Best Human Services Schools Near Portland, ME (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Portland, Maine has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs, with tuition ranging from $4,140 to $15,075 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 human services-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $74,650 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Human Services Schools to Portland

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer human services 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

Southern Maine Community College

South Portland, ME 3.0 miles from Portland
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,661
Avg net price $11,086/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

York County Community College

Wells, ME 30.2 miles from Portland
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
56.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,873
Avg net price $5,875/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,156
Out‑of‑state$7,036
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Central Maine Community College

Auburn, ME 31.6 miles from Portland
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,448
Avg net price $6,975/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,140
Out‑of‑state$7,020
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Eastern Maine Community College

Bangor, ME 109.6 miles from Portland
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
53.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,704
Avg net price $8,928/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,156
Out‑of‑state$7,036
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Washington County Community College

Calais, ME 181.4 miles from Portland
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,407
Avg net price $5,149/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Human Services 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)
Social and Human Service Assistant $49,110 Portland-South Portland, ME $48,194
Social and Community Service Manager $74,650 Portland-South Portland, ME $73,258
Child, Family and School Social Worker $63,700 Portland-South Portland, ME $62,512
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor $62,300 Portland-South Portland, ME $61,138

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 Human Services Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited human services schools are near Portland, ME?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs near Portland. The closest is Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, ME (3.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online (76.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying human services roles near Portland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near Portland are: Social and Community Service Manager ($74,650), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($63,700), Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($62,300). 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 human services 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 human services?

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 Human Services Programs

Other Programs Available in Portland

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

Data verified: September 6, 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 Human Services Schools in Maine: Online Programs (2026)