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Historical higher education information in Maine, 2008-2014

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This page contains archived information on Maine's higher education system for years prior to the 2013-2014 school year. For more recent information, click here.

Admissions

Enrollment

See also: Higher education enrollment statistics

Between fiscal years 2012 and 2013, full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment in Maine's public postsecondary institutions decreased by 555, or 1.5 percent. Between fiscal years 2008 and 2013—expanding the timeline a bit—full-time enrollment in these schools increased by 1,809, or 5.1 percent. The table below lists full-time enrollment figures for public postsecondary schools in Maine and surrounding states.[1]

Full-time equivalent enrollment in public postsecondary institutions, FY 2008 to FY 2013
State FY 2008 FY 2012 FY 2013 Change from FY 2012 to FY 2013 Percent difference from FY 2012 to FY 2013 Change from FY 2008 to FY 2013 Percent difference from FY 2008 to FY 2013
Maine 35,533 37,897 37,342 -555 -1.50% 1,809 5.10%
Massachusetts 148,288 170,221 171,974 1,753 1.00% 23,686 16.00%
New Hampshire 32,982 39,099 38,834 -265 -0.70% 5,852 17.70%
Vermont 281,940 325,517 320,481 -5,036 -1.50% 38,541 13.70%
U.S. total 10,254,148 11,563,321 11,281,810 -281,511 -2.40% 1,027,662 10.00%
Note: The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association writes that full-time equivalent enrollment "equates student credit hours to full-time, academic year students, but excludes medical students."[1]
Source: State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, "State Higher Education Finance: FY 2013"

Demographics

In Maine, enrollment in all higher education institutions (public and private) totaled 72,810 in fall 2012. 88.2 percent of these students were white. Black students comprised approximately 2.8 percent of the total postsecondary student population in Maine. During that time, 89.9 percent of the state's general population was white and 2.8 percent was black, with other ethnic groups making up the remainder. The table below lists demographic information for both postsecondary students and the general population in Maine and surrounding states.[2]

Higher education enrollment by race/ethnicity, 2012
State Population category White Black Hispanic Asian Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaska Native Two or more races Non-resident alien
Maine Postsecondary students 88.20% 2.77% 2.13% 1.91% 0.28% 1.10% 1.75% 1.85%
General population 89.9% 2.8% 2.2% 1.9% 0.3% 1.1% 1.8% N/A
Massachusetts Postsecondary students 63.57% 8.58% 9.38% 7.26% 0.10% 0.25% 2.50% 8.35%
General population 69.4% 9.4% 10.2% 7.9% 0.1% 0.3% 2.7% N/A
New Hampshire Postsecondary students 82.11% 4.03% 5.14% 3.29% 0.09% 0.57% 1.43% 3.34%
General population 84.9% 4.2% 5.3% 3.4% 0.1% 0.6% 1.5% N/A
Vermont Postsecondary students 85.42% 2.71% 4.10% 2.40% 0.09% 0.52% 2.51% 2.25%
General population 87.4% 2.8% 4.2% 2.5% 0.1% 0.5% 2.6% N/A
U.S. total Postsecondary students 58.04% 14.35% 14.43% 5.79% 0.31% 0.84% 2.45% 3.79%
General population 60.3% 14.9% 15% 6% 0.3% 0.9% 2.5% N/A
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 306.60. Fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity of student and state or jurisdiction: 2012"

In 2012, 58.5 percent of all postsecondary students in Maine were female, which was higher than the national rate of 56.8 percent. The table below lists postsecondary student enrollment by sex in Maine and surrounding states.[3]

Higher education enrollment by sex, 2012
State Total students Male students Percentage Female students Percentage
Maine 72,810 30,206 41.49% 42,604 58.51%
Massachusetts 516,331 223,604 43.31% 292,727 56.69%
New Hampshire 82,678 35,256 42.64% 47,422 57.36%
Vermont 44,703 20,349 45.52% 24,354 54.48%
U.S. total 20,642,819 8,919,087 43.21% 11,723,732 56.79%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 304.30. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, sex, and state or jurisdiction: 2011 and 2012"

Tuition

See also: Higher education tuition statistics

In the 2012-2013 academic year, the national average in-state cost for tuition and required fees at a public four-year school totaled $8,070. For a private four-year school, the average was $24,525. In Maine, these figures were higher: $9,295 and $31,558, respectively. The table below compares average annual tuition costs for Maine and surrounding states.[4]

