Overview of Online Colleges in Maine
Over the course of the past five years in particular, Maine has succeeded in making degree programs and vocational advancement far more accessible online. University College, for example, is operated by the University of Maine system and offers online courses and programs through the system's seven universities. Physical learning hubs like University College Centers, also part of the University of Maine learning system, provide a connection to the university experience off-campus. These centers are considered casual learning spaces designed to provide students with an on-campus experience, even online.
There are also programs like the Maine Online Learning Initiative. This program, which began in 2009, is backed today by Maine, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Mississippi, and aims to provide professionals with access to training, licensure and certification, often remotely, via various university systems. Students can also visit Maine.edu and Maine.gov for even more information about higher learning and online education in the state.
As learning has become more accessible at the secondary and postsecondary levels, tuition in the state has also become slightly more affordable. Maine is one of only four states to see a decrease in tuition between the 2009-10 and 2014-15 academic years. However, the cost of an education in Maine remains slightly higher than in other states. While enrollment rates in Maine have climbed between 2002 and 2012 (12% over the course of a decade), enrollment rates in the state have been consistently lower than the median U.S. enrollment rates. Two-year institutions, however, are the exception: between 2000 and 2010, enrollment at two-year colleges increased a whopping 135.7%.
To read more about Maine's online learning, view our comprehensive listing of schools that offer distance programs and courses below. There are 20 indexed colleges in this database, along with tips about ways to pay for your education in Maine, stats about the state's success ratings and links to other resources that explore higher learning in Maine.