Quick answer: Maine’s best-known college towns are Orono (University of Maine), Brunswick (Bowdoin), Waterville (Colby) and Lewiston (Bates). By the numbers, Orono is the true college town: the University of Maine had 10,644 students in fall 2025 in a town of 11,183 residents.
Maine College Towns by the Numbers
A college town is a place where the college is a big part of the town. One simple way to compare them is students per 100 residents, using each college’s own enrollment and the town’s 2020 census population. Enrollment includes some students who live elsewhere or study online, so treat this as a rough measure of how much each college weighs on its town, not an exact headcount of people.
- Orono (University of Maine): 95 students per 100 residents. 10,644 students (fall 2025) and 11,183 residents.
- Presque Isle (University of Maine at Presque Isle): 33 per 100. 2,873 students (fall 2024, including online students) and 8,797 residents.
- Waterville (Colby College): 15 per 100. About 2,400 students and 15,828 residents. Thomas College adds 1,635 students (fall 2024), which brings the two colleges to about 25 per 100.
- Brunswick (Bowdoin College): 9 per 100. 1,881 students and 21,756 residents.
- Lewiston (Bates College): 5 per 100. 1,790 students (fall 2022) and 37,121 residents.
Orono is the only Maine town where students nearly equal the permanent population. In Brunswick, Waterville and Lewiston, the college is a major institution inside a larger town or city.
The Main College Towns
Orono and the University of Maine
The University of Maine was founded in Orono in 1865. Its fall 2025 enrollment was 10,644, with 8,225 undergraduates and 2,419 graduate students, and 64% of students were from Maine. Old Town, a city of 7,431, is next door, and Bangor is the nearest city (see our Bangor guide). The university is in our directory as the University of Maine listing.
Brunswick and Bowdoin College
Bowdoin was founded in 1794 and has 1,881 students and an 8-to-1 student-faculty ratio, according to the college. Brunswick is a town of 21,756, one of the largest towns in Maine. See our Brunswick guide, living in Brunswick and the Bowdoin College Museum of Art listing.
Waterville and Colby College
Colby was founded in 1813 and has about 2,400 undergraduates, according to the college. Waterville, a city of 15,828, is also home to Thomas College. See things to do in Waterville, living in Waterville and the Colby College Museum of Art listing.
Lewiston and Bates College
Bates was founded in 1855 and had 1,790 students in fall 2022, according to its Bates Facts report. Lewiston is Maine’s second-largest city, with 37,121 residents. See living in Lewiston and the Bates College Museum of Art listing.
Presque Isle and the University of Maine at Presque Isle
Presque Isle is the largest college town in Aroostook County by this measure. The University of Maine at Presque Isle had 2,873 students in fall 2024 and Northern Maine Community College had 843, in a city of 8,797. See our Presque Isle guide and things to do in Presque Isle.
More Maine College Towns
These places have colleges too, though the college is a smaller part of the town. Enrollment is fall 2024, from Wikipedia’s list of colleges and universities in Maine.
- Farmington: University of Maine at Farmington, 2,100 students. See our Farmington guide.
- Castine: Maine Maritime Academy, 971 students. See our Castine guide and the Maine Maritime Academy listing.
- Bar Harbor: College of the Atlantic, 358 students. See our Bar Harbor guide.
- Biddeford: University of New England, 6,573 students across its Biddeford and Portland campuses. See living in Biddeford.
- Bangor: Husson University, 3,367 students, and Eastern Maine Community College, 2,719. See living in Bangor.
- Gorham and Portland: University of Southern Maine, 7,604 students.
Thinking of Living in a Maine College Town?
Start with our local guides above, then see Which Maine Town Fits You and our best places to live in Maine. For every Maine city and town ranked by population, see Cities in Maine.
Maine College Towns: Common Questions
What is the biggest college town in Maine?
By students per resident, Orono. The University of Maine had 10,644 students in fall 2025, nearly as many as Orono’s 11,183 residents.
What are the best college towns in Maine?
Orono, Brunswick, Waterville and Lewiston are the best known, home to the University of Maine, Bowdoin, Colby and Bates. Presque Isle, Farmington, Castine and Bar Harbor also have colleges.
Is Bangor a college town?
Bangor has Husson University (3,367 students) and Eastern Maine Community College (2,719), but with 31,753 residents it is more a regional city than a college town. The University of Maine is in neighboring Orono.
Our details come from the University of Maine (fall 2025), Bowdoin College, Colby College, Bates Facts 2022-2023, and Wikipedia’s list of colleges and universities in Maine (fall 2024). Town populations are 2020 census counts from Wikipedia’s list of municipalities in Maine. We last checked these in November 2026.