K-12 EDUCATION

The K-12 education system equips learners with essential knowledge, skills, and tools to thrive in their future endeavors. The journey from kindergarten through 12th grade aims to develop well rounded individuals and provides opportunities to explore students’ passions, cultivate critical thinking, and become active citizens.

Maine’s high school graduation rate is a measure of educational attainment of the knowledge, skills, and disposition that prepare students to be college, career, and community ready. Currently about 87% of Maine students graduate in four years. Graduating from high school signifies more than the culmination of academic years; it signifies the acquisition of a diverse skill set that empowers students to make informed choices about their paths ahead. For more detailed information about high school graduation, see the Attainment section below.

Student success is multifaceted; it cannot be measured by test scores and graduation rates alone. Our goal is to look at K-12 education in a holistic manner, understanding and appreciating Maine’s diverse learners and learning environments and striving for equitable educational outcomes for all.

STUDENT HEALTH & WELL-BEING

Are Maine students healthy and ready to learn?

Student well-being impacts academic performance, social interactions, and overall engagement. By incorporating measures related to mental health, mattering, and adverse childhood experiences, this section aims to holistically understand the dynamics that affect the broader education system in Maine.

The Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey contains the most detailed information about student health and well-being. The survey is administered to Maine students in grades 5-12 every other year to learn more about their health behaviors and attitudes regarding areas like substance use, mental health, protective factors, and more. There was a notable increase in mental health concerns among both middle and high school students since the pandemic, though numbers are starting to move in a better direction in 2025. Still, far too many young people are struggling psychologically across Maine, which deeply impacts their schooling.

MENTAL HEALTH

Student mental health matters because it directly influences young people’s ability to learn, thrive, and build meaningful relationships, shaping not only their academic journey but also their lifelong well-being. The percentages below refer to students agreeing with the statement, “Have you ever felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row that you stopped doing some usual activities?”

29% of middle school students and 28% of high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless for two weeks or more.

More than a quarter of both middle and high school students report experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. While this is far too many young people struggling, this is a marked decrease from two years prior, when the rate was 33% of middle schoolers and 35% of high schoolers reporting feeling sad and hopeless.

% of students feeling sad and hopeless (Middle School)

29%

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2023).

% of students feeling sad and hopeless (High School)

28%

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2023). 

Girls report significantly higher rates of feeling sad and hopeless compared to boys. However, girls saw bigger decreases in these feelings over the past two years.

Girls consistently reported experiencing feelings of sadness or hopelessness at roughly twice the rate of their male peers in both middle and high school. These feelings seem to have peaked in 2023, but still have not returned to their pre-pandemic levels (e.g. 33% of middle school girls reported feeling sad or hopeless in 2019).

% of students feeling sad and hopeless by Gender (Middle School)

Girls - 39%
Boys - 19%

% of students feeling sad and hopeless by Gender (High School)

Girls - 38%
Boys - 19%

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025)

There is a wide variation in reported rates of feeling sad and hopeless among middle school and high school students when looking across racial and ethnic groups. Rates decreased for almost all racial/ethnic groups* since 2023.

*The rate increased slightly for students identifying as Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander at the middle school level between 2023 and 2025.

% of students feeling sad and hopeless by Race/Ethnicity (Middle School)

Multiple Races - 38%
Native Hawaiian/OPI* - 37%
American Indian/AN* - 37%
Hispanic/Latino- 34%
Black/AA* - 29%
White - 28%
Asian - 27%
Middle Eastern/NA* - 19%

% of students feeling sad and hopeless by Race/Ethnicity (High School)

Multiple Races - 38%
Native Hawaiian/OPI* - 38%
American Indian/AN* - 37%
Hispanic/Latino - 34%
Black/AA* - 27%
White - 27%
Middle Eastern/NA* - 23%
Asian - 23%

*AN = Alaska Native; AA = African American; NA = North African; OPI = Other Pacific Islander. Note: interpret percentages with caution due to sample sizes. Full details are available here.

Data available by county

The percentages of students who report feeling sad and hopeless vary by county. Learn more about students’ mental health in your county in the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025).

Students identifying as LGBTQ+ show alarming rates of feeling sad and hopeless compared to their peers.

55% of LGBTQ+ middle school students and 52% of high school students felt sad or hopeless for two weeks or more compared to 24% and 22% of non-LGBTQ+ students, respectively. The rates decreased for all students at the high school level since 2023. (This was the first year of data for middle school.)

