Maine · Public · Predominantly associate's

Southern Maine Community College

South Portland, Maine. 5,279 undergraduate students. 50 programs in the federal Field-of-Study dataset.

ANOMALY ENGINE · NOTABLE SIGNALS

What the data flags at Southern Maine Community College

Short-arc shifts (recent 3-year window), peer outliers, earnings trend breaks, completion drops, enrollment cliffs, and debt-to-earnings warnings — surfaced deterministically from the federal record. Multi-decade shifts are reported separately in the Long Arc section, since 25-year tuition drift isn't really an anomaly.

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING WORSE-20%

150%-time completion

150%-time completion at Southern Maine Community College fell 20% between 2006 and 2009 (24.3% → 19.5%).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING BETTER-100%

3-year cohort default rate

3-year cohort default rate at Southern Maine Community College fell 100% between 2021 and 2024 (2.9% → 0.0%).

COMPLETION DROP · TRENDING WORSE-9pp

150%-time completion

150%-time completion fell 9 pp at Southern Maine Community College vs the 2003–2007 baseline (21.2% vs 29.8%).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING BETTER+36%

Undergraduate enrollment

Undergraduate enrollment at Southern Maine Community College rose 36% between 2021 and 2024 (4.2k → 5.7k).

SECTION 01 · OUTCOMES SNAPSHOT

The numbers, vs. Maine

Each tile compares this institution to the Maine median for the same metric. Sub-line shows the comparison value, not an interpretation. Sparklines trace the federally available history.

MEDIAN EARNINGS · 10Y
$41,661+13% · 6→10y
Maine median $44,433
MEDIAN EARNINGS · 6Y
$36,780
Treasury earnings · 6y post-entry
COMPLETION · 150%
21.2%-52% · '97→'09
Maine median 56.4%
MEDIAN FEDERAL DEBT
$6,046+136% · '97→'20
At program completion
UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT
5,279+260% · '96→'24
latest IPEDS
RETENTION
58.9%-1% · '04→'24
first-time, full-time
ADMISSION RATE
+34% · '01→'10
latest cohort
IN-STATE TUITION
$3,797+59% · '01→'24
out-of-state $6,677
SECTION 02 · EARNINGS HORIZONS

How earnings spread, 4 to 10 years after entry

Treasury tax-record earnings for federally aided students who first enrolled at this institution. Each point is a horizon from the most-recent vintage. Single median per horizon (no p25/p75 publishing).

ALL FEDERALLY AIDED STUDENTS · TAX-RECORD EARNINGSVINTAGE 2025-05
Earnings widen with time post-entry. Selection: federal-aid recipients only — not all graduates.Methodology →
SECTION 03 · DEBT-TO-EARNINGS

What loans cost relative to earnings

Annual debt service as a share of median earnings 10 years after entry, computed under federal Direct loan terms (10-year fixed at 6%). The 8% line is the gainful-employment threshold from federal regulation; above 12% has historically been considered “failing” under prior rule cycles.

Institution-wide

1.9%
0%8% · GE20%+

Median federal debt $6,046 amortized over 10 years vs. median earnings $41,661 (10y after entry).

SECTION 04 · LONG ARC

Ten-plus year arc

Federally available history. Coverage varies by metric — IPEDS publishes some series only after 2009 and others only before.

UNDERGRAD · 199620245,675
6,3051,57719962024
Undergraduate enrollment.IPEDS EF
COMPLETION 150% · 1997200919.5%
48%19%19972009
150%-time completion rate.IPEDS GR
MEDIAN DEBT · 19972020$10,331
$11,777$3,27919972020
Median federal student debt at exit.SCORECARD
COMPLETION · 150% · 19972009-52%

Southern Maine Community College · completion · 150% fell

40.7% → 19.5%

UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT · 19962024+260%

Southern Maine Community College · undergrad enrollment rose

1,577 → 5,675

IN-STATE TUITION · 20012024+59%

Southern Maine Community College · in-state tuition rose

$2,610 → $4,156

OUT-OF-STATE TUITION · 20012024+40%

Southern Maine Community College · out-of-state tuition rose

$5,040 → $7,036

MEDIAN DEBT · 19972020+136%

Southern Maine Community College · median debt rose

$4,375 → $10,331

COHORT DEFAULT RATE · 20112024-100%

Southern Maine Community College · cohort default rate fell

16.8% → 0.0%

SECTION 05 · PROGRAMS

Ranked by 5-year earnings

Each row is one (CIP × credential) program reported by the institution in College Scorecard's Field-of-Study data. Cohort floor is 30 students; below this, federal data is suppressed.

