Maine College of Art & Design is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Portland, Maine. It enrolls 415 students (a very small, intimate student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorNew England Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Fair
48/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes39
Value2
Affordability22
Selectivity50
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 76.1%, Maine College of Art & Design is broadly accessible to qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
76.1%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Maine College of Art & Design is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
15.2 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Maine College of Art & Design isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $38,338 per year. That's above the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$38,338
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
29%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
69%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$42,942
Room & Board (on-campus)
$17,184
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,600
Books & Supplies
$1,250
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,100
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,100
Total Cost of Attendance
$60,128
Application fee: $40 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$31,589
$30,001 – $48,000
$33,075
$48,001 – $75,000
$35,283
$75,001 – $110,000
$40,992
Over $110,000
$42,001
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$3,75010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$27,000Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$31,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $22,824
↓ $4,176
No Pell $15,750
↓ $11,250
Dependent students $18,500
↓ $8,500
Independent students $25,000
↓ $2,000
Female students $18,750
↓ $8,250
Male students $19,500
↓ $7,500
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
53% of full-time students who enrolled at Maine College of Art & Design graduate within six years, and 74% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
53%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
74%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Maine College of Art & Design earn a median of $40,778 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$40,778
Earning > $25K
69%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$31,000
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$35,400
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
13.6 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 84% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Maine College of Art & Design is home to 415 students, an intimate, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
415
Part-Time
3%
First-Generation
24%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 77.6%322
Other 7.7%32
Hispanic 7.2%30
Asian 2.4%10
Black 0.7%3
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Maine College of Art & Design. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Small CityPortland, Maine
Housing
Strongly residential344 beds for 415 students
Adult Learners
6%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Maine College of Art & Design offers
a focused set of programs:
8 distinct programs across
4 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Maine College of Art & Design is 8:1, low (small classes, more faculty contact).
Student : Faculty
8:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$33M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$62,679
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
30 instructional faculty across 3 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
10
33%
$67,698
Associate Professors
8
27%
$69,407
Assistant Professors
12
40%
$54,010
Pros & Cons of Maine College of Art & Design
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Maine College of Art & Design tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Accessible admissions for most applicants
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Tight-knit, close community feel
CONS
High net price compared to most US colleges
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Below-average completion rate
Modest first-year retention
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for:
Based on the data, Maine College of Art & Design is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Maine College of Art & Design
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Maine College of Art & Design.
Is Maine College of Art & Design hard to get into?
Maine College of Art & Design has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted. Acceptance rate: 76.1%.
What is the acceptance rate at Maine College of Art & Design?
Maine College of Art & Design has an acceptance rate of 76.1%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Maine College of Art & Design cost?
The average net price after aid at Maine College of Art & Design is $38,338 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Maine College of Art & Design worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $40,778 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $38,338 per year. That's roughly 1.1x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Maine College of Art & Design known for?
Maine College of Art & Design is best known for its programs in Design, Fine Arts, Fine Arts. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Maine College of Art & Design graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Maine College of Art & Design are $40,778, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Maine College of Art & Design accredited?
Yes. Maine College of Art & Design is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Maine College of Art & Design?
Maine College of Art & Design enrolls 415 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Maine College of Art & Design?
Maine College of Art & Design graduates 53% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Maine College of Art & Design a public or private college?
Maine College of Art & Design is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is Maine College of Art & Design located?
Maine College of Art & Design is located in Portland, Maine.
What programs does Maine College of Art & Design offer?
Maine College of Art & Design offers 8 distinct programs. The most popular include Design, Fine Arts, Fine Arts.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Maine College of Art & Design?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Maine College of Art & Design is 8:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Maine
Other colleges in Maine share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
