By Will Tuell

The University of Maine System released official enrollment totals for the Fall 2024 semester late last month, and, while some campuses such as the University of Maine Presque Isle (UMPI) experienced dizzying growth (112 percent) over the last five years, the University of Maine Machias, which saw a drop of 41.2 percent in that same time-frame, was not nearly as fortunate. 

“Our strong enrollment numbers show that Mainers of all ages increasingly recognize the unmatched value proposition of our public universities,” said Chancellor Dannel Malloy in announcing a 3.1 percent systemwide enrollment increase over last year. “I am proud of the collective efforts across our System to ensure the state’s most proven path to upward mobility is accessible, affordable, and relevant for all learners. As more students, families, and policymakers are realizing, there is no better return on investment than a University of Maine System education.”

While the former Connecticut governor turned university administrator may be “proud of the collective efforts” of his network of public colleges, the numbers are a mixed bag. UMPI saw a 43.9 percent growth rate over Fall 2023 and a 112.4 percent jump over Fall 2020 totals to lead the entire system. Campuses in Farmington, Fort Kent, the University of Southern Maine, and the system flagship in Orono saw slight to modest increases ranging from 1 to 6 percent compared to enrollment figures a year ago. 

At the same time, the University of Maine Machias plunged from a high-water mark of 505 students in 2021 to 293 this fall. The campus’s five-year rolling average enrollment is down 41.2 percent, with a 33.1 percent drop in total headcount in the past year.

Over the past five years, the Machias campus’s full-time equivalent (FTE) student count has proved a harbinger of things to come, falling from 335 in 2020 to 222 this year — a 33.9 percent drop over the five-year period and a 15.1 percent drop from last fall’s census of 262.9. 

If there is a silver lining for UMM, it’s that the number of credit hours purchased for the Machias campus is up 5.8 percent over last year, despite being down 11.6 percent over the past five years. 

While the temptation would be to say that rural colleges are in decline, UMM’s alarming drop comes as the Washington County Community College in Calais reports the exact opposite — record-setting enrollment. 

“For the second year in a row, WCCC is celebrating record-breaking enrollment growth,” the campus said in a recent press release. “Total enrollment for the Fall 2024 semester has increased by 18 percent over last year, with 805 students currently enrolled in credit-bearing courses — surpassing the prior pre-pandemic highest enrollment of 449 students in Fall 2015 by over 300 students.” 

In response to inquiries about Machias’s alarming enrollment drop, UMM publicist Jackie Leonard referenced a Nov. 8 press release from University of Maine officials painting a much rosier picture. 

“According to newly released data from the University of Maine System, the increase at UMaine is driven largely by incoming students from Maine, which grew 20.9 percent from fall 2023 and 11.8 percent from 2020,” the Nov. 8 release said. “At UMaine’s regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias, the first-year class this fall was 25 percent larger than one year ago. That uptick was predominately supported by new learners from other states, which grew 66.7 percent from fall 2023 and 233.3 percent from fall 2020.”

The release also stated that systemwide, enrollment amongst freshmen is up 8.2 percent, compared to an 8.5 percent decrease nationwide

The University of Maine at Machias is a satellite campus of the University of Maine in Orono.

This chart, provided by the University of Maine System on Oct. 31, shows each campus within the system and the number of full-time equivalent students over the past five years. (Graphic courtesy University of Maine System)

This chart shows the number of credit hours purchased at each UMS campus over the past five years. (Graphic courtesy University of Maine System)