PORTLAND — The University of Southern Maine will begin its fall semester on Sept. 3 with increases in enrollment and encouraging trends, including a rising number of transfer students to the university and an increase in Maine high school students who choose USM.
“The University of Southern Maine combines academic excellence with an incredibly affordable price, meaningful community engagements, and strong employer connections,” President Jacqueline Edmondson said. “The enrollment increases that we are seeing are a testament to the sense of belonging our students feel and the way their success is prioritized by all members of our university community.”
A snapshot of the University’s fall enrollment shows 6,056 students as of today, a 2 percent increase over last year, and the first enrollment increase since 2019. This encouraging number is expected to increase significantly as students return to fall classes, continuing a surge driven by a 5.4 percent gain in graduate enrollment and a 16 percent increase in the number of undergraduate transfer students.
“As a public university that prioritizes the unique combination of access to higher education, affordability, and excellence, the University of Southern Maine has made strategic investments in our academic programs and our student support services, President Edmondson said. “We have also cultivated strategic relationships with university partners throughout the state and region, including the Maine Community College System. One example is our Southern Maine Pathways Program, which facilitates transitions from SMCC to USM. In addition, the University of Maine System has made strategic investments that benefit USM, including support for our adult student success programs. In short, many factors, grounded in research and analysis, have combined to positively influence our enrollments.”
The University is experiencing a 15 percent increase in Maine high school students who are choosing to enroll at USM to continue their education and a 36 percent increase in transfer students coming from the Maine Community College System. In one key group — high school students offered direct admission due to their achievement in the Early College program — a third have chosen to enroll full-time.
And USM students are continuing their education at the University at a climbing rate, with an 8.2 percent boost in retention from their first to second year.
