POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

Postsecondary education plays a pivotal role in preparing individuals for a wide range of careers and professional pathways. Postsecondary education encompasses educational opportunities that follow high school such as 2- and 4-year colleges, technical schooling, apprenticeships, Adult Education, and other learning opportunities that typically result in a degree or credential of value.

Maine’s statewide attainment goal is that 60% of Mainers will hold a degree or credential of value by 2025. The current rate is 55%. Postsecondary credentials of value include college degrees, skilled trade credentials, and professional certificates and certifications. This target reflects the importance of cultivating a skilled and educated workforce capable of driving economic growth, fostering individual success, and strengthening communities across the state.

Note: While indicators related to college enrollment, persistence, and completion provide valuable data, they do not capture the full range of postsecondary options and workforce readiness.

About a third of Maine high school graduates ultimately make it to college graduation within 6 years of graduating high school.

Of a typical high school graduating class…

These figures have been fairly consistent over time. Maine loses students before high school graduation, and then a large percentage of those who do graduate high school don’t go on to enroll in college right away. Further, of those who do enroll, many drop out before graduation. For detailed breakdowns of these rates by student subgroup, see below.

Approximately 55% of Maine people hold a degree or credential of value.

Maine Credential Attainment Rate

Note: This number is representative of the educational attainment Mainers between the ages of 25 and 64 years old. There is a more detailed analysis of this specific indicator at the end of the post-secondary section.. For more information about Maine’s State Attainment goal, visit: www.mainespark.me

54% of Maine high school graduates enroll in postsecondary education.

The college enrollment rate for Maine students hovered around 60% for several years before the pandemic led to a drop in the number of students who decided to enroll. Maine’s 2022 enrollment rate was 54%, a slight increase from the year before. To see how Maine compares with other New England states, visit the Common Data Project Annual Report 2023.

Maine College Enrollment Rate

Higher income students persist in college at much a much higher rate than their economically disadvantaged peers.

The enrollment gap between economically disadvantaged students and their higher-income peers is 23 points. The gap was consistent between 2021 and 2022, and both groups saw a minor increase in their enrollment rates between those years (1%).

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

Female students enroll in college at a rate 13 percentage points higher than their male peers.

Both groups saw a slight increase in enrollment rates compared to the previous year. The gender gap in college enrollment in Maine decreased slightly due to a slightly larger increase in the male enrollment rate (45% to 48%).

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI) students enroll in college at the highest rates, while Native American students enroll at the lowest rates.

Students from all racial groups saw in an increase in their enrollment rates for the classes entering college between fall 2019 and fall 2021 (except for multiracial students, constant at 51%). The biggest increases were for Black students (48% to 58%), Native American students (31% to 38%), and Hispanic students (43% to 49%).

Note: large changes year-to-year in these data may be affected by small overall population size.

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

Multilingual learners are closing the enrollment gap with their peers.

The enrollment gap by language learner status narrowed from 16 points in fall 2021 to 7 points in fall 2022. The college enrollment rate for multilingual learners has fluctuated widely over the past decade.

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

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.

Students without disabilities enroll in college at a much higher rate than their peers with disabilities.

The enrollment gap by student disability status is steady at 36 points. Maine is below the NESSC enrollment average (36%) of students with disabilities enrolled in college, and has the second-lowest rate, ahead of Vermont (24%).

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

Maine must work toward making postsecondary education and workforce opportunities fully inclusive for students with disabilities so that everyone can take advantage of the educational and economic mobility offered by higher education.

67% of the enrolling class persists to the fall of their second year in college.

The college persistence rate has rebounded from a low of 63% for the class entering college in Fall 2019, just before the pandemic.

College Persistence Rate

Higher income students persist in college at much higher rates than their economically disadvantaged peers.

The persistence gap by economic status is 22 points. The persistence rate for higher income students increased by two percentage points compared with the entering class of 2019 (most recent data point), while the rate for economically disadvantaged students (50%) stayed the same.

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

Female students persist in college slightly more than their male peers.

