Best-Value Colleges in Maine
7 Maine 4-year colleges ranked by return on investment — 10-year graduate earnings per dollar of net price — among schools that beat the state median on earnings and graduation rate.
The best-value college in Maine is Maine Maritime Academy, Castine — a net price of $21,185 against $89,964 in median 10-year earnings, an ROI of 4.2×, with a 61% graduation rate. Every school here turns a modest cost into outsized, above-median earnings.
| # | School | Net price /yr | 10-yr earnings | ROI (earn ÷ price) | Grad rate | In-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine Maritime Academy Castine, ME | $21,185 | $89,964 | 4.2× | 61% | $14,746 |
| 2 | Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME | $20,786 | $82,735 | 4.0× | 96% | $64,910 |
| 3 | Maine College of Health Professions Lewiston, ME | $20,438 | $79,840 | 3.9× | 83% | $17,827 |
| 4 | Colby College Waterville, ME | $23,939 | $80,490 | 3.4× | 90% | $66,600 |
| 5 | Saint Joseph's College of Maine Standish, ME | $24,666 | $59,045 | 2.4× | 69% | $42,834 |
| 6 | Bates College Lewiston, ME | $30,703 | $69,498 | 2.3× | 91% | $63,478 |
| 7 | University of New England Biddeford, ME | $37,109 | $55,921 | 1.5× | 61% | $42,550 |
How we ranked this
From every Maine four-year college that publishes net price, 10-year median earnings, and graduation rate, we keep only those that beat the state median on earnings and that graduate at least 45% of students (or the state median grad rate, whichever is higher). We then rank by ROI = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price — the dollars of graduate earnings each dollar of net price buys — highest first. This rewards genuine return on investment rather than the cheapest sticker price, and the 4-year + outcome guards keep out the low-completion and 2-year outliers a pure price sort surfaces. Colleges missing any of the three figures are excluded, never estimated. Minimum 5 qualifying schools required to publish a page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-value college in Maine?+
Maine Maritime Academy in Castine has the highest return on investment among Maine 4-year colleges that beat the state median on outcomes: a net price of $21,185 against $89,964 in 10-year median earnings — an ROI of 4.2× (dollars earned per dollar of annual net price) — with a 61% graduation rate.
What does "net price" mean?+
Net price is the average annual cost students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the full cost of attendance — a far better affordability measure than sticker tuition. We use the College Scorecard average net price.
How is "best value" defined here?+
Value means return on investment, not cheapness. Among Maine four-year colleges that beat the state median on BOTH 10-year graduate earnings and graduation rate (and graduate at least 45% of students), we rank by the ROI ratio = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price. The school that turns each tuition dollar into the most graduate earnings ranks first.
Is the cheapest college always the best value?+
No. A rock-bottom price that leads to low earnings is worse value than a moderate price that leads to high earnings. That is exactly why we rank by the earnings-to-net-price ratio rather than by lowest price, and require above-median earnings and graduation rates first. Colleges missing net price, earnings, or graduation data are excluded rather than estimated.
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Data sources: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · IPEDS. Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. CertiHomes Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.