Previously, we focused on the individual colleges that METS students attend. In this post we are focusing on the types of postsecondary institutions attended by METS students.
Characteristics of METS College Choice
Most METS Student stay in Maine for college. In fact, over the five years studied, 83.4% stay in state. Equally as common is for METS Students to attend school in either the Maine Community College System or the University of Maine System, with 64.7% attending a public state school. 18.7% of METS students attend a private school in Maine, and 16.5% enroll in postsecondary education outside of Maine.
Table 1: Types of Colleges METS Students Attend
| 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 | Totals | Percentage | |
| METS Seniors who enrolled in PSE | 108 | 120 | 120 | 116 | 125 | 589 | – |
| University of Maine System Schools | 56 | 58 | 59 | 45 | 48 | 257 | 45.2% |
| Maine Community College System | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 32 | 115 | 19.5% |
| Maine Colleges, not UMS or MCS | 16 | 23 | 20 | 29 | 22 | 110 | 18.7% |
| In-State | 92 | 103 | 101 | 93 | 102 | 491 | 83.4% |
| Out-of-State | 15 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 97 | 16.5% |
How do METS student rates compare to that of students from the rest of Maine?
In 2015, the Mitchell Institute analyzed data produced by the State of Maine and the National Student Clearinghouse to produce a report on Maine High School graduates. There we can see that 71% of Maine students stay in Maine for their postsecondary education. When you compare that to the 83% average for METS students, it’s clear that METS students are more likely to stay in Maine.
This report does not break down their data by UMaine System or Maine Community College system, but states rate of students going to Public institution is around 66%, which appears to be significantly lower than the METS rate. It also appears that a roughly comparable rate of METS students and Maine high school grads in general are attending two-year institutions.
Next up in our series on METS Outcomes is analysis of the postsecondary enrollment rates for METS graduating seniors when compared with their peers from their high schools.
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