Maine USM vs UMass Lowell

When it comes to higher education, University of Southern Maine (USM) and University of Massachusetts-Lowell (UMass Lowell) stand out as two prominent institutions with distinct characteristics. USM, located in Portland, Maine, offers a vibrant campus life and a strong focus on liberal arts, while UMass Lowell, situated in Lowell, Massachusetts, emphasizes hands-on learning and boasts a robust engineering and technology program. With varying acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, these universities cater to diverse student populations and academic aspirations. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your educational goals and preferences.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell logo

University of Massachusetts-Lowell

University of Southern Maine logo

University of Southern Maine

Overview

Location Lowell, Massachusetts Portland, Maine
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 82.0% 65.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 84.6% 87.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $50
SAT range 1170 - 1340 995 - 1230
ACT range 25 - 32 19 - 24
Students submitting SAT score 26.0% 18.0%
Students submitting ACT score 2.0% 1.0%
Total number of applicants 12,493 5,397
Total number of admissions given out 10,565 4,695
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,907 895
Yield rate 18.1% 19.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $24,672

Out of state: $42,598
In state: $23,842

Out of state: $37,842
Average net price $13,227 $9,793
Tuition
In state: $15,078

Out of state: $33,004
In state: $8,064

Out of state: $22,064
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,500

Meal plan: $5,070
Room/dormitory: $5,460

Meal plan: $4,980
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

78.0%
Average amount $10,449
92.0%
Average amount $8,886
Students receiving federal student loan 59.0%
Average amount $5,148
45.0%
Average amount $4,969
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $10,989
6.0%
Average amount $10,975

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 12,884
Men 58.6% Women 41.4%
5,956
Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students 4,713
Men 53.7% Women 46.3%
2,040
Men 25.3% Women 74.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 23.4%
International students 5.8% 1.2%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 4,787 1,189
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Mississippi New Hampshire New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Maine New Hampshire Mississippi Vermont Connecticut

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 69.0% 34.5%
Dropout rate 28.0% 33.0%
Transferred out N/A 30.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,995
  • Year 2: $71,575
  • Year 3: $92,580
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $71,575
  • Year 3: $90,960
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,072
  • Year 2: $74,576
  • Year 3: $89,338
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,208
  • Year 2: $71,854
  • Year 3: $88,920
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,889
  • Year 2: $78,612
  • Year 3: $88,135
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,760
  • Year 2: $63,501
  • Year 3: $77,826
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,707
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $77,121
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,655
  • Year 2: $66,989
  • Year 3: $74,462
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,655
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $73,578
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,402
  • Year 2: $60,623
  • Year 3: $73,430
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,041
  • Year 2: $95,169
  • Year 3: $100,726
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,660
  • Year 2: $61,728
  • Year 3: $71,074
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,579
  • Year 2: $55,594
  • Year 3: $65,574
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,254
  • Year 2: $57,422
  • Year 3: $60,602
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,123
  • Year 2: $50,231
  • Year 3: $55,627
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $49,644
  • Year 3: $54,835
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,681
  • Year 2: $45,852
  • Year 3: $51,356
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,716
  • Year 2: $51,690
  • Year 3: $50,246
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,148
  • Year 2: $45,767
  • Year 3: $49,334
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,098
  • Year 2: $41,342
  • Year 3: $48,118

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