While many college students are taking the summer off from school, a record 12,610 undergraduate, graduate and law students are advancing their education through courses at Maine’s public universities.
The number is 9.5% higher than last year and marks the highest level since enrollment tracking began two decades ago, the University of Maine System said in a news release on Monday. It’s also 28.7% more than five years ago.
“At a time when many postsecondary institutions in the Northeast face enrollment challenges, the University of Maine System is growing,” said Chancellor Dannel Malloy. “As Maine’s largest provider of talent, we are proud to be expanding educational and earning opportunities and the workforce to power our state’s economy and future.”
Summer enrollment growth is being driven by strong demand for University of Maine System degree programs and efforts to improve retention, accelerate credential completion and create pathways to high-paying careers. To support those goals, schools have expanded summer offerings to more than 1,700 unique courses.
Some public universities offer reduced-cost summer courses to help incoming students transition to college and stay on track to graduate, while others host August bridge programs that engage first-year students in hands-on research to boost retention and student success.
Additionally, nearly 700 Maine high school students are earning postsecondary credit for free this summer through the System’s early college programs, primarily at the University of Maine and the University of Southern Maine.
Maine’s public universities will conduct a formal student census on Aug. 15 and expect enrollment to continue rising until then, especially at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, where a new eight-week YourPace online session is set to begin on July 6.
