University Of Maine Orono: Student Population And Campus Life

The University of Maine, Orono, is a public land-grant research university that was established in 1865. The university has an enrollment of approximately 11,500 students, with 9,267 undergraduate students and 2,493 graduate students as of Fall 2023. The gender distribution of the student body is 50.5% male and 49.5% female, with students coming from all 50 states and 81 countries. The University of Maine is the state's largest college or university and offers a wide range of academic programs and extracurricular activities for its students.

The University of Maine's undergraduate and graduate student population

The University of Maine in Orono has a large student population, with a total of around 11,500 students enrolled, according to figures from 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023. This makes it the largest college or university in the state in terms of student numbers. The gender distribution is roughly equal, with a 50/50 split between male and female students.

The undergraduate population makes up the majority of the student body, with 9,267 students enrolled as of Fall 2023. The University offers nearly 90 undergraduate major programs, with five colleges: the College of Education and Human Development; the College of Engineering; the Honors College; the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences.

The graduate student population is smaller, with around 2,493 students enrolled as of Fall 2023. The University offers a wide range of graduate programs, including more than 70 master's degree programs and 30 doctorate programs. The first master's degree was conferred in 1881, and the first doctorate in 1960.

The University of Maine has a long history, dating back to its founding in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine. It is the flagship university of the University of Maine System. The University has a strong focus on research and is classified as an "R1: Doctoral University – Very high research activity". It is also Maine's only Division I athletics program, with the teams known as the Black Bears.

The gender distribution of the student body

The University of Maine, Orono, has a near-even gender distribution among its student body. As of Fall 2023, the university had a total of 9,267 undergraduate students, of which 50.5% were male and 49.5% were female. This gender distribution is consistent with the overall student body, which includes graduate students, and stands at 11,760 as of Fall 2023.

The University of Maine has a long history of promoting gender equality. Women have been admitted to all curricula since 1872, and the university was the birthplace of the Phi Kappa Phi honour society in 1897, which recognises high academic achievement across all disciplines. The university also has a strong female presence in its faculty, with notable mentions including Caroline Colvin, who chaired the history department and was the nation's first woman to head a major university department.

The University of Maine's commitment to gender equality is further reflected in its student housing. The university offers a range of housing options, including special housing for international students and students with disabilities. Additionally, 39% of students live in college-owned, operated, or affiliated housing, while 61% choose to live off-campus.

The University of Maine's student body is diverse, with students from all 50 states and 81 countries, as well as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas. The student population consists of various ethnic backgrounds, with the majority identifying as White (82%), followed by Hispanic (3.9%), Multi-ethnic (3.6 %), Black (1.7%), Asian (1.6%), Native American (1%), and International students (2.4%).

The number of students living on campus

The University of Maine, Orono, has an enrollment of approximately 11,500 students, with 9,267 of those being undergraduates. The gender distribution of the student body is 50.5% male and 49.5% female.

In terms of on-campus living, 39% of students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing, while 61% live off-campus. This translates to around 3,614 students living on campus. Of those living on campus, 89% are first-year students, and the remaining 11% are other undergraduates.

The University of Maine's campus offers a range of housing options, including apartments for married and single students, as well as special housing for disabled and international students. The campus is divided into three sections: northern, southern, and hilltop. The hilltop section is largely dedicated to residence halls, with the Lyle E. Littlefield Ornamental Gardens and some academic and recreational facilities. The northern section includes athletic facilities, a health centre, administrative and academic halls, and three residence halls. The southern section includes a mix of administrative, residence, and academic halls, as well as performing arts venues and an observatory.

The University of Maine's campus life offers a vibrant and diverse experience with over 200 student organizations, about 25 fraternities and sororities, and numerous annual events.

The University of Maine's athletic teams

The University of Maine was founded in 1865 and is located in Orono, on the banks of the Stillwater River. The University's athletic teams are known as the UMaine Black Bears, and they compete in various conferences of the NCAA Division I. With a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,267 students in the fall of 2023, the University of Maine offers a wide range of athletic opportunities for its students.

The UMaine Black Bears are best known for their success in hockey, with other notable sports including indoor and outdoor track and field, skiing (alpine, Nordic, and freeski), and snowboarding (slopestyle, rail, and snowboard cross). The University offers intercollegiate sports teams, as well as intramural and club sports, providing opportunities for students of all skill levels to participate.

The University of Maine at Farmington, part of the University of Maine system, has also achieved notable success in athletics. Their intercollegiate athletics programs are among the most successful Division III programs in Maine, having captured 20 North Atlantic Conference Championships since 2003. Members of their ski and snowboard teams have also qualified for the U.S. Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Assoc. Nationals.

The University of Maine provides a comprehensive athletic experience for its students, fostering a culture of competition and sportsmanship. With a range of sports to choose from, students can stay active, develop teamwork skills, and represent their university with pride.

The University of Maine's ranking

The University of Maine, also referred to as UMaine, is a public research university located in Orono, Maine. It was founded in 1865 and currently has a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,267 students, with a total of 11,989 undergraduate and graduate students. The campus size is 660 acres, and it is located about 60 miles from the Atlantic coast and 100 miles from the Canadian border.

In terms of rankings, the University of Maine has been recognised in several publications. In the 2025 edition of Best Colleges, it ranked #259 in National Universities. It was also ranked #145 in Top Public Schools. The university was featured in multiple 2022 national guides to best colleges, including The Princeton Review and Fiske Guide to Colleges. The Princeton Review also recognised it as one of the nation's top 50 green colleges. Additionally, the University of Maine is the only public research university in Maine and is classified as a Carnegie R1 Top-Tier Research University.

In terms of academic offerings, the University of Maine provides a wide range of programs. It offers nearly 90 undergraduate majors, more than 70 master's degree programs, and 35 doctoral programs. The university is organised into five separate colleges: the College of Business, Public Policy and Health; the College of Education and Human Development; the College of Engineering; the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture.

The University of Maine also has a strong focus on research, with world-class faculty members and nationally recognised research achievements. It is the largest research university in the state and has been ranked among the top public universities for research by the National Science Foundation. The university has 16 dedicated interdisciplinary research centres and institutes, and its faculty and students conduct research across various fields and locations.

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