Average annual undergraduate costs for tuition and required fees, 2012-2013
State Public in-state institution Private institution
2011-2012 2012-2013 Percent difference 2011-2012 2012-2013 Percent difference
Maine $9,294 $9,295 0.01% $30,765 $31,558 2.58%
Massachusetts $10,094 $10,632 5.33% $35,586 $36,795 3.40%
New Hampshire $13,339 $14,435 8.22% $29,805 $30,202 1.33%
Vermont $9,366 $9,866 5.34% $20,641 $21,524 4.28%
U.S. average $7,703 $8,070 4.76% $23,460 $24,525 4.54%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 330.20. Average undergraduate tuition and fees and room and board rates charged for full-time students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution and state or jurisdiction: 2011-12 and 2012-13"

Out-of-state tuition

See also: Higher education tuition statistics

Public postsecondary schools receive some of their funding from their state's government. This money in turn comes from taxation of the state's residents. Since neither out-of-state students nor their parents paid that state's taxes, the schools charge these students additional tuition to account for the difference. This additional charge is a significant increase over in-state tuition in all 50 states. In the 2012-2013 school year, out-of-state students paid a nationwide average of $21,847 in tuition and required fees annually—a 270 percent increase over the in-state average of $8,070.

Students attending public postsecondary institutions in Maine from outside of the state were required to pay an average of $24,397, a 263 percent increase over the average in-state tuition of $9,295. The average out-of-state tuition cost for Maine was higher than the national average of $21,847.

Average annual in-state and out-of-state tuition and required fees, 2012-2013
State In-state tuition averages Out-of-state tuition averages Percent increase
Maine $9,295 $24,397 263%
Massachusetts $10,632 $24,399 230%
New Hampshire $14,435 $24,945 173%
Vermont $13,524 $32,650 241%
United States $8,070 $21,847 270%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 330.20. Average undergraduate tuition and fees and room and board rates charged for full-time students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution and state or jurisdiction: 2011-12 and 2012-13"

Financial aid

See also: Higher education financial aid statistics

The federal government provides financial aid to undergraduate students in the form of grants and loans. Notable grants administered by the United States government include Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG). Loan programs administered by the federal government include the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program and Federal Perkins Loan Program. Individual states may also administer student financial aid programs. In addition, postsecondary institutions often offer institution-specific financial aid to their students.[5][6][7]

According to the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, the states disbursed approximately $11.3 billion in state-based financial aid to postsecondary students in the 2012-2013 academic year. Maine awarded $18.3 million in state-based financial aid during that time. The table below provides state-based aid figures for Maine and surrounding states in 2012-2013.[8]

Total state-based financial aid, 2012-2013 (dollars in millions)
State Need-based grant aid Non-need-based grant aid Non-grant aid Total
Maine $16.407 - $1.872 $18.279
Massachusetts $85.547 $7.296 $44.512 $137.355
New Hampshire - - - -
Vermont $20.117 $0.080 $0.394 $20.592
U.S. totals $7,200.770 $2,390.600 $1,693.530 $11,284.910
Source: National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, "44th Annual Survey Report on State-Sponsored Student Financial Aid, 2012-2013 Academic Year"

Student debt

See also: Student debt in higher education in the United States

Student debt is a major concern for both parents and students. Nationally, in the school year 2012-2013 an average of 61 percent of all students graduated with debt, which averaged about $26,421 per borrower. The lowest average debt owed by students could be found in New Mexico, where average student debt was about $18,656. Conversely, students who graduated in New Hampshire with debt owed an average of about $32,795, the highest in the country.[9]

During the 2012-2013 school year, about 64 percent of postsecondary students at both public and private schools in Maine graduated with debt. This debt averaged to about $29,934, ranking seventh highest in the country.

Average student debt in Maine and surrounding states, 2012-2013
State Average debt Rank Percentage with debt Rank
Maine $29,934 7 64% 16
Massachusetts $28,565 14 66% 13
New Hampshire $32,795 1 76% 1
Vermont $27,318 22 64% 16
United States $26,421 N/A 61% N/A
Source: Project on Student Debt, "State by State Data"

While tuition for private schools is almost always higher than that of public schools, debt does not always follow this same pattern. College InSight, another project of the Institute for College Access and Success, analyzed data on student debt held by graduates of public and private schools. They found that nationwide, about 60 percent of students who graduated from a public institution had debt, which averaged about $25,665 per borrower. For private schools, they found that approximately 65 percent of students graduated with an average of $28,498 in debt. However, in some states, such as Maine, students on average graduated from private schools with less debt than those who graduated from public schools.[10]

During the 2012-2013 school year, about 77 percent of graduates from Maine's public schools graduated with debt. This debt averaged to about $31,449 across the state. This was higher than the national average. In Maine's private schools, about 46 percent of students graduated with debt. This debt averaged to about $26,281, which was lower than the national average. As mentioned above, students who graduated from public schools during this year had more debt on average than those who graduated from private schools. The chart below compares these statistics for Maine and its surrounding states.

