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NurseSavvy ranking · Maine · updated October 10, 2026

Best Nursing Schools in Maine (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 10

We ranked all 16 RN programs in Maine that publish a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, on the four things that decide whether a program gets you to a nursing license you can afford: passing the NCLEX, actually finishing, the cost next to what nurses earn in Maine, and what graduates earn a year out.

Kennebec Valley Community College comes out on top. Here are the top 10, with every number’s source — and you can re-rank them by what matters to you.

No school can pay for placement. Public data only — see the full methodology.

Rank it your way

Rank Maine’s 16 RN programs on what matters to you

NCLEX pass rate, students who finish, cost vs nurse pay, grads’ early pay — compare in-state, by region, or nationwide.

The top 10 nursing programs in Maine

Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.

  1. 1

    Kennebec Valley Community College

    FairfieldAssociate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)· Public

    80score

    A 95.6% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    95.6%
    Students who finish
    81% finish
    Cost-to-pay value
    $3,910/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $69,117 1 yr out

    Start to license: 77 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.

  2. 2

    University of Maine

    OronoBaccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)· Public

    73score

    A 96.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    96.7%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $17,510/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $77,737 1 yr out
  3. 3

    Central Maine Community College

    AuburnAssociate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)· Public

    73score

    A 97.2% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    97.2%
    Students who finish
    69% finish
    Cost-to-pay value
    $6,975/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $66,734 1 yr out

    Start to license: 67 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.

  4. 4

    University of Maine at Fort Kent

    Fort KentBaccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)· Public

    69score

    A 89.8% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    89.8%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $7,482/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $71,551 1 yr out
  5. 5

    University of Southern Maine

    PortlandBaccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)· Public

    68score

    A 91.9% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    91.9%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $13,596/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $71,675 1 yr out
  6. 6

    Maine College of Health Professions (formerly CMMC)

    LewistonAssociate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)

    68score

    A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    100%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    Not publishedfill-in
    Early-career earnings
    Not publishedfill-in
  7. 7

    Southern Maine Community College

    So. PortlandAssociate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)· Public

    66score

    A 96.6% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    96.6%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $11,086/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $67,850 1 yr out
  8. 8

    University of Maine at Augusta

    AugustaBaccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)· Public

    64score

    A $10,924 average net price is low next to $86,990 median RN pay in Maine.

    NCLEX strength
    83%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $10,924/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $82,845 1 yr out
  9. 9

    University of New England

    PortlandBaccalaureate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)· Private nonprofit

    59score

    A 94.4% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    94.4%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $38,107/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $77,895 1 yr out
  10. 10

    Eastern Maine Community College

    Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing)· Public

    57score

    A 87.3% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    87.3%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $8,928/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $69,158 1 yr out

Fill-in: a figure the program hasn’t published is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs that publish it (same degree type) — not its own number.

All 22 approved programs in Maine Full rankings table

The Maine leaders on each measure

Different students weigh these differently — here is who leads on each one alone, among programs that publish it.

How we ranked Maine’s nursing schools

  • NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the Maine board of nursing, steadied for small cohorts.
  • Students who finish (33%). The program’s own on-time completion rate, where a board or the program publishes it.
  • Cost vs nurse pay (20%). Average net price per year next to Maine’s median RN pay (College Scorecard + BLS).
  • Graduates’ early pay (14%). What the program’s nursing graduates earn one year out, next to the state’s RN median.

A missing figure is a labeled 33rd-percentile fill-in, never a guess. Programs without a published NCLEX rate, and direct-entry master’s programs, are not ranked. Every formula and source →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best nursing school in Maine?

Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Kennebec Valley Community College (Associate Degree (Approved Educational Programs in Professional Nursing), Fairfield) ranks #1 of 16 RN programs in Maine with a score of 80 out of 100 and a 95.6% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. "Best" depends on what you weigh most — re-rank the list on this page by your own priorities.

How did NurseSavvy rank Maine nursing schools?

Every RN program with a published 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is scored 0–100 on four public measures: NCLEX pass rate (33%), students who finish (33%), cost next to local RN pay (20%), and graduates’ pay one year out (14%). Pass rates come from the Maine board of nursing; cost and pay from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

What does “fill-in” mean on this list?

When a program has not published a figure, we do not guess it. It is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs (same degree type) that do publish it — below typical — and labeled “fill-in” wherever it appears. Publishing its real number can only help a program that performs well.

Can a school pay to rank higher?

No. Schools cannot pay, partner, sponsor, or advertise their way to a better rank. Every input is public data, and the same formula applies to every program.

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