Maine Colleges & Universities
Top college and university libraries in Maine
These college and university libraries stand out for their collections, special collections and archives. Public access varies, so each entry says how visitors can use the library.
Raymond H. Fogler LibraryUniversity of Maine
Fogler Library at the University of Maine in Orono holds more than 1 million volumes and 2.2 million federal, Maine State and Canadian government publications. Its foundation was laid in 1941, but it was not completed until 1947 because of World War II. It was renamed in 1962 for Raymond H. Fogler and became a regional depository for government documents the following year.
Hawthorne-Longfellow LibraryBowdoin College
Bowdoin College Library's main building is the Hawthorne-Longfellow Library, with hours posted for it and its branches. Visitors without library cards may use the library's in-house collections free of charge.
George and Helen Ladd LibraryBates College
The George and Helen Ladd Library is the main library of Bates College in Lewiston, holding 620,000 cataloged volumes, 2,500 serial subscriptions and 27,000 audio and video items.
The most beautiful college library in Maine
Miller LibraryColby College
Colby's Miller Library is home to the Miller Special Collections Library, with rare books, first editions, manuscripts and the college archive, some pieces dating back to the 15th century. The Edwin Arlington Robinson Memorial Room holds the Maine poet's books, manuscripts and letters, and Colby's Thomas Hardy Collection is one of the most extensive in the country.
Last verified: November 2, 2026. Visitor rules, hours and borrowing policies change, so check the library's website before you go.
About colleges and universities in Maine
Unlike many other states in the United States, Maine does not have a governing authority that looks after all of the public colleges and universities in the state. Instead, the management of its public institutions is wrapped into the Maine Department of Education. The government of Maine feels that this encourages an educational process that begins in the early educational years and takes its students completely through what the state refers to as grade 16, or college graduation. There are 30 different colleges and universities, both private and public, within Maine.
The oldest university in Maine is Bowdoin College, which operates today as an elite liberal arts school. Bowdoin College was established near the end of the 18th century, and is located in Brunswick, Maine. It is a small school with an enrollment of about 1,700 students, and was an all male school for much of its existence. It became a co-educational college in 1971. The college provides its students with more than 30 different degree programs to choose from, and is nationally ranked as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.
The University of Maine boasts the largest enrollment in the state, and also carries the flag of being the only research institution in Maine. The main campus is located in Orono, Maine, and was founded in 1865. It is a land-grant institution, and today there are five other campuses in addition to the Orono campus that are a part of the University of Maine system. Other campus locations include Augusta, Farmington, Fort Kent, Machias and Presque Isle. The school has five undergraduate colleges, and specializes in business programs, educational programs, public policy programs and natural sciences programs. The university is well known for its clinical psychology doctoral degree program, as it is one of only a handful of universities in the United States that offers this degree.
There are many prominent alumni from the different universities in Maine. Bowdoin College can boast the honor of producing a United States President, as President Franklin Pierce graduated from there in 1824. Another Bowdoin College alumni of note is Nathaniel Hawthorne, who wrote the famous novel "The Scarlet Letter." The University of Maine prides itself on many notable alumni figures, including those with more modern accomplishments. Steven King, the famed 21st century author, graduated from the University of Maine. Also, many reality TV stars came from this university as well, including Ashley Herbert, a cast member on The Bachelorette.