Maine Community Colleges (2-Yr Colleges)

Maine Junior Colleges, Technical Schools, and Institutes

The State of Maine administers its own system of higher education which operate at least two tiers of public colleges. One being the community colleges in Maine, sometimes called Maine junior colleges, or Maine technical institutes, and so-called "four-year" Maine colleges which award bachelor's and master's degrees. The "two-year" community educational institutions provide post-secondary education and lower-level tertiary education, granting certificates, diplomas, and associate's degrees in Maine. The name, "community colleges" derives from the fact that "two-year" colleges primarily accept, and attract, students from the Maine local community

The needs of returning WWII veterans for postsecondary vocational education created the impetus for the creation of the original Maine Vocational Technical Institute in 1946. In 1962, after Russia's successful launch of Sputnik, three new vocational technical institutes were authorized in response to the growing recognition that America needed to prepare a technologically prepared workforce for the new space age.

In 1968, questions over state governance of the technical institutes arose when other state colleges and universities were organized into the University of Maine system. While proposals to integrate the technical institutes into the university were defeated, the discussion of how to promote better relationships between the technical institutes and the university continued for nearly two decades. In 1986, the governor signed legislation that established the Maine Vocational Technical Institute System, merging the technical colleges into a statewide system of postsecondary institutions governed by an independent board of trustees. In 1989, the system was renamed the Maine Technical College system and the technical institutes were renamed "technical colleges."

Today, seven technical colleges, two two-year branch campuses of universities and one tribal college offer less-than-baccalaureate education in the state. Recently, the university and technical college systems have teamed up to offer residents access to associate-degree programs and to cap their tuition at technical college levels, even if students attend classes at university campuses where tuition is significantly higher.

Maine Degrees, Certificates, & Diplomas

Maine Cities Colleges:

Maine Community Colleges and Two Year Colleges

• Andover College
  • Portland, ME
  • Lewiston, ME
• Maine Community College System
  • Central Maine Community College
  • Eastern Maine Community College
  • Kennebec Valley Community College
  • Northern Maine Community College
  • Southern Maine Community College
  • Washington County Community College
  • York County Community College