Best Art History Schools Near Portland, ME (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Portland, Maine has 5 accredited schools offering art history programs, with tuition ranging from $67,832 to $85,420 per year for indexed programs. Portland has a population of about 68,505. Median household income is $76,174 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 59.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area, the top-earning art history-related role is Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $75,680 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Art History Schools to Portland

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer art history programs near Portland, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Portland city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Portland. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME 22.1 miles from Portland
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
82.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 7%
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,735
Avg net price $14,398/yr
Tuition
In‑state$67,832
Out‑of‑state$67,832
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Colby College

Waterville, ME 68.3 miles from Portland
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
77.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 7%
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,490
Avg net price $17,180/yr
Tuition
In‑state$69,600
Out‑of‑state$69,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

University of Maine

Orono, ME 115.8 miles from Portland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
53.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,653
Avg net price $17,510/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,326
Out‑of‑state$36,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 137

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Maine schools on the Maine art history page.

Art History Wages Near Portland

Portland is part of the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area (BLS area code 38860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maine statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Curators $58,190 Portland-South Portland, ME $57,105
Archivists $56,260 ME statewide $55,211
Museum Technicians and Conservators $52,710 Portland-South Portland, ME $51,727
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators $46,170 ME statewide $45,309
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary $75,680 Portland-South Portland, ME $74,269
Writers and Authors N/A ME statewide –
Graphic Designers $67,650 Portland-South Portland, ME $66,389
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $73,420 Portland-South Portland, ME $72,051

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Portland at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 68,505 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $76,174 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 59.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 101.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Portland-Area Cities With Art History Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited art history schools are near Portland, ME?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering art history programs near Portland. The closest is Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME (22.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Salem State University (86.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying art history roles near Portland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying art history-related roles near Portland are: Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary ($75,680), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($73,420), Graphic Designers ($67,650). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maine statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in South Portland instead of Portland?

South Portland, ME is 3.3 miles from Portland and has its own set of local art history programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Portland an affordable place to study art history?

Portland’s median household income of $76,174 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maine public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Art History Programs

Other Programs Available in Portland

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Portland:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Art History Schools in Maine: Online Programs (2026)