Portland, Maine · ★ — / 5 Overall
John Phelan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Public · 4-year · Doctoral
The University of Southern Maine (USM) is a public university with campuses in Gorham and Portland, Maine, United States. It is the southernmost university in the University of Maine System. It was founded as two separate state universities, Gorham Normal School and Portland University. The two universities, later known as Gorham State College and the University of Maine at Portland, were combined in 1970 to help streamline the public university system in Maine and eventually expanded by adding the Lewiston campus in 1988. The Portland Campus is home to the Edmund Muskie School of Public Service, the Bio Sciences Research Institute, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the Osher Map Library, and the USM School of Business. The Gorham campus, much more residential, is home to the School of Education and Human Development and the Osher School of Music.
Master's Universities
Ranked #121 in Master's Universities (2025). Source: Washington Monthly ↗
Value rank
Ranked #436 on Washington Monthly Best Bang for the Buck (2025). Source: WM Best Value ↗
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96 Falmouth St, Portland, Maine, 04103
Visit University Site25th–75th percentile
SAT total: 995–1280
SAT ERW: 505–640
SAT math: 490–640
ACT composite: 23–26
Total: 7,528
Undergrad: 5,520
Undergrad full-time: 3,404
Graduate: 2,008
Part-time: 3,512
In-state
Tuition: $10,920
Total cost on campus: $26,812
Out-of-state
Tuition: $27,104
Total cost on campus: $42,996
Room & board: $11,650
Books & supplies: $1,000
Receive aid: 98%
Avg grant aid: $10,158
Pell grant recipients: 38%
Rent: $1,209 / mo
Average city asking rent, as a roommate share. Zillow Observed Rent Index.
Coffee: $5.00
State average cafe price. Numbeo, 2024.
Gas: $4.43 / gal
State average price. AAA.
Average meal: $8.76
Published board plan, per meal. IPEDS.