Colleges and Universities in Maine
Though Maine doesn’t have the same population density or brand-name colleges as Massachusetts, its nearby neighbor to the south, the state is home to some of the best colleges and universities in the country. Along with distinguished professors and fascinating classes, students at Maine’s educational institutions are blessed with some of the most beautiful scenery in the world — there’s nothing better than an ocean view to inspire academic brilliance, and students interested in environmental studies have thousands of acres of woodlands, lakes, and other natural surroundings as a living classroom. If you’re interested in furthering your education, this is the best place to do it. Here are some of Maine’s best academic institutions.
Colby College. Photo by Mike Timberlake
Like every other state in the US, Maine has its own public university system. The University of Maine system has campuses in Orono, Augusta, Farmington, Fort Kent, Machias, and Presque Isle; other public universities are University of Southern Maine in downtown Portland and its associated Law School, the Maine Maritime Academy, and the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. Because Maine’s population is not nearly as high as most other states’, these public institutions boast the low faculty-to-student ratio and opportunities for hands-on learning that are typically only found in private colleges. More information about any of these schools can be found at www.maine.edu.
Some of Maine’s private colleges are among the oldest in the nation. Bates College, in the town of Lewiston, was founded in 1855 by a group of abolitionists; today, the college maintains the sense of diversity and acceptance that it was based upon. The small liberal arts school is home to 1,700 undergraduate students, and two-thirds of the campus population takes part in opportunities to study abroad. The school’s tightly knit community gives students opportunities for in-depth research in their fields of interest, whether they are studying education, biology, or English. Bates is also home to the Center for Service Learning, where more than half of all students participate in community service activities around Maine. Visit the Bates College website here: www.bates.edu
In the small town of Waterville, Colby College is a picturesque New England liberal arts school with approximately 1,900 enrolled students. The campus, founded in 1813, is 714 acres, including the beautiful 6-acre Johnson Pond, which is used for ice skating in winter. Colby has a strong focus on environmentalism, and their dining program is groundbreaking for its focus on using locally grown, organic produce. With a range of highly ranked academic programs and extracurricular activities, Colby College is one of the nation’s best places for undergraduate students. You can visit Colby College’s website here: www.colby.edu
One of the nation’s oldest schools, Bowdoin College, in the town of Brunswick, was founded in 1794 by Massachusetts governor Samuel Adams, before Maine was even a separate state. The school boasts famous alumni such as the Scarlet Letter author, Nathaniel Hawthorne; Robert E. Peary, who led the first expedition to the North Pole; and beloved poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The initially all-male college voted to admit women in 1971. Today, the beautiful campus of 1,700 students offers a diverse range of academic courses, and recently built the Coastal Studies Center, a 118-acre protected environment on Orr’s Island, along the coast of Maine. Visit Bowdoin College’s website here: www.bowdoin.edu
Tiny Unity College, in the town of Unity, Maine, has just over 500 students. The rural campus is surrounded by woodland on all sides, and boasts a strong focus on environmentalism and outdoor pursuits. For students who would rather spend their working hours on beaches or in natural parks than in a cubicle, Unity is the natural choice. Visit Unity College’s website here: www.unity.edu
The state of Maine is also home to specialty academic institutions, including the renowned Rockport College for filmmakers and photographers, the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, and the Maine College of Art. No matter what your focus, you’re sure to find the right program for you in this amazing state. To find more educational programs in Maine, visit: www.maine.gov/portal/education/colleges.html
Written by Kathy Hawkins on June 18, 2007
Filed Under Maine, Colleges, Universities, Education
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