Student debt from public and private institutions, 2012-2013
State Public in-state institution Private institution
Average debt of graduates Percent of graduates with debt Average debt of graduates Percent of graduates with debt
Maine $31,449 77% $26,281 46%
Massachusetts $27,348 74% $29,388 61%
New Hampshire $34,170 79% $28,779 68%
Vermont $27,886 65% $25,875 60%
United States $25,665 60% $28,498 65%
Source: The Institute for College Access & Success - College InSight, "Student debt and undergraduate financial aid data"

Academic performance and outcomes

Retention rates

See also: Higher education retention rates

Retention rates indicate the percentage of freshman postsecondary students who enroll the following academic year as sophomores. According to the NCHEMS Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis:[11]

Students are more likely to drop out of postsecondary education during the first year than any other time. If a state can implement policies that help to increase retention rates either within institutions or through transfer, the likelihood of students persisting to graduation is far greater.[11][12]
—NCHEMS Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis

Compared to neighboring states, Maine had the lowest total retention rate in 2010 at 77.2 percent. The table below compares retention rates in Maine and surrounding states. These figures date to 2010.[11]

Retention rates by state, 2010
State Total retention rate Total full-time retention rate Total part-time retention rate
Maine 77.2% 77.9% 49.1%
Massachusetts 83.9% 84.2% 52.1%
New Hampshire 79.9% 80.2% 43.5%
Vermont 79.5% 79.7% 43.3%
U.S. average 77.1% 78.7% 44.6%
Source: NCHEMS Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis, "Retention Rates - First-Time College Freshmen Returning Their Second Year"

Graduation rates

See also: Higher education graduation rates

The table below, built from data compiled by The Chronicle of Higher Education, details graduation rates for Maine and surrounding states. Although postsecondary schools are classified as four-year and two-year institutions, relatively few students actually complete degrees within these time frames. At four-year schools, students commonly take between four and six years to complete their degrees. Likewise, students at two-year institutions commonly take four years to complete their degrees. To illustrate this point, both four-year and six-year completion rates are provided in the table below (only three-year rates are provided for two-year institutions, owing to a lack of information regarding two-year completion rates).[13]

Compared to neighboring states, Maine had the lowest four-year and six-year completion rates for four-year public institutions at 28.9 percent and 48.5 percent, respectively. However, the state had the highest four-year completion rate for public two-year institutions at 26.7 percent.[13]

Graduation rates by state, 2010
State Four-year institutions Two-year institutions
Completion within four years Completion within six years Completion within three years
Public four-year colleges Private nonprofit four-year colleges Private for-profit four-year colleges Public four-year colleges Private nonprofit four-year colleges Private for-profit four-year colleges Public two-year colleges Private for-profit two-year colleges
Maine 28.9% 62.1% N/A 48.5% 68.6% N/A 26.7% 24%
Massachusetts 35.4% 62.5% 24.6% 56.4% 75.7% 32.2% 16.4% 59.2%
New Hampshire 46.6% 58.8% 15.1% 65.4% 66.9% 26.9% 26.3% N/A
Vermont 46.1% 59.9% N/A 62.9% 67.3% N/A 15.6% N/A
U.S. average 31.30% 52.50% 20.30% 56% 65.5% 28.2% 20.4% 60.1%
Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, "College Completion: Who graduates from college, who doesn't, and why it matters"

Funding

See also: Higher education funding and Maine state budget and finances

Higher education funding mechanisms differ depending on the type of institution. Public colleges receive the lion's share of their funding from state and local governments. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, state and local appropriations accounted for 53 percent of higher education revenues nationwide in 2013. By contrast, private institutions do not receive direct government funding. Instead, these institutions rely primarily on tuition, gifts and endowments.[14][15]

According to Grapevine, which is published by Illinois State University’s Center for the Study of Education Policy and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO), financial support for public higher education in Maine totaled an estimated $271.1 million in fiscal year 2014, a nearly 2 percent increase over fiscal year 2013. The table below lists higher education fiscal support figures for Maine and surrounding states.[1]