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.CIP 5138 · Associate's Degree$72,84994 gradsAllied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.CIP 5109 · Associate's Degree$70,12456 gradsFire Protection.CIP 4302 · Associate's Degree$63,78023 gradsPrecision Metal Working.CIP 4805 · Associate's Degree$61,3127 gradsHeating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR).CIP 4702 · Associate's Degree$60,7424 gradsElectrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians.CIP 1503 · Associate's Degree$55,87419 gradsCriminal Justice and Corrections.CIP 4301 · Associate's Degree$52,80328 gradsComputer/Information Technology Administration and Management.CIP 1110 · Associate's Degree$51,83732 gradsBusiness Administration, Management and Operations.CIP 5202 · Associate's Degree$43,13276 gradsCulinary Arts and Related Services.CIP 1205 · Associate's Degree$41,3447 gradsAllied Health and Medical Assisting Services.CIP 5108 · Associate's Degree$40,05715 gradsLiberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.CIP 2401 · Associate's Degree$38,484144 gradsRadio, Television, and Digital Communication.CIP 0907 · Associate's Degree$34,68744 gradsAgricultural Production Operations.CIP 0103 · Associate's Degree$32,4868 gradsTeacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.CIP 1312 · Associate's Degree$31,75815 gradsHuman Services, General.CIP 4400 · Associate's Degree$31,08017 grads
SECTION 06 · BY CIP FAMILY

16 programs with earnings, grouped

Programs are grouped by 2-digit CIP family. Programs without reported earnings are hidden to keep the list focused.

COMPUTER & INFORMATION SCIENCES · CIP 11

PERSONAL & CULINARY SERVICES · CIP 12

EDUCATION · CIP 13

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES · CIP 15

LIBERAL ARTS & GENERAL STUDIES · CIP 24

HOMELAND SECURITY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES · CIP 43

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & SOCIAL SERVICES · CIP 44

MECHANIC & REPAIR TECHNOLOGIES · CIP 47

PRECISION PRODUCTION · CIP 48

HEALTH PROFESSIONS · CIP 51

BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT & MARKETING · CIP 52

AGRICULTURE · CIP 01

COMMUNICATION & JOURNALISM · CIP 09

FINANCIAL OUTCOME · ILLUSTRATION

Estimate the financial outcome at Southern Maine Community College

Pick a program. Cost from Scorecard net price by family income; earnings from Treasury 5-year-post-completion median, projected forward with a Mincer age-earnings curve. The selection-bias toggle applies the Dale-Krueger shrinkage. Outcomes illustration, not a forecast — see methodology.

Shrinks the earnings premium toward the matched-applicant mean. STEM <15%, business ~40%, arts & education ~60%.

NET PRESENT VALUE
$62,813
Over 40 years, discounted 5.0%
BREAKEVEN
Year 22
First year cumulative discounted earnings cross zero
graduationbreakeven · year 22year 0year 39
Cost per year
$12,767
HS-only baseline · ME
$36,200
Years to complete
2
CIP family
24

Outcomes illustration · not a forecast. Projects observed Scorecard earnings forward with a Mincer age-earnings curve under your assumptions. See methodology for the math.

CAUSAL DISCIPLINE

Southern Maine Community College graduates earn $X” — not “Southern Maine Community College makes you earn $X”

Median earnings describe what cohorts earned. They do not describe what attending Southern Maine Community College caused. Selection effects (who admits, who enrolls, who completes) are real. We publish federal data with strict descriptive phrasing — and link the methodology where you can read about the limitations directly.

Methodology →