Maine College of Health Professions

About Maine College of Health Professions

MCHP traces its history to the Central Maine General Hospital Training School, which admitted its first student in 1891. It initially awarded nursing diplomas, gained authority to confer an associate nursing degree in the 1970s, and later expanded into medical imaging. The institution adopted its present name in 2014, introduced an RN-to-BSN pathway in 2017, and began enrolling students in bachelor’s programs in Medical Imaging and Healthcare Administration in 2021. This history still shapes the college’s identity. MCHP is a specialized healthcare institution rather than a conventional liberal-arts university, and its hospital affiliation gives clinical preparation a central role. The official academic offering is concentrated in nursing, radiologic technology, medical imaging, diagnostic medical sonography, practical nursing, and health-science preparation. General-education coursework supports these professional programs but is not evidence of independent majors in unrelated fields. NECHE identifies MCHP as a current member institution in Lewiston that awards associate and limited bachelor’s degrees. Its accreditation was continued in November 2023 following a comprehensive evaluation, with the next comprehensive visit listed for fall 2033. NECHE also records that MCHP was placed on a program of special monitoring in April 2026. That action does not itself mean the college has closed or lost accreditation, but applicants should read any available accreditor notices and ask how monitoring may affect their intended program, financial aid, transfer plans, and graduation timetable.

Admission is program-specific and competitive rather than governed by one college-wide academic threshold. The application procedure calls for a completed application, an official final secondary-school transcript or HiSET/GED documentation, and official transcripts from every postsecondary institution attended. International academic records are handled under a separate transcript-evaluation policy. Clinical programs also impose immunization and technical-standard requirements. For the current admissions cycle displayed in August 2026, MCHP lists early-action and regular-decision dates for selected associate and sonography programs. The posted dates are November 20 and February 26 for Radiologic Technology; January 1 and May 1 for associate Nursing; and January 1 and April 2 for Pre-Sonography and Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Practical Nursing, Health Science Pre-Professions, the three bachelor’s programs, Computed Tomography, and Mammography use rolling admission. Applicants should confirm the relevant entry term because the college also identifies January 2027 starts for Practical Nursing and the RN Bridge route. Requirements differ sharply by pathway. Entry-level associate applicants may need specified biology, chemistry, algebra, or additional mathematics courses and placement benchmarks. Bachelor’s completion programs generally require prior college study plus an active healthcare license or certification. Some sonography applicants must document job shadowing, while Radiologic Technology finalists must attend an information session. A $300 nonrefundable enrollment deposit is applied toward tuition for fall or spring entrants; current MCHP students and alumni are exempt according to the current application page.

MCHP’s current offerings are tightly focused on preparing or advancing healthcare practitioners. The college lists bachelor’s programs in Nursing for registered nurses, Medical Imaging, and Healthcare Administration. Associate-level options include Nursing, a nursing bridge route, Radiologic Technology, Pre-Diagnostic Medical Sonography, and Health Science Pre-Professions. Certificate offerings include Practical Nursing, Certified Nursing Assistant preparation, Computed Tomography, Mammography, and Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Students should consult the current catalog because entry credentials and professional-certification expectations vary considerably among these pathways. The educational model combines general education with professional coursework, simulation, and clinical learning. For example, the 2026–2027 catalog requires at least 70 credits for the associate nursing degree and specifies that at least one year of nursing-major credits must be sponsored by and taken on the MCHP campus. Clinical tuition is separately priced, reinforcing that clinical courses are a distinct part of program planning. Several bachelor’s and advanced-certificate routes are intended for working or already credentialed healthcare professionals. The RN-BSN pathway requires RN preparation and licensure, while Medical Imaging applicants generally need relevant prior education and professional certification. Healthcare Administration also has healthcare credential and prior-college requirements. In contrast, entry-level associate and practical-nursing applicants are evaluated using secondary-school completion, prerequisite science and mathematics work, and any required placement process. Prospective students should verify each program’s professional accreditation, state authorization, clinical-placement conditions, and certification eligibility separately rather than relying only on institutional accreditation.