% of students feeling sad and hopeless by Race/Ethnicity (Middle School)

Gay/Lesbian - 61%
Bisexual - 60%
Transgender - 55%
Described sexual orientation another way - 53%
Questioning - 46%
Heterosexual - 24%

% of students feeling sad and hopeless by Race/Ethnicity (High School)

Transgender - 63%
Bisexual - 54%
Gay/Lesbian - 52%
Described sexual orientation another way - 50%
Questioning - 47%
Heterosexual - 22%
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Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025).

ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (*Data only available for High School)

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) refer to potentially traumatic events before the age of 18, such as family loss, violence, divorce, or substance abuse, which can profoundly impact a person’s health, well-being, education, and career outcomes. The implications of ACEs are long-lasting and can cast shadows on a person’s life into adulthood. By understanding the significance of ACEs, we can work collaboratively to prevent and address them, creating nurturing environments that promote resilience and support for children and their communities.

Approximately 1 in 4 Maine high school students have experienced four or more Adverse Childhood Experiences.

The number of Maine children experiencing multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) decreased slightly since two years ago. About 1 in 4 high school students (24%) reported 4 or more ACEs in 2025, down from 27% in 2023 but up from 21% in 2019.

% of students reporting 4+ ACEs (High School)

24%

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025). 

Girls are far more likely to have experienced 4+ ACEs than boys.

Nearly 1 in 3 high school girls and 1 in 5 high school boys report having experienced 4 or more Adverse Childhood Experiences.

% experiencing 4+ Adverse Childhood Experiences by Gender

Girls - 30%
Boys - 20%

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025)

Asian youth are least likely to report experiencing 4 or more ACEs.

Students from varied racial and ethnic backgrounds may face unique stressors due to systemic factors. Rates are increasing for all groups except students of Asian descent.

% experiencing 4+ Adverse Childhood Experiences by Race/Ethnicity

American Indian/AN* - 39%
Multiple Races - 35%
Native Hawaiian/OPI* - 29%
Hispanic/Latino - 29%
White - 24%
Black/AA* - 20%
Middle Eastern/NA* - 16%
Asian - 11%

*AN = Alaska Native; AA = African American; NA = North African; OPI = Other Pacific Islander.

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025)

MATTERING

When students feel like they matter to their community, they are more likely to be socially connected and experience positive mental health and a sense of wellbeing. Cultivating a strong sense of mattering and community connectedness is a positive factor that can improve child outcomes in a variety of areas, including in school. The percentages below refer to students agreeing with the statement, “Do you agree or disagree that in your community you feel like you matter to people?”

Just over half of Maine high school students report feeling like they matter in their community.

The percentages of both middle and high school students reporting that they feel as though they matter to their community had been decreasing over time, but increased by a few percentage points at both school levels in 2025.

% of students feeling that they matter (Middle School)

58%

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025). 

% of students feeling that they matter (High School)

53%

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025). 

Boys report feeling like they matter in their community more than girls.

Both groups saw increases in feeling as though they matter over the past two years. While girls report lower rates of mattering in their community, they saw larger increases in recent years: middle school girls jumped 47% to 53% and high school girls jumped 40% to 50% since 2023. Boys and girls alike feel as though they matter less once they get to high school.

% of students feeling that they matter by Gender (Middle School)

Boys - 63%
Girls - 53%

% of students feeling that they matter by Gender (High School)

Boys - 56%
Girls - 50%

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025)

White students report feeling like they matter in their community at higher rates than students of other racial/ethnic groups in both middle and high school.

All Maine students need to know that they matter to their community. There are clear gaps in feelings of mattering by race/ethnicity, with diverse students experiencing higher rates of feeling like they don’t matter. Fortunately, all student groups reported increases in their feelings of mattering since 2023, with the largest jumps among Hispanic and Asian students in middle school (10 percentage points each). This was the first year that data was gathered for Middle Eastern or North African students.

% of students feeling that they matter by Race/Ethnicity (Middle School)

White - 59%
Asian - 57%
Middle Eastern/NA* - 56%
Hispanic/Latino - 52%
Black/AA* - 52%
Multiple Races - 51%
Native Hawaiian/OPI* - 49%
American Indian/AN* - 49%

*AN = Alaska Native; AA = African American; NA = North African; OPI = Other Pacific Islander.

