Find Trade Colleges

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Maine

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Maine

Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

8 Schools Ranked
$9,517 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$14,121 Avg Student Debt*

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for trade school students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Maine ranking. This report analyzed 8 schools in Maine to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for trade school students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top Value Trade Associate Degree Schools in Maine

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

281 Total Awards
$6,757 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Eastern Maine Community College to be the best value school for trade school students who want to pursue a associate degree in Maine. Located in Bangor, Maine, the small public school handed out 281 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Eastern Maine Community College are $6,757 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $16,692 in loans while pursuing their degree.

You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Eastern Maine Community College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 66% took at least some of their classes online.

Eastern Maine Community College did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Maine list.

Read More…

149 Total Awards
$6,640 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent associate degree programs at York County Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade school schools in Maine. York County Community College is a small public school located in Wells, Maine that handed out 149 associate degrees in 2021-2022.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at York County Community College are $6,640 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $9,625 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

Online courses are available at York County Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 74% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

York County Community College also made our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Maine list, coming in at #4.

Read More…

#2

Southern Maine Community College

South Portland, Maine
721 Total Awards
$6,677 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Southern Maine Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. This medium-sized public school is located in South Portland, Maine, and it awarded 721 associate degrees in 2021-2022.

SMCC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,677 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $12,655 in loans while pursuing their degree.

Online courses are available at SMCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2020-2021 year, about 71% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, SMCC is ranked #5 for overall quality in Maine.

Read full report on Southern Maine Community College

#4

Northern Maine Community College

Presque Isle, Maine
92 Total Awards
$6,610 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Northern Maine Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Maine list. Presque Isle, Maine is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 92 students in 2021-2022.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Northern Maine Community College are $6,610 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,571 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

Northern Maine Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2020-2021 about 61% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Northern Maine Community College

316 Total Awards
$6,640 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent associate degree programs at Central Maine Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade school schools in Maine. Central Maine Technical College is a small public school situated in Auburn, Maine. It awarded 316 associate degrees in 2021-2022.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Central Maine Technical College are $6,640 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,524 in student loans.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Central Maine Technical College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 57% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Central Maine Community College

#6

University of Maine at Presque Isle

Presque Isle, Maine
28 Total Awards
$13,520 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Maine at Presque Isle came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Maine ranking. Located in Presque Isle, Maine, the small public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMPI are $13,520 per year.

One thing to take note of is that UMPI does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 64% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UMPI is ranked #1 for overall quality in Maine.

Read More…

94 Total Awards
$19,778 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Maine at Augusta landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. This small public school is located in Augusta, Maine, and it awarded 94 associate degrees in 2021-2022.

UMA undergraduate students pay an average of $19,778 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,960 in student loans.

Some students may be able to take online classes at UMA. In fact, around 79% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.

Full University of Maine at Augusta Report

#8

Beal College

Bangor, Maine
120 Total Awards
$15,195 Avg Student Debt

Beal College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Beal College is a private for-profit institution located in Bangor, Maine. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 120 associate degrees in 2021-2022.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Beal College are $0 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $15,195 in loans while pursuing their degree.

Beal College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 95% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Beal College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Maine list.

Full Beal College Report

Best Value Trade Associate Degree Schools in the New England Region

View Best Value Trade Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 8 schools only.

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Trade Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited trade schools across the U.S.