Key Highlights

• Established in 1891 as a hospital-based nursing school
• Current NECHE member awarding associate and limited bachelor’s degrees
• Specialized exclusively in healthcare education
• Placed on NECHE special monitoring in April 2026 while remaining a member

Student Life & Environment

Student life at MCHP is organized around a small, professionally focused campus rather than a large residential-university environment. The 2026–2027 catalog describes class leadership roles, student participation in curriculum and policy discussions, and open community forums with faculty and staff. These opportunities may appeal to students who prefer direct involvement in a compact academic community. Academic support includes tutoring and group study, help with time management and study skills, test-taking support, and additional laboratory practice. The Gerrish-True Health Sciences Library provides medical databases, journals, printed resources, interlibrary loan, research help, and assistance with APA formatting and literature searches. Students also have access to computer facilities, campus Wi-Fi, and classrooms and labs through identification-badge access during published hours. Most programs require students to bring a Windows-based laptop. Practical services include designated student parking without a parking fee, campus security, and escorts to vehicles on request. Matriculated students must carry accident insurance through the college, while students in clinical programs must maintain required health and immunization standards. The college’s website also refers to dormitories and housing access, but a current public 2026–2027 housing rate and detailed residence policy were not located. Applicants needing housing should therefore confirm availability, eligibility, deposits, meal arrangements, and the full annual cost directly with MCHP.

Location & Surroundings

MCHP’s campus is at 70 Middle Street in Lewiston, within the Lewiston-Auburn urban area and close to Central Maine Medical Center. The college characterizes Lewiston-Auburn as Maine’s second-largest metropolitan area and describes a community shaped by French-Canadian industrial history as well as more recent immigrant communities. The Androscoggin River and its parks and walking trails are part of the local setting. The location is more urban and service-oriented than a secluded residential campus. Shopping, restaurants, theaters, public libraries, churches, and other colleges are nearby, while coastal beaches, hiking areas, and ski destinations require travel but are within driving distance. On-campus parking is available to permitted students, which may be useful because clinical education can involve travel beyond the main campus. For prospective students, the practical location question is not only where classes meet but where assigned laboratories and clinical experiences occur. Applicants should ask their program about clinical-site geography, transportation expectations, early or irregular shift times, parking at placement sites, and whether a personal vehicle is effectively necessary.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026–2027, MCHP publishes tuition by credit and course type rather than as one annual sticker price. Nursing core courses cost $422 per credit, or $410 in summer, while designated nursing clinical courses cost $675 per clinical credit. Medical Imaging and Health Science core courses are also $422 per credit, with a $410 summer rate; designated clinical courses cost $525 per clinical credit. The listed CNA course price is $1,885. These figures should not be substituted with the database’s older annual tuition value because a student’s actual total depends on program, clinical-credit mix, enrollment pattern, and required fees. Published charges include a $300 comprehensive student-services fee and $275 graduation fee. Nursing carries a $900 program fee, Radiologic Technology a $600 program fee, and Diagnostic Medical Sonography a $900 first-semester simulation fee. Registration, technology, science-course, and other course-specific charges may also apply. Students should budget for books, a required laptop where applicable, uniforms or clinical supplies, insurance, transportation, and living expenses. A current public dormitory price was not located. The 2026–2027 catalog lists federal aid for eligible matriculated students, using FAFSA school code 006305, along with grants, loans, institutional resources, and selected Maine-based support. Because MCHP’s website currently displays an “Important Announcement About Title IV Eligibility” banner without accessible explanatory text in the researched pages, applicants should obtain written confirmation of current federal-aid eligibility and disbursement timing before committing. Career advising includes résumé assistance and employment postings, but no undated placement or salary figure is presented here as a current outcome guarantee.