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025)

% of students feeling that they matter by Race/Ethnicity (High School)

Middle Eastern/NA - 59%
White - 54%
Hispanic/Latino - 50%
Black/AA - 48%
Asian - 47%
Multiple Races - 46%
Native Hawaiian/OPI* - 46%
American Indian/AN* - 45%

*AN = Alaska Native; AA = African American; NA = North African; OPI = Other Pacific Islander.

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025)

LGBTQ+ students report much lower levels of mattering to their community

LGBTQ+ students report the lowest levels of mattering compared to all subgroups, with only 37% of LGBTQ middle school students and 39% of LGBTQ high school students feeling that they matter, compared with 62% of non-LGBTQ middle school students and 57% of non-LGBTQ high school students. This was the first year of this level of data for middle school students. At the high school level, all groups (except “questioning,” which dropped by one percentage point) saw increases in their feelings of mattering since 2023.

% of students feeling that they matter by LGBTQ status (Middle School)

Heterosexual - 62%
Questioning - 42%
Transgender - 37%
Gay/Lesbian - 36%
Bisexual - 36%
Described sexual orientation another way - 33%

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025)

% of students feeling that they matter by LGBTQ status (High School)

Heterosexual - 57%
Gay/Lesbian - 42%
Bisexual - 39%
Questioning - 38%
Described sexual orientation another way - 35%
Transgender - 31%

Source: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (2025)

ATTAINMENT

Maine is continuing to explore and develop effective ways to measure college and career readiness within the education system. Standardized test scores offer insights into how students are progressing in their knowledge of foundational subjects such as math and reading. The section below uses the Maine Through Year Assessment as the standardized test metric, as this assessment is administered to all Maine students.

While assessments are important—after all, Maine needs to know what students know and can do in order to provide meaningful and equitable support for all learners and school environments—they are only one piece of the overall puzzle when we examine education outcomes. This section also focuses on attainment: how many Maine students ultimately attain a high school diploma?

ASSESSMENT RESULTS (SPRING 2025)

How are Maine students achieving on assessments of foundational skills?

Maine students in grades 3-8 and the second year of high school all take the Maine Through Year Assessment, once in the Fall and once in the Spring. The assessments measure skills related to the Common Core State Standards in reading and math. Results below are presented for 3rd, 8th, and 10th grades, as third grade is widely viewed as when students begin to switch from learning to read to reading to learn. These measures provide a snapshot of how Maine students are performing at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

“At or above state expectations” indicates that students demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary at the grade level or beyond, and that they are prepared for the next grade level. “Below or well below state expectations” indicates that students demonstrate limited or partial understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary at that grade level and need additional academic support to be prepared for the next grade and to be on track for college and career readiness.

To learn more about these assessments, you can visit the Maine DOE website.

More than half of Maine students perform at or above state expectations in reading.

The percentages decline slightly as students age. Over the past three years, third graders have seen a very slight increase in reading scores while the other grades have seen decreases in reading scores by a few percentage points each.

Percent of Maine students at or above state expectations in reading by grade

3rd grade - 61%
8th grade - 59%
High school - 59%

Source: Maine Department of Education

Slightly under half of Maine 8th graders and high schoolers meet state expectations in math.

While 63% of 3rd graders meet expectations in math, only 41% of 8th graders and 48% of high schoolers do. All of these grades have seen increases in proficiency levels in the past few years.

Percent of Maine students at or above state expectations in math by grade

3rd grade - 63%
8th grade - 41%
High school - 48%

Source: Maine Department of Education

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION (2024)

How many Maine high school students graduate within four years?

High school graduation is a pivotal achievement with far-reaching benefits. Graduation demonstrates attainment of essential knowledge and life skills and also enhances individuals’ employability, access to higher education, and overall contribution to society.

The data in this section reflects the four-year high school graduation rates for the graduating class of 2023. It’s important to note that certain student populations are less likely to complete high school within the traditional four-year timeframe. However, with adequate time and support, many of these students can successfully graduate within a six-year period.

88% of Maine students graduate from high school in four years.

The statewide graduation rate dipped slightly during the pandemic, but has been consistent over the past several years. This is an overall increase in time: in 2010, Maine’s graduation rate was 83%.

Maine High School Graduation Rate

88%

Source: Maine Department of Education Data Warehouse. 

Maine’s statewide high school graduation rate has been fairly consistent over time.

Source: Maine Department of Education Data Warehouse

Female students graduate at a rate 3 percentage points higher than their male peers.

