Maine’s university system opens year with highest enrollment since 2021

With one week to go before classes begin, the University of Maine System anticipates seeing its highest enrollment since 2021.

The system, which includes seven universities and the University of Maine School of Law, is preparing to welcome 1,200 more students this academic year than last year, marking a 5 percent increase, according to preliminary data released Tuesday.

Of the 24,400 students now enrolled in Maine’s universities, 19,400 are undergraduates and 4,700 graduate students. Credit hours, which drive revenue for the University of Maine System and are used as a measurement for enrollment, are up more than 5 percent and slightly above budget.

Dannel Malloy, chancellor of the University of Maine System, credited much of the enrollment increase to academic improvements, like expanded programs or bolstered non-classroom learning following the pandemic. Small changes, such as shortening the turnaround time for applications and adjusting student communications also makes a big difference, he said.

“Our hope is this is a trend that continues to develop as we look at new offerings and communication systems,” he said.

The increase follows a yearslong gradual decline in its student population, followed by significant drops in 2022 and 2023. They matched a national trend of fewer students attending college during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022 , enrollment was down 5 percent and about 1,000 students from the previous year, which later contributed to a $5 million budget deficit .

The University of Maine System then estimated a roughly 7 percent decrease in credit hours in 2023. The drop in enrollment and resident hall occupancy were named as a major factor in the $11.4 million budget gap the system faced that year.

Enrollment at each of Maine’s public universities is projected to rise this year, except for the University of Maine at Augusta. However, that university has added new graduate programs that have contributed to its graduate enrollment tripling since 2020.

The system will also welcome more than 2,300 undergraduate transfer students this year — a 39 percent increase from last year and the highest number in a decade. The system credits a portion of the increase to agreements that allow community college students to seamlessly transfer to the universities.

This year, the system also began inviting Maine high school students who were successful in free early college courses to enroll without going through the traditional admission process. More than 350 students took the offer, which contributed to a 20 percent increase in the number of students coming from Maine high schools.

“This is the strongest enrollment we’ve seen in about four years and it’s really telling of how we’re approaching admissions,” Malloy said. “We’re communicating better, reaching out to support people better, and offering programs we didn’t before.”

The system’s enrollment data will likely rise slightly in the coming days as students submit last-minute paperwork, Malloy said. A formal student census will take place in October.