Best General Studies Schools Near Portland, ME (2026)

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

Portland, Maine has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $66,590 to $85,100 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 general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $105,390 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Portland

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies 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.

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#1

University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME 1.0 miles from Portland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,958
Avg net price $13,596/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 94

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies 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)
General and Operations Managers $105,390 Portland-South Portland, ME $103,425
Management Analysts $75,530 Portland-South Portland, ME $74,122
Human Resources Specialists $78,100 Portland-South Portland, ME $76,644
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $73,420 Portland-South Portland, ME $72,051
Writers and Authors N/A ME statewide –
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $77,470 Portland-South Portland, ME $76,026
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $70,240 Portland-South Portland, ME $68,930
Social and Community Service Managers $74,650 Portland-South Portland, ME $73,258

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 General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Portland, ME?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Portland. The closest is University of Southern Maine in Portland, ME (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bates College (29.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Portland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Portland are: General and Operations Managers ($105,390), Human Resources Specialists ($78,100), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($77,470). 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 general studies 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 general studies?

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 General Studies 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 General Studies Schools in Maine: Online Programs (2026)