Nursing Education › Maine
Maine Nursing Programs

Top Nursing Schools in
Maine — 2026

Compare the best BSN, MSN, ADN, and RN programs in Maine. Tuition costs, NCLEX pass rates, accreditation, and unique program highlights for prospective nursing students.

7 programs listed BSN · ADN · MSN Maine State Board of Nursing Nurse Licensure Compact member

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Nursing Programs in Maine

BSN · On-Campus
University of Southern Maine
BSN Program — Portland

USM's nursing program is Maine's largest, preparing nurses for both urban Portland and Maine's vast rural communities. Clinical partnerships include Maine Medical Center and Central Maine Medical Center.

$11,000/yearAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
90%NCLEX Pass
Largest Nursing Program in Maine Visit Program →
BSN · On-Campus
University of Maine
BSN Program — Orono

UMaine's School of Nursing is focused on preparing nurses for rural and frontier health practice in northern Maine, with a community health emphasis across Penobscot County.

$10,800/yearAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
89%NCLEX Pass
Top Rural Nursing Program in Northern Maine Visit Program →
BSN · On-Campus
University of Maine
BSN Program — Orono

Flagship state university BSN with rural health and community nursing emphasis

$16,000/yrAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
90%NCLEX Pass
UMaine Nursing top public program in the state Visit Program →
BSN · On-Campus
University of Southern Maine
BSN – Traditional — Portland

Urban nursing school with extensive Portland-area clinical partnerships

$15,000/yrAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
89%NCLEX Pass
USM serves Maine's largest healthcare market Visit Program →
ADN · On-Campus
Eastern Maine Community College
ADN Program — Bangor

Affordable ADN in central Maine with Northern Light Health clinical placements

$7,000 totalAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
87%NCLEX Pass
EMCC ADN primary nursing pipeline for the Bangor area Visit Program →
ADN · On-Campus
Southern Maine Community College
ADN Program — South Portland

Southern Maine ADN with strong Portland-area employer partnerships

$6,800 totalAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
86%NCLEX Pass
SMCC ADN serves Greater Portland area healthcare needs Visit Program →
MSN · Hybrid
University of New England
MSN – Family NP — Portland

Health sciences university MSN with primary care NP and rural health focus

$22,000/yrAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
N/ANCLEX Pass
UNE MSN addresses Maine's rural provider shortage Visit Program →

About Nursing Programs in Maine

Maine's nursing market is anchored by MaineHealth, the state's largest system whose Maine Medical Center in Portland is the flagship, along with Northern Light Health serving the central and northern regions. With one of the oldest populations in the country, Maine has strong, sustained demand for nurses in hospitals, long-term care, and home health.

Students can pursue affordable community-college ADN programs through the Maine Community College System, BSN degrees at the University of Maine system and private institutions, accelerated second-degree options, and RN-to-BSN bridges plus MSN tracks for advanced practice and leadership.

Licensure is handled by the Maine State Board of Nursing. Maine is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so an RN or LPN license issued to a Maine resident is a multistate license valid across all compact states — helpful for nurses in a largely rural state who take regional and travel assignments.

Licensing authority: Maine State Board of Nursing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Maine is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact. If Maine is your primary state of residence, your RN or LPN license is a multistate license valid across all compact states.
Complete a Maine State Board of Nursing-approved ADN or BSN program, pass the NCLEX-RN, and apply for licensure through the board.
Maine has one of the oldest populations in the country, which drives sustained demand for nurses across hospitals, long-term care, and home health.
Both qualify you for the NCLEX-RN. A community-college ADN is an affordable entry point, while a BSN is preferred at larger systems like MaineHealth and for advancement.
About two years for an ADN and four for a BSN, with accelerated BSN options finishing in roughly 12 to 18 months for second-degree students.
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