Maine Universities Report First Enrollment Growth in 13 Years

Enrollment has grown 1.6% at Maine’s public universities, according to the 2016 Fall Semester Enrollment Report.

The increase marks the first growth in enrollment for the universities since 2003 and comes despite an on-going decline in the number of students graduating from Maine high schools and an overall drop in the size of Maine’s traditional college-aged population.

Total headcount for the Fall 2016 Semester is reported at 29,465 students, an increase of 471 students from the Fall 2015 Semester.   Out-of-state enrollment increased 9.3% this year, bringing a total of 4,256 out-of-state students to Maine.  More than 20% of out-of-state students start their careers in Maine after graduation according to a Life After UMaine survey.   Adding young, college-educated adults to Maine’s workforce is a critical priority for our aging state.

As part of the One University Initiative Maine has achieved a nation-leading commitment to affordability, freezing instate tuition for an historic six years.  Maine’s universities have also prioritized expanding access to public higher education, working with new partners across the state and deploying new technologies to ensure learners of all ages, locations and backgrounds can earn a college degree.

The Fall 2016 Enrollment Report will come before the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the University of Maine System on Tuesday, November 8.   Click here for the full committee agenda as well as meeting times and locations.

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