Best Innovation Schools Near Auburn, ME (2026)

Auburn, Maine has 7 accredited schools offering innovation programs, with tuition ranging from $4,156 to $44,210 per year for indexed programs. Auburn has a population of about 24,294. Median household income is $66,552 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lewiston-Auburn, ME metro area, the top-earning innovation-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $138,050 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Innovation Schools to Auburn

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer innovation programs near Auburn, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Auburn 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 Auburn. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME 29.2 miles from Auburn BOC Score 51.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Thomas College

Waterville, ME 42.0 miles from Auburn BOC Score 46.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,991
Avg net price $18,885/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of New England

Biddeford, ME 43.8 miles from Auburn BOC Score 53.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,921
Avg net price $38,107/yr
Tuition
In‑state$44,210
Out‑of‑state$44,210
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Husson University

Bangor, ME 88.2 miles from Auburn BOC Score 47.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,025
Avg net price $21,005/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Eastern Maine Community College

Bangor, ME 90.1 miles from Auburn BOC Score 53.4
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 45

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Maine

Orono, ME 96.5 miles from Auburn BOC Score 53.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 58

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Washington County Community College

Calais, ME 165.6 miles from Auburn BOC Score 54.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northern Maine Community College

Presque Isle, ME 209.9 miles from Auburn BOC Score 64.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,348
Avg net price $7,181/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,156
Out‑of‑state$7,036
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Innovation Wages Near Auburn

Auburn is part of the Lewiston-Auburn, ME metro area (BLS area code 30340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maine statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Manager$96,730Lewiston-Auburn, ME$102,144
Management Analyst$86,530Lewiston-Auburn, ME$91,373
Marketing Manager$126,140Lewiston-Auburn, ME$133,200
Computer and Information Systems Manager$138,050Lewiston-Auburn, ME$145,776

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.


Auburn at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,294Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$66,552Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)94.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Auburn-Area Cities With Innovation Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited innovation schools are near Auburn, ME?

Our directory has 7 accredited schools offering innovation programs near Auburn. The closest is Thomas College in Waterville, ME (41.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Manchester Community College (96.1 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying innovation roles near Auburn?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying innovation-related roles near Auburn are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($138,050), Marketing Manager ($126,140), General and Operations Manager ($96,730). 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 Lewiston instead of Auburn?

Lewiston, ME is 4.0 miles from Auburn and has its own set of local innovation programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Auburn an affordable place to study innovation?

Auburn’s median household income of $66,552 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Auburn 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 Innovation Programs

Other Programs Available in Auburn

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

Data verified: August 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.