Despite nationwide declines in college enrollment, the student roster at the University of Maine rose to a record 11,989 this fall, the highest number in more than 150 years at the public institution.
The enrollment represents a 2.1% increase over fall 2020, when UMaine had 11,741 students, the Orono-based school announced Thursday.
This year’s increase was driven partly by a jump in out-of-state enrollment, which is up 5% over last year and 150% since fall 2009. Students from outside of Maine currently account for 41% of undergraduates students pursuing degrees at the school.
“UMaine students participate in research, innovation and exploratory learning that defines tomorrow,” said University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “It is a fantastic time to be a Black Bear with new investments and opportunities coming to our flagship campus. We are pleased more students are choosing the comprehensive, success-focused educational experience we provide at the University of Maine.”
UMaine is part of the University of Maine System and has a regional campus at the University of Maine at Machias. Ferrini-Mundy has led both institutions since July 2018.
Enrollment in Machias is up 1% over last year at 505 students, though its enrollment is not included in UMaine’s record-setting number.
The growth in enrollment at UMaine comes after national higher education enrollment fell 6.5% over the last two years, in part due to the impact of COVID-19. The number of students graduating from Maine high schools has also declined for decades, and that trend is expected to continue until at least 2037.
First-year enrollment at UMaine this fall has climbed to 2,225 students, an 8% increase over last year’s incoming class.
The Class of 2025 is the fourth-largest incoming class in the school’s history. Half of the first-year cohort has a high school grade point average of 3.5 or higher, and the mean GPA for the new class is the highest in more than a decade, according to UMaine.