2027 Best Value History Schools in Maine
[History](/majors/history/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for history students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value History Schools in Maine
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in history, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value History Schools
Bowdoin College earned the #1 spot for value among history schools in Maine. Bowdoin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Brunswick. Students from in state pay about $67,832 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for history graduates is $20,658. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from Bowdoin College generally make around $58,938. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 7% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Southern Maine one of the best values for history. University Of Southern Maine is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Portland. Students from in state pay about $12,090 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $29,940. History graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career history graduates make about $36,876. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 79%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Colby College earned it the #3 place for history. Located in the town of Waterville, Colby College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $69,600. Students borrow a median of $22,016 to complete the history program here. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from Colby College generally make around $46,772. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 7% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in history will find it at University Of Maine, which ranked #4. Located in the suburb of Orono, University Of Maine is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,326, compared with $36,756 for out-of-state students. History graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from University Of Maine generally make around $31,357. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Bates College one of the best values for history. Set in the city of Lewiston, Bates College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $66,590. Students borrow a median of $12,226 to complete the history program here. History graduates of Bates College earn a median of $43,933 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 13%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
