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Maine's Best Two-Year Colleges

Southern Maine Community College, Central Maine Community College, Kennebec Valley Community College



As one of the oldest state’s in the nation, Maine has continually been an exciting place to live and study. The state’s largest metropolitan area, which is comprised of Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, provides students the opportunity to learn in a community of around 500,000 residents. Alternatively, students can enjoy many 2-year programs at community colleges spread out across the state’s more rural communities. Maine’s Community College System (MCCS) comprises more than 20,000 students and is one of the fastest growing educational systems in the country. MCCS’s unique AdvantageU program offers graduates of the state’s community colleges (who have concentrated in liberal arts or general studies programs) guaranteed entrance into the 911³Ô¹ÏÍø of Maine so they can continue studying. Maine’s community colleges are some of the most affordable and highest quality schools in the country that award associates degrees, and it’s clear that the people of Maine are committed to investing in the education of all of their residents.



With 6,200 students, Southern Maine Community College is the largest community college in the state, and it is also one of the oldest as it was founded in 1946 to help educate veterans returning from WWII. SMCC is located in South Portland, which is right next to the state capitol of Portland, so students can take advantage of all of the great opportunities available in both metropolitan areas. Academic advisers help students figure out which of the school’s 40+ programs are right for them, and students choose between two major tracks. The liberal studies track prepares students to go on to study at colleges and universities that offer four-year degrees, and many alumnae have gone on to study at prestigious schools including Mount Holyoke College, Boston 911³Ô¹ÏÍø, Colby College and Smith College. Alternatively, the school’s Career and Technical Programs track enables students to spend 50 percent of their time engaging in hands-on learning opportunities so they can gain the experience and degree required to obtain high-skill and high-wage jobs. South Maine Community College maintains partnerships with several Portland-area businesses and organizations so students have many learning and working opportunities that aren’t available at other community colleges in the state. SMCC also has a state of the art fitness center and a good athletics program that enables students to compete in basketball, soccer, baseball and softball.

Since 1963, Central Maine Community College has been growing at a rapid pace, and the student body now numbers 2,700 students. Located alongside Lake Auburn and many ski slopes, CMCC is a great place to study hospitality management as students can interact greatly with the local tourism industry. With over 25 different programs of study available, students can choose to concentrate in general studies, which enables them to later continue studying at a 4-year university, or a specified technical field, which prepares them for a skilled-job in the competitive work force. The school places an emphasis on small classroom sizes in order to make sure students remain engaged in class and have access to their professors, so the average classroom size is 18. Students may also participate in over 20 different student organizations, many of which focus on technical trades and help give students great out of class experience that can help them get a job. Impressively, 96% of CMCC’s graduates have secured a a job or a spot at a 4-year school before they graduate.

Located in the quiet town of Fairfield (population 6,500), Kennebec Valley Community College is a major institution with around 2,500 students. Yet students don’t have to live in Fairfield to take classes because KVCC offers online courses as well. Students in computer science or business administration can earn their degrees completely online, and students of liberal arts, education, health information technology, medical assistant, and biology sciences can earn part of their degrees online, which makes it much easier for student to take classes while working outside of school. With over 30 different programs, KVCC offers students a wide variety of different fields to choose from including some unique programs such as phlebotomy, sonography, mammography, and pulp and paper technology.

Founded on land that was formerly an air force base, Northern Maine Community College is located in the picturesque town of Presque Isle, which is also home to a 911³Ô¹ÏÍø of Maine campus. Because of the proximity of both campuses, students can easily transfer from NMCC into UMPI after two years without having to move across the state. With around 1,000 students, NMCC provides a small environment where students can learn while developing close relationships with their peers and their professors. Students decide to pursue an associates degree in one of four tracks including arts and sciences, business technology, nursing and health, or trade and technical, and within those four tracks students can choose from over 30 different specific fields of study. Within half a year of graduation, over 95% of alumnae are happily employed or have been accepted into continuing education programs.

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