Female students have graduated at persistently higher rates than their male counterparts.

High school graduation rate by Gender

Female - 89%
Male - 86%

Source: Maine Department of Education Data Warehouse

Higher income students graduate high school at a higher rate than their economically disadvantaged peers.

The graduation gap by student economic status is 14 points. The gap narrowed slightly from the previous year (non-ED students down 1%, ED students up 1%).

High school graduation rate by Economic Status

Non-economically disadvantaged - 94%
Economically disadvantaged - 80%

Source: Maine Department of Education Data Warehouse

Multilingual learners graduate from high school at a lower rate than their peers.

The graduation gap by language learner status is 21 points (up from a gap of 16 points the previous year).

High school graduation rate by Language Learner Status

Non-multilingual learners - 89%
Multilingual learners - 68%

Source: Maine Department of Education Data Warehouse

Students without a special education designation graduate from high school at a higher rate than special education students.

The graduation gap by special education status is 17 points, one point wider than the previous year.

High school graduation rate by Student Disability Status

Not a Special Education student - 91%
Special Education student - 74%

Source: Maine Department of Education Data Warehouse

Note: In this report, the term “multilingual learners” is used instead of “English learners” to more accurately reflect the linguistic diversity of students who have a primary or home language other than English and are in the process of acquiring English language skills. High-quality programs designed for multilingual learners recognize and leverage these assets by providing individualized support and ensuring equitable academic opportunities. For more information about Multilingual Learners in Maine, click here.

White students graduate at higher rates than other racial/ethnic groups.

High school graduation rate by Race/Ethnicity

White - 89%
Multiple Races - 84%
Hispanic - 79%
Black/African American - 78%
American Indian/Alaska Native - 66%

Note: Due to small sample size, data was not available for Asian or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students in 2024.

Source: Maine Department of Education Data Warehouse

Graduation rates (4-year and 6-year) vary by student subgroup.

Source: Maine Department of Education Data Warehouse

PATHWAYS

Diverse learning pathways accommodate different learning styles, interests, and goals, ensuring that every student has an opportunity to excel and reach their full potential within a comprehensive education system. Career and Technical Education is an example of an educational pathway that promotes meaningful learning opportunities and equips students with the tools they need to navigate their journeys through education and career.

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Maine’s career and technical education centers offer hands-on education that prepares students for college and career. Breaking down barriers to accessing CTE courses will increase the number of students participating in this educational pathway and increase the number of students who graduate with a credential of value for the workforce.

27

The number of career and technical education centers in Maine.

86

The number of programs offered across all Maine CTE schools. Examples include Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, Graphic Design, and Plumbing & Heating.

11,124

The number of Maine students enrolled in CTE programs during the 2024-25 school year.

CTE enrollments are increasing across Maine

Career and Technical Education programs provide valuable hands-on, in-demand skills training for a variety of careers across Maine. Enrollments in CTE programs have been growing in recent years, and Maine recently began piloting middle school CTE programming that has grown from 14 schools and 2,053 students in 2019-20 to 21 schools and 4,436 students in 2021-22. As of 2025, there are 20 CTEs offering middle school programming across Maine.

Source: Maine Department of Education

ENGAGEMENT

Students need to be fully engaged in their educational communities in order to learn. Engagement in K-12 education is currently measured at the most basic level by tracking attendance rates. Chronic absence is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year.

States across the nation have seen tremendous increases in chronic absence rates as the COVID-19 pandemic shifted expectations around where and how formal education took place. Many schools are now faced with attendance challenges due to varied reasons, such as shifting behaviors and attitudes about the importance of attendance; transportation challenges (such as bus driver shortages); and mental health challenges among students.

Chronic absenteeism is beginning to decline after a rapid rise during the pandemic. Nearly 1 in 4 students was chronically absent during the 2024-2025 school year.

% of students chronically absent by Student Economic Status

ED - 34%
Non-ED - 18%

(ED = economically disadvantaged. Non-ED = non-economically disadvantaged.)

Source: Maine Department of Education Data Warehouse.

LEARN MORE

Data & Reports

Student Well-Being Initiatives

Nonprofit Initiatives

Additional Resources

Educate Maine Policy Briefs

In addition to the annual Education Indicators Report, Educate Maine publishes occasional policy briefs that touch on important issues related to education and workforce development in Maine. Recent briefs explore higher education, student assessment, and education funding. You can read all briefs here.