Maine offers many choices for students of all ages when it comes to post-secondary education or training, with more than 35 unique and diverse colleges to choose from.

Going to an out-of-state school can be an opportunity to broaden experience, but for those who want a high-quality education while staying closer to home, family and friends, Maine offers public and private schools; urban and rural campuses; certificate programs, associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Ph.D. programs; art and multimedia schools, as well as environmental, law, divinity, maritime, medical and pharmacy schools.

The Maine Higher Education Council is a nonprofit consortium composed of Maine’s college and university presidents, the chancellor of the University of Maine System, the president of the Maine Community College System, and Maine’s education commissioner.

The council provides a forum to discuss issues that affect education, the role of Maine’s education leaders, and ways in which the institutions can support and collaborate with each other to strengthen education in Maine.

Council initiatives have included increasing financial aid available to Maine students; raising aspirations; communicating about college readiness; and, most recently, promoting the many unique and diverse college options in Maine.

The Higher Education Council is striving to strengthen higher education in Maine by promoting the importance of pursuing a college education, and reinforcing Maine as the best place to attend college.

Statistics show that workers in Maine with some college earn nearly 20 percent more per year than those with a high school diploma; workers with a bachelor’s degree earn almost 50 percent more.

Individuals who have earned college degrees are less likely to be unemployed, have better health and health benefits, live longer and have greater economic and social status. Tax credits are available for those who earn degrees from Maine colleges, then live and work in Maine following graduation.

At Saint Joseph’s College, half of the 1,000 students are from Maine — including many from the Lewiston-Auburn region. Half of the students are also the first in their families to attend college. As part of an effort to attract local students, each year Saint Joseph’s awards roughly $12 million in financial aid to Maine students in the form of scholarships, loans and campus work assistance. More than $6 million comes from our own resources, excluding any federal or state monies.

The career services and business departments maintain excellent connections with the business community, which is imperative for arranging internships and helping students obtain jobs after graduation.

Besides contributing financial resources, Maine colleges are reaching out to be more flexible and accessible. Online learning is booming as a convenient option for working adults. Online programs can be tailored to the specific needs of the workplace and can reach students anywhere, including active military.

Maine colleges are a major part of the state’s economy, and attending a Maine college strengthens the local economy both directly and indirectly in terms of sales to Maine businesses, full-time jobs for Maine people, personal income, and tax revenues to Maine state and local governments.

Many graduates of Maine colleges continue to live and work in Maine. More than 250 alumni from Saint Joseph’s live in the Lewiston-Auburn area.

Every Maine student who graduates from a Maine college and stays in Maine makes the state stronger. Maine colleges make every effort to keep education costs reasonable in order to keep the best and brightest students here.

Having an educated workforce strengthens the economy and makes the state a better place to live.

Those who are graduating from high school, or adult students considering college for new training or a new career, should consider a Maine college.

Dr. Joseph Lee, president of Saint Joseph’s College in Standish, serves on the executive committee of the Maine Higher Education Council.