goals do not feature support for online learning and the portal lacks clarity about the transferability of online credits. Regarding new providers, the state’s regulatory environment is less restrictive than most states, with low licensure fees and a low regulatory trigger.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
ME Nat'l| Student Access & Success | C |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 40.8 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 73.2 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 50.0 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 19.5 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Complete College America | * |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | D |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $78,549 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $51,501 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $93,131 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 2 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $14,508 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 147.6 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $9,680 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 138.2 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 4.2 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.4 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 7.7 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 3.7 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | F |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
ME Nat'l| Student Access & Success | B |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 49.1 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 58.7 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 26.2 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 20.1 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $56,834 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $31,934 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $43,409 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | B |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $7,115 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 123.3 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $8,221 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 132.5 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.2 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 6.6 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.63 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | F |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
ME Nat'l| Policy Environment | F |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | false | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | false | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 0 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | B |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 80% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 80% | |
| Financial Burden | 100% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 60% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | C |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 57.1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 4 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 8
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 7
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 23,012
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 11,110