International Applicants

Your Path to UMaine Starts Here

Thinking about studying in the US? We are excited you are considering UMaine! Learn more about the admissions process for international undergraduates below, including: document requirements, English proficiency criteria, and application deadlines.

Application Process

  • Complete ONE of our applications — the Common Application or the ApplyMaine Application
  • Provide a NACES-Accredited Transcript Evaluation to UMaine — of all secondary and post-secondary education you have completed, unless exempt. (Additional information on exemptions listed below)
  • Submit an English Proficiency Test Score – unless exempt. (Additional information on exemptions listed below)

You’ve submitted your application – what’s next?

You should receive an initial email from the Shared Processing Center that your application has been received by their office. This email will include a Student Identification Number you may reference when emailing to inquire about your application status. Once your application has been received by the Admissions Office, the Processing Team will check any materials already received to ensure the requirements for review are met. If any documents are missing at the time of the Processing Team’s preliminary look at your file, an email will be sent to you containing information about the needed documents.


Application Deadlines

Fall Admission Deadlines

  • December 1: First-Year Early Action application deadline. Students who apply and submit all required documents before this deadline will be considered for additional merit scholarships. We encourage all First-Year applicants to submit their apps and documents as early as possible for timely processing and review!
  • March 1: Regular application deadline for both First-Year and Transfer students. Scholarships are awarded as available.
  • July 15: Final deadline for international students residing outside of the US and Canada to apply. Applications submitted after this will be reviewed on a space available basis. Most applications will be moved forward for spring semester consideration instead.
  • August 1: Final deadline for international students residing in the US or Canada to apply. Applications submitted after this will be reviewed on a space available basis. Most applications will be moved forward for spring semester consideration instead.

Spring Admission Deadlines

November 1: Regular application deadline for both First-Year and Transfer students. Scholarships are awarded as available.

November 15: Survey Engineering Technology applications completed after Nov. 15 will be reviewed on a space available basis.

December 1: Final deadline for international students residing outside of the US and Canada to apply. Applications submitted after this will be reviewed on a space available basis. Most applications will be moved forward for fall semester consideration instead.

December 15: Final deadline for international students residing in the US or Canada to apply. Applications submitted after this will be reviewed on a space available basis. Most applications will be moved forward for fall semester consideration instead.


NACES-Accredited Transcript Evaluation

The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) is a nongovernmental association made up of transcript evaluation companies that all maintain a similar professional standard of services. Their association has many “member” companies who meet their standards. All international undergraduate applicants must submit a transcript evaluation of all secondary and post-secondary education, unless exempt. 

If you do not qualify for an exemption (detailed in the next section), please complete the following steps to submit your transcript evaluation:

  • Select a NACES Member & Service Type: First-Year students may choose a basic evaluation or course-by-course evaluation of their secondary school records. Transfer students must choose a course-by-course evaluation option for their university records. You may choose any company from this list. Some of these companies are offering UMaine applicants discounts on their services!
  • International Education Evaluation (IEE) UMS Applicant Portal Discounts on basic evaluations, course-by-course evaluations, and digital portal deliveries. 
  • Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) UMS Applicant Portal 10% discount on course-by-course evaluation, and a free copy of your report provided to us.
  • The Evaluation Company (TEC) UMaine/UMM Applicant Portal TEC has provided an applicant portal to ensure the correct evaluation type is chosen to meet UMaine application requirements. They are offering a discount to their service as well as a free copy of your report which they will deliver to us at your request.
  • Submit Your Documents: Send your academic transcripts and certificates to the selected NACES member for evaluation. Be certain you follow their specific instructions on document submission.
  • Provide the Evaluation Report to UMaine: Once the evaluation is complete, you can request the NACES member to submit a copy of your report to UMaine if they do not already state they will do so. These reports must be sent directly to UMaine from the NACES member to be considered official. These reports will show a detailed view of your academic credentials converted into U.S. equivalents. 

