Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Bangor, ME (2026)

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

Bangor, Maine has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $4,156 to $58,266 per year for indexed programs. Bangor has a population of about 31,663. Median household income is $58,096 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Bangor, ME metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $84,120 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Bangor

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Bangor, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Bangor 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 Bangor. 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

Husson University

Bangor, ME 0.2 miles from Bangor
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.3 BOC Score
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: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Eastern Maine Community College

Bangor, ME 2.3 miles from Bangor
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Maine schools on the Maine liberal arts page.

Liberal Arts Wages Near Bangor

Bangor is part of the Bangor, ME metro area (BLS area code 12620). 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)
Public Relations Specialist $53,610 Bangor, ME $55,554
Management Analyst $84,120 Bangor, ME $87,171
Technical Writer N/A ME statewide –
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $49,100 Bangor, ME $50,881
Editor $48,020 Bangor, ME $49,762
Training and Development Specialist $60,780 Bangor, ME $62,984
Human Resources Specialist $63,900 Bangor, ME $66,218

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.

Bangor at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 31,663 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $58,096 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 36.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Penobscot County 678 workers, 30 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Bangor-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Bangor, ME?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Bangor. The closest is Husson University in Bangor, ME (0.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of the Atlantic (41.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Bangor?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Bangor are: Management Analyst ($84,120), Human Resources Specialist ($63,900), Training and Development Specialist ($60,780). 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 Waterville instead of Bangor?

Waterville, ME is 47.2 miles from Bangor and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Bangor an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Bangor’s median household income of $58,096 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bangor 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 Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Bangor

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

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.

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