Financial support for higher education by state, 2013 and 2014
State Fiscal year 2013 Fiscal year 2014 Percent change
Maine $265,872,234 $271,053,573 1.95%
Massachusetts $985,123,807 $1,091,894,342 10.84%
New Hampshire $85,622,352 $109,000,000 27.30%
Vermont $89,340,755 $92,315,902 3.33%
U.S. totals $72,156,979,373 $76,238,167,052 5.66%
Source: State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, "State Higher Education Finance: FY 2013"

According to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, average adjusted public postsecondary appropriations per full-time student declined 23 percent from fiscal year 2008 to 2013 on average in the United States. In Maine, appropriations per full-time student declined 14.9 percent during that same period. The table below lists adjusted public higher education appropriations per full-time student for Maine and surrounding states in fiscal years 2008, 2012, and 2013.[1]

Public higher education appropriations per FTE (in constant 2013 dollars)
State Fiscal year 2008 Fiscal year 2012 Fiscal year 2013 FY12 to FY13 change Percent change FY08 to FY13 change Percent change
Maine $7,027 $6,137 $5,978 -$159.00 -2.60% -$1,049.00 -14.90%
Massachusetts $7,741 $5,583 $5,672 $89.00 1.60% -$2,069.00 -26.70%
New Hampshire $3,466 $1,674 $1,708 $34.00 2.00% -$1,758.00 -50.70%
Vermont $3,103 $2,651 $2,655 $4.00 0.10% -$448.00 -14.40%
U.S. average $7,924 $6,020 $6,105 $85.00 1.40% -$1,819.00 -23.00%
Notes: "Educational appropriations are a measure of state and local support available for public higher education operating expenses including ARRA funds, and exclude appropriations for independent institutions, financial aid for students attending independent institutions, research, hospitals, and medical education."
"Adjustment factors, to arrive at constant dollar figures, include Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), Enrollment Mix Index (EMI), and Higher Education Cost Adjustment (HECA).The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is not a measure of inflation over time."
Source: State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, "State Higher Education Finance: FY 2013"

Faculty

See also: Higher education faculty statistics

Across the country, as student enrollment at postsecondary institutions has changed, so has the faculty. The number of faculty increased nationwide by nearly 73 percent from 450,368 to 780,127 between the 1991-1992 and 2011-2012 school years in order to keep up with rising student enrollment. In Maine, the total number of faculty rose from 2,365 to 3,000. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the college faculty profession has one of the fastest growth rates in the nation and will see a 19 percent increase in jobs between 2012 and 2022.[16][17]

Employment status

Employment of faculty at four-year public institutions in Maine

Although the total number of faculty at public colleges and universities continued to rise over the previous two decades, the portion of faculty who work part-time rose more quickly. By the end of 2012, the percentage of part-time faculty, including teaching and research assistants, had reached 55.8 percent at four-year institutions nationwide. The number of part-time faculty plus teaching and research assistants outnumbered full-time faculty in all but six states. The number of teaching and research assistants alone outnumbered full-time faculty in eight states. Maine was not one of these states. According to the Southern Regional Education Board,[16]

The fact that part-time faculty and teaching/research assistants are a majority of the instructional staff does not mean they do a majority of the instruction, because part-time faculty members and teaching/research assistants typically do not teach as many classes as full-time faculty members. Part-time faculty members generally do not have campus committee assignments or participate in student activities.[16][12]
—Southern Regional Education Board, "Fact Book on Higher Education"

In Maine, the percentage of all part-time faculty, including teaching and research assistants, increased from 46.3 percent to 56.4 percent between the 1991-1992 and 2011-2012 school years. Below is a table that provides figures on full-time and part-time faculty employment in Maine as compared to surrounding states.[16]

Employment status of instructional faculty at public four-year institutions
State 1991-92 2011-12
Full-time faculty Part-time faculty Teaching and research assistants Part-time total as a percent of all faculty* Full-time faculty Part-time faculty Teaching and research assistants Part-time total as a percent of all faculty*
Maine 1,269 523 573 46.3% 1,308 891 801 56.4%
Massachusetts 3,871 970 2,996 50.6% 4,473 3,438 3,852 62.0%
New Hampshire 1,101 104 545 37.1% 1,140 1,147 773 62.7%
Vermont 1,156 276 5 19.6% 1,484 769 570 47.4%
U.S. total 254,363 63,866 132,139 43.5% 344,940 157,123 278,064 55.8%
*"Part-time total" includes teaching and research assistants, who also work part-time.
Source: Southern Regional Education Board, "Higher Education Faculty & Administrators

