Best Online Education Programs in Portland, ME (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Portland, Maine has 3 accredited schools offering education 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 education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $113,160 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Education Schools to Portland

The 3 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 3 schools in our directory that offer education programs near Portland. Distances are calculated from Portland city center.

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.

#1

University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME 1.0 miles from Portland BOC Score51.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Southern New Hampshire University

Manchester, NH 73.8 miles from Portland BOC Score26.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Merrimack College

North Andover, MA 81.8 miles from Portland BOC Score65.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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

Education 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$77,470Portland-South Portland, ME$76,026
Elementary School Teacher$76,770Portland-South Portland, ME$75,339
Middle School Teacher$67,630Portland-South Portland, ME$66,369
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$78,040Portland-South Portland, ME$76,585
Education Administrator, K-12$113,160Portland-South Portland, ME$111,050
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$88,180Portland-South Portland, ME$86,536
Tutor$50,090Portland-South Portland, ME$49,156
Educational and Career Counselor$61,130Portland-South Portland, ME$59,990

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

MetricValueSource
Population68,505Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$76,174Census 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
Education-related employment in Cumberland County4,866 workers, 292 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Portland-Area Cities With Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Portland, ME?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering education programs near Portland. The closest is University of Southern Maine in Portland, ME (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Merrimack College (81.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Portland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Portland are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($113,160), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($88,180), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($78,040). 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 education 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 education?

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 Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Portland

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

Data verified: June 11, 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.

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