Best Philosophy Schools Near Bangor, ME (2026)

Bangor, Maine has 4 accredited schools offering philosophy programs, with tuition ranging from $13,326 to $85,420 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 philosophy-related role is Lawyers at a median $116,240 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Philosophy Schools to Bangor

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

University of Maine

Orono, ME 7.5 miles from Bangor
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
53.8 BOC Score
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: 137

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Colby College

Waterville, ME 46.7 miles from Bangor
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
77.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 7%
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,490
Avg net price $17,180/yr
Tuition
In‑state$69,600
Out‑of‑state$69,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Bates College

Lewiston, ME 85.9 miles from Bangor
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
67.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 13%
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,498
Avg net price $29,351/yr
Tuition
In‑state$66,590
Out‑of‑state$66,590
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME 86.3 miles from Bangor
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
82.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 7%
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,735
Avg net price $14,398/yr
Tuition
In‑state$67,832
Out‑of‑state$67,832
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME 109.2 miles from Bangor
  • 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 philosophy page.


Philosophy 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)
Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary $102,760 ME statewide $106,487
Writers and Authors N/A ME statewide
Lawyers $116,240 Bangor, ME $120,456
Clergy $64,340 ME statewide $66,674
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,290 Bangor, ME $63,513
Editors $48,020 Bangor, ME $49,762
Management Analysts $84,120 Bangor, ME $87,171

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

Other Bangor-Area Cities With Philosophy Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited philosophy schools are near Bangor, ME?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering philosophy programs near Bangor. The closest is University of Maine in Orono, ME (7.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bowdoin College (86.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying philosophy roles near Bangor?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying philosophy-related roles near Bangor are: Lawyers ($116,240), Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary ($102,760), Management Analysts ($84,120). 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 philosophy 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 philosophy?

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 Philosophy Programs

Other Programs Available in Bangor

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

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.