When I applied to the University of Maine, I did so because of its smaller size as well as its location. Due to where the university is located, the size of campus is wildly different than many other universities attended nowadays, and it was located more rurally than many of the other places I looked into applying to.
Attending a smaller university can be beneficial due to smaller class sizes, fostering more personalized learning and interaction with professors, and a stronger sense of community. All of these things are crucial and greatly beneficial to a successful college experience.
They can also offer a more tailored academic experience, with better networking opportunities and far less competition for attention. Overall, small universities foster a more intimate, supportive environment that helps students thrive academically and socially. I have found that by having classes where you know almost everyone’s name has been incredibly helpful towards my educational experience here. I like that I know who everyone is, and I tend to get to know most of my classmates to a certain extent. The professors also get to enjoy that aspect as well. With larger classes, students can go a whole semester without the professor learning their names. In smaller classes, not only do the professors get to learn all of their student’s names, but more about their students in general.
UMaine has a student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1. The total number of faculty on campus is 866 members. Undergraduate Enrollment for the fall semester of 2023 was 9,267 students. Plus the percentage of classes with 20 students or fewer was 42.2%. These numbers are just part of why attending a smaller university like UMaine is much more beneficial for student learning. I feel that this ratio is incredibly low compared to various other universities in the state.
Granted, the University is located on an island in middle-of-nowhere Maine, which certainly factors into attendance or application numbers, however, I think that is for the best.
