Affordable Colleges in Maine
All 25 colleges in Maine, ordered by average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships, not the sticker price on the brochure.
The most affordable is Kennebec Valley Community College at about $3,910 a year; the costliest here is Maine College of Art & Design at $38,338. A typical Maine school on this list lands near $16,857.
Cheapest first, that means Kennebec Valley Community College, Washington County Community College and York County Community College. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is the right place to start looking.
Narrow it down
- Most Affordable Community Colleges in Maine7 community colleges · from $3,910/yr
- Most Affordable Public Universities in Maine7 public universities · from $7,035/yr
- Affordable Private Colleges in Maine11 private colleges · from $14,398/yr
Every college in Maine, cheapest first · 25
Ranked by average net price per year after grants and scholarships — the figure beside each name, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where the school reports it. Schools that report no net price are listed last.
- Kennebec Valley Community College
- Washington County Community College
- York County Community College
- Central Maine Community College
- University of Maine at Presque Isle
- Northern Maine Community College
- University of Maine at Fort Kent
- Eastern Maine Community College
- University of Maine at Augusta
- Southern Maine Community College
- University of Southern Maine
- Bowdoin College
- University of Maine at Farmington
- Colby College
- University of Maine
- Thomas College
- Unity Environmental University
- Husson University
- Maine Maritime Academy
- College of the Atlantic
- Maine College of Health Professions
- Saint Joseph's College of Maine
- Bates College
- University of New England
- Maine College of Art & Design
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable college in Maine?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Kennebec Valley Community College at about $3,910 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much does college in Maine cost on average?
- Across the 25 colleges in Maine that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $16,857 a year after aid, running from $3,910 to $38,338.
- Are community colleges cheaper in Maine?
- On this data, yes. The typical two-year college in Maine has a net price around $6,975 a year, against about $19,104 at the typical four-year school — a difference of roughly $12,129 a year. Credits often transfer, so two years at a community college can cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the colleges listed here it runs from 12% to 64%, with a middle of about 28%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free