Key Facts

University of Maine System Overview

Established in 1968, the University of Maine System consists of seven public universities with common responsibilities as well as distinct missions, and 10 University College outreach centers.  The System is governed by a 16-member citizen Board of Trustees and a System Chancellor.  Together, the Board and Chancellor determine the nature and purpose of the universities and their respective programs, services, missions, and budgets.

Did You Know?

• More than 75 percent of students enrolled in public higher education in Maine attend a University of Maine System institution.
• UMS payroll and operating expenditures generate an annual economic impact in Maine of nearly $1.5 billion.
• More than 40 percent of Maine residents have visited one of Maine's public universities in the past two years to attend cultural, athletic, and special events, among other activities.
• More than 110,000 University System alumni currently live in Maine and generate $2.5 billion in spending annually.
• The University System's research and development activities include more than 1,000 partnerships and collaborations with public and private enterprise in Maine. 

Enrollment & Student Statistics

• Fall 2005 enrollment was 34,245 students, marking the fourth consecutive year that enrollment exceeded 34,000 students.
• Students who are Maine residents number 29,983, which is 87.6% of total enrollment.  Every county in Maine sends at least 350 students to Maine's public universities.
• Students come from all but 2 states in the country, plus the District of Columbia.  Excluding international students, 57.6% of the out-of-state enrollment comes from the other New England states.  Massachusetts alone accounts for more than 23% of those students.
• In the 2005-06 academic year, Maine's public universities enrolled students from 77 different countries.  At 818, Canadian students constitute the largest single foreign delegation.
• With 1,744 FTE faculty members, the UMS FTE student-to-faculty ration is 13.9 to 1. 

Degrees Conferred (2005-2006):

            358     Associate
          4,027     Baccalaureate
            921     Masters
              69     Certificate of Advanced Study
              38     Doctorate
              95     Law
          5,508     Total 

• Over 73 percent of degrees conferred are at the baccalaureate level; seven percent at associate level; nearly 17 percent masters’ level and over 2.5% at doctorate level  (including law).
• Over the past 38 years, the University of Maine System has conferred 166,436 degrees. 

Degrees by Discipline (2005-2006):

   1,174  (21.3%) Education
      326  (5.9%) Engineering
      615  (11.2%) Business and Management
      318  (5.8%) Public Affairs
      653  (11.9%) Health Professions
        95  (1.7%) Law
    2,327  (42.2%) All Others

Research and Development

• By conducting research and developing technologies that lead to the creation of new products, improved services, and better manufacturing processes, our institutions foster business development and help grow jobs in Maine.

• In FY 2006, university faculty, students and staff were awarded $74 million in federal and private sector grants and contracts. Those research awards covered a wide range of topics involving Maine's economic, educational, cultural, environmental and social and public policy interests and well being.

• The Maine Economic Improvement Fund, a partnership between the State and the University System to promote economic growth through research. University researchers used $14.5 million in MEIF funding to win $42.7 million in grants and contracts.

• Those funds support hundreds of jobs and purchase millions of dollars' worth of goods and services, and lead to the creation of new technologies and industries that fuel Maine's economy.
  

Economic Development           

• Maine's Public Universities have an annual economic impact of nearly $1.5 billion. [$184 million (state appropriations) + $770 million (in economic activity) = $1.5 billion]
• The University System generates $8.10 of economic activity in Maine for every one dollar of state appropriation. (An 8:1 return on investment)
• Through economic activity, UMS stimulates an additional 7,711 jobs throughout the state and an additional $241 million in income and benefits
• 3.3 percent of Maine gross state product is stimulated by the activity of the University of Maine System.
• The System employs more than 5,000 employees—one of the top five employers in the state.  This includes 2,300 faculty.