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2024 Best Nursing Schools in Maine

13 Colleges in Maine
1,262 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$77,921 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #3 in popularity, nursing is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 13 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Nursing Schools in Maine ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,262 degrees in nursing during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in Maine The nursing program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Nursing rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for nursing schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Nursing Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Nursing
Bachelor's Degrees in Nursing
Master's Degrees in Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Nursing

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Nursing Schools in Maine list to help you make the college decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Nursing in Maine

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the nursing degree levels they offer.

10 Top Maine Schools in Nursing

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
236 Nursing Degrees Awarded
25.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Southern Maine is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in nursing. University of Southern Maine is a medium-sized public university located in the city of Portland. A Best Colleges rank of #1158 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Southern Maine is a great university overall.

There were approximately 236 nursing students who graduated with this degree at University of Southern Maine in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients generally earn around $77,648 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Southern Maine

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
125 Nursing Degrees Awarded
2.4% Growth in Graduates

Saint Joseph's College of Maine is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in nursing. Located in the rural area of Standish, Saint Joseph's Maine is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1122 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Saint Joseph's Maine is a great college overall.

There were about 125 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Saint Joseph's Maine in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing degree program at Saint Joseph's College of Maine make $2,181 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$57,355 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Maine College of Health Professions if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the city of Lewiston, MCHP is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

There were roughly 40 nursing students who graduated with this degree at MCHP in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $57,355 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in nursing from Maine College of Health Professions

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
136 Nursing Degrees Awarded
16.9% Growth in Graduates

University of New England is a great option for students interested in a degree in nursing. Located in the midsize suburb of Biddeford, UNE is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #709 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNE is a great university overall.

There were roughly 136 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UNE in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from University of New England receive $50,478 more than the standard nursing grad.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of New England

5
Husson crest
Husson University
Bangor, ME
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
121 Nursing Degrees Awarded
34.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Bangor, Husson is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1542 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Husson is a great university overall.

There were approximately 121 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Husson in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing degree program at Husson University make $2,997 more than the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from Husson University

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Nursing Degrees Awarded
11.7% Growth in Graduates

SMCC is a moderately-sized public college located in the city of South Portland. A Best Colleges rank of #1760 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SMCC is a great college overall.

There were about 94 nursing students who graduated with this degree at SMCC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $56,724.

More information about a degree in nursing from Southern Maine Community College

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
180 Nursing Degrees Awarded
6.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the rural area of Fort Kent, UMFK is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 13th out of 19 schools for overall quality in the state of Maine.

There were about 180 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UMFK in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $61,135 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Maine at Fort Kent

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Nursing Degrees Awarded
23.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Bangor, Eastern Maine Community College is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 17th out of 19 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maine.

There were about 43 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Maine Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients generally earn about $62,568 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Eastern Maine Community College

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
$52,322 Median Starting Salary
$18,240 Median Student Debt

Northern Maine Community College is a small public college located in the town of Presque Isle.

There were approximately 25 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Northern Maine Community College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program make an average of $52,322 for their early career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Northern Maine Community College

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Nursing Degrees Awarded
21.3% Growth in Graduates

Central Maine Technical College is a small public college located in the rural area of Auburn. This college ranks 15th out of 19 schools for overall quality in the state of Maine.

There were roughly 47 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Central Maine Technical College in the most recent data year. After graduation, nursing degree recipients typically make an average of $55,373 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Central Maine Community College


 

Best Nursing Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Massachusetts 301 6,436
Connecticut 241 3,035
New Hampshire 210 2,059
Rhode Island 200 1,084
Vermont 194 390

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 927
Nursing Science 180
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 67
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 29
Nurse Anesthetist 20
Clinical Nurse Leader 18
Nursing Administration 15
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 5
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 1

View All Nursing Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Allied Health Professions 327
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 300
Health Sciences & Services 241
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 213
Health & Medical Administrative Services 182
Medicine 174
Mental & Social Health Services 174
Public Health 171
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 83
Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services 81

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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