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Water lovers take note -- you'll be hard-pressed to find a Maine college that isn't located near a lake, river, or the Atlantic. Several of my top picks for the state have ocean-front campuses. Maine is particularly strong when it comes to liberal arts colleges, but you will also find a couple comprehensive universities and public institutions on my list. The selected schools range in size from a few hundred students to over 10,000, and the admissions standards vary greatly. My selection criteria include retention rates, four- and six-year graduation rates, value, student engagement, and notable curricular strengths. I have listed the schools alphabetically rather than forcing them into any kind of artificial ranking (indeed, trying to rank a school like the College of the Atlantic with the University of Maine would be an exercise in ridiculousness).
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Bates College
dvs / Flickr
- Location: Lewiston, Maine
- Enrollment: 1,725 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: one of the top liberal arts colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; test-optional admissions; 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio
- For the acceptance rate costs and other admissions information, visit the Bates College profile
Bowdoin College
sglickman / Flickr
- Location: Brunswick, Maine
- Enrollment: 1,762 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; one of the strongest colleges with test-optional admissions; a top liberal arts colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; loan-free financial aid; 118-acre research center on Orr's Island
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Bowdoin College profile
Colby College
bonimo / Flickr
- Location: Waterville, Maine
- Enrollment: 1,838 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; one of the country's top liberal arts colleges; attractive 714-acre campus; strong environmental initiatives
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Colby College profile
College of the Atlantic
The Udall Legacy Bus Tour / Flickr
- Location: Bar Harbor, Maine
- Enrollment: 370 (364 undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: environmental liberal arts college
- Distinctions: one of the country's best colleges for sustainability (campus is carbon-neutral); 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 12; beautiful ocean-front location; test-optional admissions
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the College of the Atlantic profile
Maine Maritime Academy
nightthree / Flickr
- Location: Castine, Maine
- Enrollment: 946 (933 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public institution
- Distinctions: curricular focus on engineering, management, science and transportation; ocean-front location; fleet of 60 vessels including the 500-foot State of Maine; strong engineering and co-op programs
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Maine Maritime Academy profile
Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Lizard10979 / Flickr
- Location: Standish, Maine
- Enrollment: 2,775 (1,804 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Catholic liberal arts college
- Distinctions: attractive location on Sebago Lake; 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 17; strong study abroad and internship programs; good online options for graduate programs; nearly all students receive grant aid
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Saint Joseph's College of Maine profile
University of Maine at Farmington
Wesley Fryer / Flickr
- Location: Farmington, Maine
- Enrollment: 2,361 (2,314 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public liberal arts college
- Distinctions: Maine's designated public liberal arts college; 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 19; "Farmington in Four" program guarantees students a bachelor's degree in four years; excellent value
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Maine at Farmington profile
University of Maine at Orono
NightThree / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Orono, Maine
- Enrollment: 11,501 (9,183 undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: public university
- Distinctions: flagship campus of the University of Maine system; 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 88 bachelor's degree programs; attractive campus on the Stillwater River; member of the NCAA Division I America East Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Maine at Orono profile
University of New England
BMRR / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Biddeford, Maine
- Enrollment: 4,493 (2,441 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private university
- Distinctions: 540-acre campus with 4,000 feet of ocean-front property; 17 to 1 student / faculty ratio; a second 41-acre campus in Portland; strong programs in biological and health-related fields; good grant aid
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of New England profile
