2027 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maine
[Liberal Arts](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/liberal-arts-and-general-studies/liberal-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for liberal arts students.
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2027 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Maine
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in liberal arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools
For return on investment in liberal arts, no school beat Kennebec Valley Community College this year. Set in the town of Fairfield, Kennebec Valley Community College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,156, compared with $7,036 for out-of-state students. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $15,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients from Kennebec Valley Community College generally make around $32,448. That is a strong return on a $15,000 median debt.
York County Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in liberal arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Wells, York County Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $4,156 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,036. Students borrow a median of $12,757 to complete the liberal arts program here. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients from York County Community College generally make around $35,803. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Maine At Presque Isle is a great value for students pursuing a degree in liberal arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Presque Isle, University Of Maine At Presque Isle is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $9,402 in tuition and fees, compared with $14,862 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $24,750. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients from University Of Maine At Presque Isle generally make around $38,395. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 100% of applicants are accepted.
Central Maine Community College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value liberal arts schools. Located in the city of Auburn, Central Maine Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,140, while out-of-state students pay about $7,020. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $15,575 in student loans. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $31,646. Set against $15,575 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Maine At Fort Kent came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value liberal arts schools. Set in the rural area of Fort Kent, University Of Maine At Fort Kent is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,420 in tuition and fees, compared with $14,880 for out-of-state students. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $30,447 in student loans. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $71,551. Set against $30,447 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 98%.
Eastern Maine Community College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value liberal arts schools. Located in the city of Bangor, Eastern Maine Community College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,156, with out-of-state students paying around $7,036. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $12,402. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $52,263. Set against $12,402 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Maine At Augusta came in at #7 for value in liberal arts this year. Set in the town of Augusta, University Of Maine At Augusta is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,888, compared with $22,178 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $23,695. Liberal Arts graduates of University Of Maine At Augusta earn a median of $35,428 early in their careers. Set against $23,695 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southern Maine Community College placed #8 among the best values for liberal arts. Set in the city of South Portland, Southern Maine Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,156, compared with $7,036 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,250 to complete the liberal arts program here. Liberal Arts graduates of Southern Maine Community College earn a median of $27,742 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $10,250 median debt.
University Of Southern Maine landed the #9 spot for liberal arts value this year. Set in the city of Portland, University Of Southern Maine is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,090, with out-of-state students paying around $29,940. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the liberal arts program here. Liberal Arts graduates of University Of Southern Maine earn a median of $29,716 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Southern Maine admits about 79% of applicants.
University Of Maine earned the #10 position for value in liberal arts this year. Set in the suburb of Orono, University Of Maine is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,326, compared with $36,756 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $21,166. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $34,404. That is a strong return on a $21,166 median debt. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
Husson University earned the #11 position for value in liberal arts this year. Husson University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bangor. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,304. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $36,809. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
College Of The Atlantic earned the #12 position for value in liberal arts this year. Located in the rural area of Bar Harbor, College Of The Atlantic is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $47,997. Students borrow a median of $25,475 to complete the liberal arts program here. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $23,003. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.
