‘Fiske Guide’ Again Names UMaine One of Top Higher Education Institutions in the United States, Canada, Ireland and Great Britain

The University of Maine has again been named one of the more than 300 best colleges and universities by the “Fiske Guide to Colleges.”

The 2014 edition of the “Fiske Guide” cites UMaine and four Maine colleges — Bates, Bowdoin, Colby and the College of the Atlantic — as among the top higher education institutions in the United States, Canada, Ireland and Great Britain.

“The Fiske Guide highlights the flagship difference of the University of Maine — academic quality, good value and exceptional student experience,” says University of Maine President Paul W. Ferguson.

“UMaine’s world-class faculty who take pride in mentoring students, undergraduate research and other hands-on learning opportunities, top-quality facilities and out-of-class experiences, including engagement in the state’s only Division I athletics program, consistently put UMaine in the national rankings as one of the most distinctively student-centered and community-engaged of the American research universities,” he says.

In the UMaine profile, the guide cites top academic programs, such as marine sciences, engineering, new media, honors and health professions, and quality teaching, both in the classroom and the laboratory. It notes that “research is a key part of an undergraduate education at UMaine” and professors are known for their accessibility.

One student told the “Fiske Guide”: “The climate here is competitive enough that you always feel challenged to do your best.” Other students praised the wide-ranging student programming, including recreational opportunities that take advantage of the Maine outdoors and the New Balance Student Recreation Center, named one of the 10 top facilities of its kind in the nation. Also winning student kudos: campus housing and dining.

UMaine is “a medium-sized school with a small-school atmosphere,” concluded the “Fiske Guide.” “Combine the state’s natural beauty with an increased emphasis on top-quality facilities and more intimate student/faculty interaction, and it’s no surprise that this campus draws more die-hard ‘Maine-iaks’ each year.”

“Fiske Guide” is a trusted, independent voice in college admissions that is used by college-bound students, parents and counselors to help them with the college selection process, says Jimmy Jung, UMaine vice president for enrollment management. Colleges are selected based on anonymous feedback from students on academics, campus setting, student body, financial aid, housing, food, social life and extracurricular activities.

This is the 30th anniversary edition of the guide, compiled by former “New York Times” education editor Edward Fiske.

Contact: Margaret Nagle, 207.581.3745