Nursing Schools in Maine: All 22 Approved Programs & NCLEX Pass Rates
Maine has 19 schools running 22 board-approved nursing programs — 18 RN-track and 4 PN/LPN-track. The average 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across Maine programs is 88.8%, 2.3 points above the national average of 86.5%. Every row below comes straight from the state board of nursing's published approved-program list — not self-reported school marketing.
Best Nursing Schools in Maine by NCLEX Pass Rate
Top RN programs ranked by 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, among programs with a published 2025 rate. Rates are one year of data — check multi-year trends before deciding.
- 1100%Lewiston · Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)
- 297.2%Auburn · Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)
- 396.7%Orono · Baccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)
- 496.6%So. Portland · Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)
- 595.6%Fairfield · Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)
- 694.4%Portland · Baccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)
- 791.9%Portland · Baccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)
- 889.8%Fort Kent · Baccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)
- 987.3%Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)
- 1086.4%Bangor · Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)
What Nursing School Costs in Maine — and What Graduates Earn
Tuition, admissions and graduate-earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, matched to 15 of 19 Maine schools. Earnings are program-level — the median for graduates of that school's own nursing program, not all its alumni.
Median federal loan debt for BSN graduates in Maine is $26,500 (6 programs). Sticker tuition is the whole school's published price, not the nursing program's alone, and it ignores aid — the number that decides whether a program pays off is what you actually pay plus the wages you give up while enrolled. Run your own numbers in the ROI calculator or read the full cost of becoming an RN.
Every Approved Nursing Program in Maine
Sort by any column, filter RN vs PN/LPN, or search a school or city.
22 of 22 programs · “—” = not published for that program · tuition is the school’s published in-state price for one year, before aid; grad pay is the median for that program’s own graduates, one year out
| Beal University | Bangor | Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $43,094program year | — | 86.4% |
| Beal University | Bangor | Baccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $43,094program year | — | — |
| Beal University | Bangor | LPN Nursing ProgramPN | $43,094program year | — | — |
| Central Maine Community College | Auburn | Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $4,140 | $66,734 | 97.2% |
| Eastern Maine Community College | — | Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $4,156 | $69,158 | 87.3% |
| Husson University | Bangor | Baccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $23,304 | $73,758 | 81.2% |
| Intercoast Career Institute | So. Portland | LPN Nursing ProgramPN | — | — | — |
| Kennebec Valley Community College | Fairfield | Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $4,156 | $69,117 | 95.6% |
| Maine College of Health Professions | Lewiston | LPN Nursing ProgramPN | $20,952 | — | 100% |
| Maine College of Health Professions (formerly CMMC) | Lewiston | Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | — | — | 100% |
| Northern Maine Community College | Presque Isle | Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $4,156 | $66,455 | 85.7% |
| Northern Maine Community College | Presque Isle | LPN Nursing ProgramPN | $4,156 | — | 92.3% |
| Purdue Global | Waterville | Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | — | — | 81.8% |
| Southern Maine Community College | So. Portland | Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $4,156 | $67,850 | 96.6% |
| St. Joseph's College | Standish | Baccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | — | — | 77% |
| University of Maine | Orono | Baccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $13,326 | $77,737 | 96.7% |
| University of Maine at Augusta | Augusta | Baccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $8,888 | $82,845 | 83% |
| University of Maine at Fort Kent | Fort Kent | Baccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $9,420 | $71,551 | 89.8% |
| University of New England | Portland | Baccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $44,210 | $77,895 | 94.4% |
| University of Southern Maine | Portland | Baccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $11,284 | $71,675 | 91.9% |
| Washington County Community College | Calais | Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $4,156 | — | — |
| York County Community College | Wells | Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)RN | $4,156 | — | 76% |
Whichever school you choose, the NCLEX is the finish line
The pass rates above are made by students, not buildings. Students who do well start NCLEX-style practice in their first semester — studying for class exams and the boards at the same time. NurseSavvy turns your own course materials into matched NCLEX practice questions from day one — free to try, then $19/mo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best nursing school in Maine by NCLEX pass rate?
Maine College of Health Professions (formerly CMMC) in Lewiston had the highest 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in Maine at 100%, among programs with a published 2025 rate on the state board's list.
How many nursing schools are in Maine?
Maine has 19 schools offering 22 board-approved nursing programs: 18 RN-track (ADN/BSN and similar) and 4 PN/LPN-track programs, per the state board of nursing's current approved-program list.
What is the average NCLEX pass rate in Maine?
Across Maine RN programs with a published 2025 rate, the average first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is 88.8% — 2.3 points above the national average of 86.5%.
How much does nursing school cost in Maine?
Across Maine nursing schools we could match to U.S. Department of Education data, median published in-state tuition and fees run $4,156 a year at public schools (11 schools). That is the whole institution's sticker price per year, before aid — an ADN takes about two years and a BSN four, and most students pay less than sticker. Per-school figures are in the table above.
What do nursing graduates in Maine earn?
Federal earnings data tracks graduates of each specific nursing program. In Maine, median earnings one year after finishing are $68,277 for ADN graduates (6 programs) and $75,748 for BSN graduates (6 programs). These are medians of program-level medians and the federal figures lag by a few years, so treat them as a floor for comparison between schools rather than a salary prediction.
What does a first-time NCLEX pass rate tell me about a school?
It is the share of a program’s graduates who passed the NCLEX on their first attempt — the single most comparable public outcome number nursing programs report. Boards of nursing track it for program approval, and consistently low rates can put a program on conditional status. Compare it alongside cost, location, and program length, not in isolation.
About this data
Program list and 2025 first-time NCLEX pass rates are taken directly from the Maine board of nursing's published approved-program materials. “—” means the board did not publish a 2025 rate for that program (new programs, small cohorts, or PN lists without rate tables). Pass rates refresh annually; this page is rebuilt from the board lists when they update.
Tuition, admission rates, graduate earnings and debt come from the U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts, June 10 2026 data release), matched by school name and city to 15 of 19 Maine schools. Schools the federal data does not cover — hospital-based programs and schools outside federal student-aid reporting — show “—” rather than an estimate. Tuition and admission rates describe the whole institution; earnings and debt are specific to its nursing programs, by credential, and lag the current graduating class by several years.
- collegescorecard.ed.gov — Most Recent Cohorts, June 10 2026 data release
- www.maine.gov — list: Roster: live pages accessed 2026-07-12; pass rate Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2025 first-time (Board report)
- www.maine.gov — list: Roster: live pages accessed 2026-07-12; pass rate Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2025 first-time (Board report)