Both groups saw increases in persistence compared with the entering class of Fall 2019. Females saw a 3-point increase while males saw a 4-point increase in persistence.

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

College persistence rates vary by race/ethnicity.

All groups saw persistence rate increases for classes entering college between 2019 and 2021, except for Native American students, constant at 46%. Asian students saw the biggest increase in persistence – a 9-point increase over two years – followed by by Hispanic students with a 7-point increase and Black students with a 6-point increase. Please note that some of rates represent a small group of students and therefore year-over-year changes can vary widely.

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

Half of multilingual learners persist to their second year of college, compared with two-thirds of their peers.

The persistence gap by language learner status grew from 2 points for the class entering fall 2019 to 17 points for the class entering fall 2021.

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

Students without disabilities persist in college at a higher rate than students with disabilities.

The persistence gap by student disability status grew to 26 points, compared with 16 points two years prior. Students without disabilities increased their persistence to the second year (65% to 69%) while students with disabilities persisted at a lower rate over the same time (49% to 43%).

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

61% of Maine college students graduate within 6 years of enrollment.

While Maine’s college completion rate had remained stable (around 64%) over several years, Maine, like many of the NESSC states, saw a decrease in college completion when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted long-term gains in educational attainment. The college completion rate increased by 1 point for class entering in fall 2016, compared to the year before.

Maine College Graduation Rate

Higher income students complete college at a higher rate than their economically disadvantaged peers.

The graduation gap remained 25 points – both groups saw their completion rates increase by 3 points compared to the previous year. Both groups’ completion rates remain below what they were prior to the pandemic.

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

Female students graduate from college at a rate 12 points higher than their male peers.

The rate is relatively constant over time.

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

College completion rates vary based on students’ race/ethnicity.

The college completion rate for multiracial students increased 9 points from the year before, while it decreased 7 percentage points for Black students over the same time period. Hispanic and White students also saw increases from the year before, while Asian and Native American students saw decreases. These numbers are small and therefore should be interpreted with caution.

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

Multilingual learners complete college at a lower rate than their peers.

The college completion gap by language learner status is 12 points.

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

Students without disabilities complete college at a higher rate than students with disabilities.

The college completion gap by student disability status is 26 points.

Source: NESSC Common Data Project (2023 report, 2022 data)

70

There are over 70 Adult Education programs operating across the state of Maine. Many are co-located with area high schools.

11,000

Over 9,000 adults participated in programming in one or more of the following areas: High School Completion, College Transitions, and/or Workforce Training in the 2022-2023 academic year.

969

969 high school credentials were awarded through Maine Adult Education in the 2022-2023 academic year.

2,800

In the 2022-23 academic year, over 2,800 credentials of value were earned through Maine Adult Education in high-demand career fields.

Adult Education is a critical resource for students seeking ongoing education and training. Adult Education helps to close the high school graduation gap for students needing an alternate pathway to a high school diploma and is also a go-to resource for New Mainers to get connected to language courses and workforce training. Adult Education is available statewide to anyone seeking to advance their knowledge and skills in an affordable, accessible way.

Adult Education Participants by Age

55% of working-age Maine adults (25-64) have a postsecondary degree or credential

Note: This number is representative of the educational attainment Mainers between the ages of 25 and 64 years old.

It is important to acknowledge that there are multiple pathways to education and economic success beyond traditional 2- and 4-year postsecondary degrees. Short-term credentials play a crucial role in post-secondary education. These credentials encompass certificates, which were included in attainment calculations in 2014, and industry-recognized certifications, which were added in 2018. In the state of Maine, the current attainment rate for short-term credentials among individuals aged 25-64 is 7.3%. This figure comprises 1.6% for certificates and 5.7% for certifications.

Cumberland County has Maine’s highest educational attainment rate, with 61.5% of residents aged 25-64 holding an Associate Degree or higher. In Somerset and Washington Counties, 32.8% of residents aged 25-64 hold an Associate Degree or higher.

Source: Lumina Foundation Stronger Nation Report