Best UX Design Schools Near South Portland, ME (2026)

South Portland, Maine has 24 accredited schools offering user experience programs, with tuition ranging from $4,156 to $53,962 per year for indexed programs. South Portland has a population of about 26,780. Median household income is $84,563 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area, the top-earning user experience-related role is Computer Systems Analyst at a median $101,470 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest User Experience Schools to South Portland

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

#1

Maine College of Art & Design

Portland, ME 2.2 miles from South Portland BOC Score 20.5
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,778
Avg net price $38,338/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

York County Community College

Wells, ME 27.1 miles from South Portland BOC Score 56.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 20

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Maine at Augusta

Augusta, ME 54.6 miles from South Portland BOC Score 35.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,342
Avg net price $10,924/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,888
Out‑of‑state$22,178
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Husson University

Bangor, ME 111.0 miles from South Portland 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

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


User Experience Wages Near South Portland

South 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Web and Digital Interface Designer$68,700Portland-South Portland, ME$67,419
Graphic Designer$67,650Portland-South Portland, ME$66,389
Web DeveloperN/AME statewide
Computer Systems Analyst$101,470Portland-South Portland, ME$99,578

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.


South Portland at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population26,780Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$84,563Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+49.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other South Portland-Area Cities With User Experience Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited user experience schools are near South Portland, ME?

Our directory has 24 accredited schools offering user experience programs near South Portland. The closest is Maine College of Art & Design in Portland, ME (2.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is North Shore Community College (79.6 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying user experience roles near South Portland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying user experience-related roles near South Portland are: Computer Systems Analyst ($101,470), Web and Digital Interface Designer ($68,700), Graphic Designer ($67,650). 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 Portland instead of South Portland?

Portland, ME is 3.3 miles from South Portland and has its own set of local user experience programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is South Portland an affordable place to study user experience?

South Portland’s median household income of $84,563 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South 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 User Experience Programs

Other Programs Available in South Portland

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

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.