Maine Maritime Academy: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Maine Maritime Academy is a public college in Castine, ME. Students pay about $23,414 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $89,964 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 2.8 years and adds $311,984 over a decade, ranking it #36 of 918 (top 5%) by value added.
What is Maine Maritime Academy's acceptance rate?
Maine Maritime Academy has an acceptance rate of 54.1%, which makes it moderately selective. It is a public institution in Castine, ME enrolling about 942 students, with a 59.9% graduation rate.
How much does Maine Maritime Academy cost?
Maine Maritime Academy costs about $23,414 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $120,656. Published sticker cost of attendance is $31,046 per year.
How much do Maine Maritime Academy graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Maine Maritime Academy student earns $89,964 per year. That is $43,264 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Maine Maritime Academy worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Maine Maritime Academy pays back its roughly $120,656 cost in about 2.8 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $311,984 net of cost, a 3.59x return on the money invested. That ranks it #36 of 918 (top 5%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a small, focused program.
Top 10% value
Maine Maritime Academy graduation rate and student debt
59.9% of Maine Maritime Academy students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal student debt. That debt is about 30% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Maine Maritime Academy by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Maine Maritime Academy compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $23,414 | $20,299 | cheaper than 36% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $89,964 | $54,768 | 96th |
| Graduation rate | 59.9% | 57.0% | 55th |
| Acceptance rate | 54.1% | 75.7% | more selective than 81% |
| 10-yr value added | $311,984 | -$28,192 | 96th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 3.59x | 0.73x | 93th |
| Payback period | 2.8 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 91% |
How Maine Maritime Academy compares with its nearest rivals
Maine Maritime Academy ranks #36 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 2 of them cost less per year and 3 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Maine Maritime Academy is a public college in Castine, ME with 942 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $31,046 a year, but the average aided family pays $23,414, a 25% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $27,000, equal to 30% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Maine Maritime Academy admits 54.1% of applicants.
- Kettering University (Flint, MI; #35 of 918; 70.7% graduate) costs $11,246 more per year ($34,660 net), and its graduates earn $4,859 more ten years out ($94,823). Kettering University adds $3,606 more ten-year value than Maine Maritime Academy. Kettering University pays back its cost in 3.4 years.
- Northeastern University (Boston, MA; #37 of 918; 90.5% graduate) costs $7,501 more per year ($30,915 net), and its graduates earn $2,574 more ten years out ($92,538). Maine Maritime Academy adds $1,514 more ten-year value than Northeastern University. Northeastern University pays back its cost in 3.2 years.
- University of California-San Diego (La Jolla, CA; #34 of 918; 86.8% graduate) costs $10,944 less per year ($12,470 net), and its graduates earn $5,021 less ten years out ($84,943). University of California-San Diego adds $5,066 more ten-year value than Maine Maritime Academy. University of California-San Diego pays back its cost in 1.7 years.
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA; #38 of 918; 91.9% graduate) costs $9,326 more per year ($32,740 net), and its graduates earn $2,534 more ten years out ($92,498). Maine Maritime Academy adds $2,964 more ten-year value than University of Southern California. University of Southern California pays back its cost in 3.3 years.
- Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD; #33 of 918; 94.2% graduate) costs $4,605 less per year ($18,809 net), and its graduates earn $2,409 less ten years out ($87,555). Johns Hopkins University adds $11,080 more ten-year value than Maine Maritime Academy. Johns Hopkins University pays back its cost in 2.1 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University | #33 | $18,809 | $87,555 | 94.2% | $323,064 |
| University of California-San Diego | #34 | $12,470 | $84,943 | 86.8% | $317,050 |
| Kettering University | #35 | $34,660 | $94,823 | 70.7% | $315,590 |
| Maine Maritime Academy | #36 | $23,414 | $89,964 | 59.9% | $311,984 |
| Northeastern University | #37 | $30,915 | $92,538 | 90.5% | $310,470 |
| University of Southern California | #38 | $32,740 | $92,498 | 91.9% | $309,020 |
Paying for Maine Maritime Academy
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Maine Maritime Academy worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Maine Maritime Academy ranks #36 of 918 (top 5%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 3.59x the money invested over a decade.
Is Maine Maritime Academy expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $23,414 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 36% of them.
Do Maine Maritime Academy graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $89,964 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 96% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Maine Maritime Academy compared to other colleges?
Its 54.1% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 81% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.