Evaluation waivers may be approved on a case-by-case basis by the Admissions Committee upon request by the applicant.

A photo on UMaine's campus with flowering trees blooming in spring

Transcript Submission Requirements (if exempt from NACES)

Exemptions from submission of a NACES-accredited transcript evaluation are provided for these curricula:

  • WASSCE Exams
  • International Baccalaureate programs
  • American high schools and universities
  • Canadian high schools and universities
  • Cambridge International secondary schools

Instead of an evaluation, please submit up-to-date transcripts and/or exam results, as applicable. If the document is not in English, please submit a certified English translation. For more information on the needed documents by academic level or curriculum, please review this spreadsheet. If you have any questions regarding the information in this document, please contact us via email at internationaladm@maine.edu.

Official transcripts can be submitted using one of the following methods:

  • Uploaded by a school official through the Common Application
  • Emailed by a school official or the issuing organization to edocs@maine.edu from a verifiable email address
  • Mailed directly from the organization issuing the transcript:

Sent via airmail or equivalent:
Application Processing
PO Box 412
Bangor, ME 04402-0412

Sent using a courier service (FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc.):

Shared Processing Center

5727 Estabrooke Dr

15 Estabrooke Hall

Orono, ME 04469-5727

  • Submitted through the US State Department’s Education USA program. Please visit the link provided to make sure that services are available in your country. Education USA transcripts submitted via email should be sent to edocs@maine.edu and must clearly indicate in the subject line “accept as official copy from EducationUSA”

English Proficiency Requirements

All applicants must request that an official copy of their English language proficiency exam score is submitted to UMaine by the testing agency. Acceptable tests and minimum scores to be considered for admission are:

  • TOEFL iBT — minimum score of 79 (pre-January 2026) or 4.5 (post-January 2026).
  • UMaine’s institution code 3916. Please note: we accept “MyBest Scores” and evaluate these scores the same way we consider superscores for all other tests. 
  • TOEFL Essentials — minimum score of 8.5. 
  • IELTS — minimum score of 6.5. 
  • PTE (Pearson Test of English) – minimum score of 53.
  • CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) – completed level B2 (Upper-Intermediate).
  • DET (Duolingo English Test) – minimum score of 110 (effective Spring 2024 semester).

Test Waiver Policy

We will waive the English proficiency test requirement if one of the following conditions is met:

  • Student is a native speaker of English or has completed their formal education in English (e.g., American Samoa, Anglophone Caribbean Nations & Territories, Anguilla, Australia, Belize, Bermuda, Canada (except Quebec), Gambia, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, U.S. Pacific Trust, Zimbabwe, Zambia);
  • Student has been studying in the U.S. or Canada for 2 or more years in a non-ESL track;
  • Student has successfully passed an English Composition course at a U.S. higher education institution with a grade of C or higher, even if student has not studied in the U.S. for two or more years;
  • Student has taken English as a Home Language on the South African National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam;
  • Student began secondary school in Rwanda in 2008 or after;
  • Student is taking or has taken Cameroonian O-level and A-level exams;
  • A secondary school transcript or a letter from the secondary school/ministry of education which clearly states that English is the language of instruction of all subjects (except international languages);
  • SAT Reading/Writing score is 550 or higher; Click here for information on submitting SAT scores. Institution code: 3916
  • ACT English score is 24 or higher; Click here for information on submitting ACT scores. Institution code: 1664
A photo of an Honors College class in an outdoor classroom

Honors College

The Honors College at the University of Maine in Orono is designed for students who have excelled in their studies throughout secondary school and want to continue challenging themselves in an interdisciplinary, supportive environment. Admission to the College is by invitation only, and First-Year students who meet the Early Action application deadline are automatically considered for the Honors College as part of the Admissions process. However, if you are interested in learning more about the Honors College or what requirements must be met to join this program, please email honors@maine.edu or visit their website: honors.umaine.edu.