Salaries

According to the Southern Regional Education Board, although the salaries of faculty at public institutions were higher than those of the average American worker in the 2012-2013 school year, public higher education salary growth did not keep pace with the average rate of salary increases across all professions. However, salary growth at private institutions outpaced the national average rate. From the 1999-2000 to the 2012-2013 school years, the average salary for professors across all higher education institutions nationwide rose from $74,410 to $108,310. Click on the table below to view salary information for the school years 1999-2000 and 2012-2013 according to institution type and academic rank. Individual state information was not available. Dollar amounts have not been adjusted for inflation.[16]

Demographics

Over the past two decades, the proportions of female, black, and Hispanic faculty members at public colleges and universities nationwide increased to reach their highest levels ever in the 2011-2012 school year. In Maine, 42.3 percent of full-time college faculty were female, 0.3 percent were black, and 1.2 percent were Hispanic. Black and Hispanic representation in college faculty at that time was higher than in the 1991-1992 school year. However, it still fell below the proportions of both the general and college student populations who were black and Hispanic. The table below provides demographic information for full-time faculty at public four-year colleges and universities in Maine from the 1993-1994 to the 2011-2012 school years. Figures are compared with those in surrounding states.[16]

Demographics of full-time faculty at public four-year colleges and universities
State Year Total full-time faculty Percent men Percent women Percent white Percent black Percent Hispanic Percent other*
Maine 1993-94 1,221 68.5% 31.5% 98.1% 0.2% 0.1% 1.7%
2011-12 1,308 57.7% 42.3% 93.9% 0.3% 1.2% 3.7%
Massachusetts 1993-94 3,905 68.2% 31.8% 89.6% 3.4% 1.8% 5.2%
2011-12 4,473 55.2% 44.8% 81.9% 4.2% 3.3% 10.0%
New Hampshire 1993-94 1,175 67.2% 32.8% 96.6% 0.2% 0.6% 2.7%
2011-12 1,140 59.1% 40.9% 89.5% 1.4% 2.5% 6.2%
Vermont 1993-94 1,050 60.0% 30.8% 95.4% 1.1% 0.9% 2.7%
2011-12 1,484 69.2% 40.0% 88.4% 2.5% 2.3% 6.3%
U.S. total 1993-94 265,685 70.2% 29.8% 87.1% 4.8% 2.2% 6.0%
2011-12 344,940 58.7% 41.3% 78.5% 5.3% 4.1% 11.5%
*Represents Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian/Alaskan Native
Source: Southern Regional Education Board, "Higher Education Faculty & Administrators

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, "State Higher Education Finance: FY 2013," accessed December 16, 2014
  2. National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 306.60. Fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity of student and state or jurisdiction: 2012," accessed December 16, 2014
  3. National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 304.30. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, sex, and state or jurisdiction: 2011 and 2012," accessed December 16, 2014
  4. National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 330.20. Average undergraduate tuition and fees and room and board rates charged for full-time students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution and state or jurisdiction: 2011-12 and 2012-13," accessed December 15, 2014
  5. National Center for Education Statistics, "Fast Facts - Financial aid," accessed December 18, 2014
  6. Federal Student Aid: An Office of the U.S. Department of Education, "Grants and Scholarships," accessed December 18, 2014
  7. Federal Student Aid: An Office of the U.S. Department of Education, "Loans," accessed December 18, 2014
  8. National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, "44th Annual Survey Report on State-Sponsored Student Financial Aid, 2012-2013 Academic Year," accessed December 18, 2014
  9. Project on student debt, "State-by-state data," accessed January 15, 2014
  10. College Insight, "State-by-state comparison," accessed January 15, 2015
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 NCHEMS Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis, "Retention Rates - First-Time College Freshmen Returning Their Second Year," accessed December 15, 2014
  12. 12.0 12.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  13. 13.0 13.1 The Chronicle of Higher Education, "College Completion: Who graduates from college, who doesn't, and why it matters," accessed December 15, 2014
  14. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "States Are Still Funding Higher Education Below Pre-Recession Levels," May 1, 2014
  15. Business Insider, "Public Vs. Private College: Which Is Better For Your Wallet?" May 22, 2013
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 Southern Regional Education Board, "Fact Book on Higher Education, 2013," accessed January 14, 2015
  17. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, "Occupational Outlook Handbook, Postsecondary Teachers," accessed January 15, 2015