2026 Best Value General Economics Schools in Maine
[General Economics](/majors/social-sciences/economics/economics-general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general economics education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general economics schools.
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2026 Best Value General Economics Schools in Maine
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general economics, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Economics Schools
For return on investment in general economics, no school beat University Of Southern Maine this year. Located in the city of Portland, University Of Southern Maine is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,090, with out-of-state students paying around $29,940. General Economics graduates carry a median of $12,996 in student loans. Early-career general economics graduates make about $49,173. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Maine came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general economics schools. University Of Maine is a large public school located in the suburb of Orono. Students from in state pay about $13,326 in tuition and fees, compared with $36,756 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,984 to complete the general economics program here. General Economics graduates of University Of Maine earn a median of $46,159 early in their careers. Set against $22,984 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 97%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
