2025 Year in Review

AUGUSTA, ME — In 2025, Maine’s community colleges continued their mission of providing an affordable, relevant, high-quality education – delivered by outstanding instructors and with the support and community that students need to thrive. Among the year’s highlights were new student housing and athletics options, expanded academic programming in key economic sectors, new leadership, spectacular athletic and academic achievements, and record high enrollments for both degree-seeking students and Early College students who are still in high school.

The year’s highlights include:

• RECORD OVERALL ENROLLMENT: A third straight year of record fall enrollment, with 15,833 students enrolled in fall 2025. Key factors include the colleges’ robust high-quality programming, high demand for skilled workers, new guaranteed transfer agreements with the University of Maine System and six private colleges in Maine, and the Maine Free College Scholarship.

• RECORD HEALTH CARE ENROLLMENT: Responsive to Maine’s ongoing shortage of health care workers, Maine’s community colleges continued to focus on expanding nursing and health care training programs, enrolling a record high 3,570 health care students in Fall 2025 (up from about 2,000 students pre-pandemic) in more than 60 health care-related degree and certificate programs across the state. In addition, the colleges offered scores of health care-related short-term workforce training programs that take less than a year to complete and offer both immediate job skills and prepare graduates to pursue certificates and degrees.

• CONSTRUCTION TRADES TAKE CENTER STAGE: As the state of Maine takes multiple steps to alleviate Maine’s housing crunch, the need for skilled construction workers of all stripes has never been greater. Maine’s community colleges focused on meeting that need in 2025, developing new industry based collaborations through the system’s Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce and with expanded degree, certificate, and short-term training opportunities.

• INNOVATION RECOGNIZED: Three of Maine’s community colleges (Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC), Southern Maine Community College (SMCC), and York County Community College YCCC) were recognized for high quality non-credit offerings, a noteworthy development as colleges nationwide adopt new non-credit short-term workforce training programs alongside accredited degree and certificate programs. The colleges are in the first cohort recognized by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

• STRATEGIC PLAN UNVEILED: In March, the system Strategic Plan was released, outlining the short- and long-term goals and strategies for serving our students, supporting our employees, and building lasting partnerships with business and industry groups.

• GROUNDBREAKING PRISON EDUCATION: Washington County Community College (WCCC) received funding to expand the college’s innovative prison education program, allowing the college to launch an innovative suite of online, stackable certification courses in computer technology. WCCC, which has offered a range of classes at multiple corrections facilities in Maine since 2018, was one of five New England colleges to receive the funding.

• LEADERSHIP: Among the leadership changes in 2025 was the hire of Doug Binsfeld as president of Northern Maine Community College (NMCC), and Betsy Libby, formerly the president of CMCC, as the new MCCS vice president and chief academic affairs and enrollment management officer. MCCS also welcomed construction executive Stacey Harris and KVCC nursing student Jasmine Sanders as new trustees for the system’s Board of Trustees. Sadly, MCCS mourned the passing of Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) President Liz Russell and honored her with the naming of the campus Learning Commons. MCCS President David Daigler joined the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, working with higher education leaders in Maine and across the country and the Institute for Citizens & Scholars to promote students becoming engaged citizens.

• EMPLOYEE HONORS: SMCC Don Sheets was named the 2025 recipient of the Maine EMS Governor’s Award, the highest individual honor in the state’s emergency medical services system. NMCC faculty member Patrick Wiley was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s New England office as the 2024 EPA Regional Wastewater Trainer of the Year.

• STUDENT HONORS: For the second time in three years, KVCC had welding students compete in the National Welding League Championship. EMCC had automotive students compete in the National Championship round of the Mopar Career Automotive Program Bracket Challenge.

• NEW FACILITIES, ASSOCIATIONS: Among the new and updated facilities around the system in 2025: KVCC added a new student housing option, which means all seven colleges now offer housing options. KVCC also opened a new early childhood education classroom on the Fairfield campus, providing full-day care for children ages six weeks to three years, with priority for students and employees. SMCC opened a new Advanced Manufacturing lab at the Brunswick campus. YCCC added a new student shower facility.  CMCC opened a new Construction Electricity Lab. NMCC finalized preparations of its new child care center.

2025 Sports highlights include:

• SMCC’s golf program won two national championships when the men’s team won the USCAA National Championship team title, and first-year standout Grace Thompson won Individual National Champion honors in the women’s field.
• CMCC’s men’s soccer team won their second straight USCAA DII National Championship after an undefeated season.
• SMCC’s softball team won its first-ever United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Championship in the 2025 USCAA Small College World Series.
• WCCC joined the Yankee Small College Conference, a key milestone in its expanded athletics program.