Maine's community colleges a $1Billion Economic Engine for Maine
Maine’s community colleges provide a significant return on investment for Maine taxpayers and community college students, ultimately adding $1 billion to Maine’s economy annually through the combined impact of operations and construction spending, and the spending impact of its students and alumni. The colleges generate more tax revenue than they receive, returning $2.70 to Maine taxpayers over the course of students’ working lives for every dollar of public money invested in the colleges. For community college students, for every dollar of the $35.1 million in tuition and $60.5 million they gave up in earnings while they attended a Maine community college, students received $6.40 in increased earnings over the course of their working lives – a whopping 20.2% return on their investment of time and money.
Economic Impact of Maine's community colleges
These are the findings of 2026 economic impact study (published January 2026; reflects FY 2024-25) by Lightcast, a global leader in labor market analytics. Read more here:
Our primary focus every day is on providing students with an excellent education, but our bottom -line fiscal impact on the state can't be overlooked. Our graduates may be the backbone of Maine's skilled workforce, but the community college system itself is a major player in supporting and lifting up Maine families, employers, and communities. This analysis shows that the state's investment in MCCS is plowed right back into the state's economy in multiple ways.
generated by Maine’s community colleges annually in total added income for Maine
equivalent jobs supported