Graduates: Areas of Study, Debt, Employment, Higher Education, Satisfaction
- Over 19,000 alumni
659 Degrees/Certificates Awarded to 622 students in 2023-24
- 13.7% Associates
- 68.7% Bachelors
- 14.4% Certificates
- 1.4% Graduate Certificates
- 1.8% Masters
Top 5 Fields of Study: Associate Degrees Awarded
- Liberal Studies
- Dental Assisting/Hygiene
- Business Administration
- TIE: Justice Studies; Psychiatric/Mental Health Services
- Medical Laboratory Technology
Top 5 Fields of Study: Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded
- Nursing
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Services
- Applied Science
- Liberal Studies
- Information & Library Science
2023-24 Bachelor’s Graduates who started at UMA as First-Year Students (N=102)
- 53% Graduated with loan debt (includes only debt accrued at UMA)
- Average amount of Federal Title IV debt – $27,451
- Average amount of Private debt – $20,350 (6% graduated with Private debt)
- Average age at time of graduation – 34
Updated March, 2025
2018-20 Graduates (Maine Earns – Maine Post-Secondary Outcomes Report through the Center for Workforce Research and Information)
- 80% were employed in Maine within 18 months after graduation
- 54% were employed full-time in Maine within 18 months after graduation
- $46,277 adjusted median wage
Graduates Pursuing Higher Learning (2009-10 thru 2013-14)
- 33% have continued their education at a higher level than their UMA award
- 46% of associates graduates have continued their education at the bachelor’s level
- 92% continue at UMA to earn a bachelor’s degree
- 20% of bachelor’s graduates have continued their education at the graduate level
- 77% entered graduate school within 2 years of graduation
Top 5 Graduate Schools
- University of Maine
- University of Southern Maine
- Southern New Hampshire University
- University of New England
- Thomas College
Top 5 Areas of Study in Graduate School
- Education
- Business, Management, Marketing & Related Support Services
- Public Administration & Social Services Professions
- Health Professions & Related Clinical Services
- Psychology
Survey of Summer 2021 – Spring 2024 Graduating Students (35.0% Response Rate, N=588)
Overall UMA Experience
- 76.1% would return to UMA to pursue an advanced degree (if UMA offered a graduate degree in their field)
- 75.6% would return to UMA for continuing education workshops or seminars
- 78.8% said if they had to do their education over again, they would choose UMA
- 85.1% would recommend UMA to others
- 81.4% believe that their career success is/will be greater as a result of their UMA education
- 82.3% believe that their UMA education was an excellent financial investment
| Educational Experience | Very/Somewhat Satisfied |
| Overall quality of academic program | 88.8% |
| Quality of faculty instruction | 87.0% |
| Coursework relevance to current position or career goals | 85.4% |
| Coursework providing practical applications of material | 86.7% |
| Coursework providing theoretical perspectives in my field | 84.7% |
| Courses scheduled at convenient times | 88.4% |
| Rigor of curriculum | 82.6% |
| Coursework providing development of research skills | 84.4% |
| Personal attention from faculty | 81.4% |
| Availability of courses in my Major | 84.0% |
| Availability of courses in General Education | 80.5% |
| Breadth of course offerings | 78.6% |
| Quality of faculty career advising | 76.0% |
| Campus Climate | Very/Somewhat Satisfied |
| Academically stimulating environment | 69.7% |
| Interaction with other students | 58.3% |
| Curriculum connected to community (e.g. service-learning) | 59.4% |
| Sense of community | 58.3% |
| Student Support Services | Very/Somewhat Satisfied |
| Course registration process | 88.8% |
| Admission process | 88.6% |
| Billing and payment process | 76.0% |
| Financial aid services (not the amount of financial aid received) | 71.9% |
| Library’s ability to meet academic needs | 75.5% |
| Adequacy of facilities (e.g. labs, computers, building conditions) | 66.4% |
| Academic advising through Advising Center staff | 76.7% |
| Learning support services (e.g. writing, math tutoring, TRiO) | 63.2% |
| Learning Outcomes: UMA education developed your knowledge, skills and abilities in… | Strongly/Somewhat Agree |
| Developing better knowledge in my field of study | 92.0% |
| Working independently | 88.8% |
| Writing clearly and effectively | 88.4% |
| Thinking analytically | 87.5% |
| Defining and solving problems effectively | 87.3% |
| Understanding my professional responsibilities and obligations | 86.6% |
| Reading texts critically | 83.9% |
| Formulating more creative/original ideas | 84.3% |
| Improving interpersonal skills | 79.3% |
| Being a productive team member | 80.2% |
| Using information technology | 86.8% |
| Speaking clearly and effectively | 80.7% |
| Understanding people of other cultural backgrounds | 80.0% |
| Leading a group effectively | 74.8% |
| Working more productively at my current job | 75.7% |
| Analyzing numerical and statistical information | 73.8% |
Time to Earn Degree
- 39.6% said it took more time than expected
- 50.4% said it took the same amount of time as expected
- 10.0% said it took less time than expected
Employment
- 75.1% currently employed at the time of graduation
- 64.7% were working in their field of study
- 32.5% received an increase in salary due to their education
| Top 6 Fields Graduates are Working In | Percentage |
| 1. Education | 15.7% |
| 2. Social/Human/Mental Services | 14.0% |
| 3. Computer/IT | 9.4% |
| 4. Library Services | 6.0% |
| 5. Nursing | 5.3% |
| 6. Business/Management | 5.1% |
Top Reasons Graduates are Currently Not Working in their Field of Study
- 64.6% employed in a different field of study
- 32.7% seeking employment in my field
Making Use of their UMA Education in the Next Year
- 57.2% to advance in their current field
- 37.5% to qualify for additional education
- 34.8% to be more productive at my current job
- 26.7% to get a job different from their current field of work
UMA Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Statistics updated November 2024.