| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year college in the Maine Community College System; campus-based, with some programs online or hybrid |
| Campuses | 2, both in Maine: the main campus in Fairfield and the Harold Alfond Campus in Hinckley |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (AAS, AS, AA) and one-year certificates; 20 associate degrees and 16 certificate or diploma programs in the 2024-25 Fact Book |
| Programs | 30 on the college’s Programs of Study list |
| Accreditation | New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); continued in accreditation November 2018, next comprehensive evaluation spring 2028 |
| Federal aid | Yes (OPE ID 00982600) |
| 2026-27 cost | $96 per credit for Maine residents, $144 NEBHE regional, $192 out-of-state, plus $42 per credit in fees |
| Students | 2,489 in fall 2024, including 826 high-school students; 16 to 1 student-faculty ratio |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
KVCC: a public Maine college with two campuses near Waterville
Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) is one of the colleges of the Maine Community College System. Its main campus is in Fairfield, in the Waterville area, and its Harold Alfond Campus is seven miles north in Hinckley, a village in the town of Fairfield. The college lists 30 programs, most of them associate degrees and one-year certificates in health care and the trades, with business, computer and education programs alongside.
Most of its programmatically accredited programs are in health care: nursing, radiologic technology, respiratory therapy, occupational and physical therapist assistant, paramedic, medical assisting and health information management. In fall 2024 KVCC had 2,489 credit students, but 826 of them were high-school students taking college courses and only 32% of the 1,597 degree-seeking students studied full-time.
Programs at KVCC: health careers, trades and business
The Fact Book counts 20 associate degrees and 16 certificate or diploma programs. The table shows the main career programs. Tuition is charged per credit at the same rate for every program (see the cost section), so the table gives no program prices.
| Program | Credential | Length / starts | Delivery | Prepares for / accreditation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (ADN) | Associate in Science, 69 credits | 21 months | On campus, Fairfield; selective | NCLEX-RN; ACEN |
| Radiologic Technology | Associate in Science | – | Campus plus five clinical rotations; selective | ARRT; JRCERT |
| Respiratory Therapy | Associate in Science | – | Selective | CoARC #200417 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | Associate degree, 70 credits | 2 years | Hybrid; labs at KVCC, Bangor or Wells | NBCOT; ACOTE |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AAS | 2 years | Campus plus clinical education; selective | Licensure exam; CAPTE |
| Paramedic | Certificate; EMS AAS | 12 months, fall start | Online work, labs, simulation, 550+ clinical hours | NREMT; CAAHEP |
| AEMT / EMT | AEMT certificate, 12 credits; EMT course, 5 credits | 10 months / about 130 hours | Online work, labs, clinicals | NREMT |
| Medical Assisting | Certificate | – | Campus plus final-semester clinical | CMA (AAMA); CAAHEP |
| Health Information Management | AAS, 68 credits; certificate, 34 | Part-time option | 100% online | Certification exam; CAHIIM |
| Medical Coding | Certificate, 34 credits | – | Online | No exam named |
| Electrical Lineworker | Certificate | 1 year | Harold Alfond Campus, Hinckley | – |
| Electrical Technology | AAS; certificate | – | – | Maine journeyman electrician exam eligibility |
| Plumbing and Heating Technology | AAS; Plumbing certificate, 24 credits; Heating Technology certificate | AAS 2 years; certificates 9 months | Plumbing certificate on campus | Maine plumbing, oil, propane and gas licensing; EPA refrigeration |
| Welding | Certificate | 9 months | – | AWS certification tests |
| Precision Machining Technology | Operator certificate, 17 credits; Machinist certificate, 36; AAS, 61 | 4 months / 9 months / 2 years | Laptop required | – |
| Early Childhood Education | AAS, 64 credits | – | Campus, hybrid or fully online | – |
KVCC’s program pages mostly give only the Fairfield address and don’t say which campus teaches each program; Electrical Lineworker is the one program the college places at the Alfond Campus. Phlebotomy is offered only as a free hybrid workforce course from 26 August 2026 to 31 January 2027, funded by the Rural Health Transformation Program, with 6 to 15 trainees chosen by selection; it is not a degree or certificate program. The Trade and Technology Occupations AAS is for registered apprentices and journeymen, who can receive up to 24 credits for their apprenticeship training.
What the main programs cover
Nursing (Associate Degree in Nursing)
The Associate in Science is 69 credits over 21 months, taught on campus in Fairfield, and leads to the NCLEX-RN for licensure as a registered nurse. Entry is selective: applicants need a TEAS composite at or above the 70th percentile. Licensed practical nurses can join in the second semester if they have a 2.5 GPA in their LPN program and 3.0 overall, but there is no LPN exit or LPN program. Clinical placements require BLS/CPR. Within four semesters, 81.13% of the fall 2023 cohort completed; for the fall 2022 cohort, 88.88% finished within six.
Electrical Lineworker
This one-year certificate is taught at the Harold Alfond Campus, where a lineworker training facility opened in 2018 with help from Central Maine Power. About two-thirds of the program is hands-on: climbing poles with fall protection and working with bucket and digger trucks in the training yard. Students buy their own climbing gear, tools and boots. The program dates to the 1990s and had nearly 600 graduates by 2018; 26 certificates were awarded in 2024-25. Employers the college lists include CMP, Cianbro and IBEW 104. The program page doesn’t mention CDL training.
Plumbing and Heating Technology
The two-year AAS covers plumbing, heating, ventilating and cooling, and there are two nine-month certificates: Plumbing (24 credits, aimed at technician-level jobs) and Heating Technology. KVCC says graduates are eligible for Maine plumbing, oil burner, propane and natural gas licensing, along with EPA refrigeration certification. The catalog lists approvals or affiliations from the Maine Fuel Board, the Plumbers’ Examining Board, NPGA’s CETP propane training, IGSHPA and IAPMO. Students buy their own tools.
Radiologic Technology
The Associate in Science combines campus courses with five clinical rotations at about 16 sites, among them MaineGeneral in Augusta and Waterville, Redington-Fairview in Skowhegan, the Togus VA and Pen Bay in Rockport. Admission is selective. Graduates sit the ARRT certification exam. JRCERT accredits the program, and its current award runs for eight years. The program reports completion of 100% in 2024 (15 of 15) and 94.59% over five years.
Emergency Medical Services
EMS training is a ladder. The EMT course is 5 credits, about 130 hours plus at least 16 clinical hours, and runs through Workforce Training. The AEMT certificate is 12 credits over 10 months with more than 170 clinical hours. The Paramedic certificate takes three semesters (12 months) from a fall start, with more than 550 clinical hours, and the AAS adds general education to it. Courses combine online work, lectures, labs and simulation, and the program does not grant advanced placement. All levels prepare for NREMT exams.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
KVCC describes this 70-credit, two-year degree as the only associate-level OTA program in Maine. Lectures can be taken remotely or on campus, and in-person labs are held at KVCC, at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor or at York County Community College in Wells. Level I and Level II fieldwork placements follow the coursework. The program is accredited by ACOTE, and graduates sit the NBCOT certification exam. Admission is selective.
2026-27 tuition and how students pay
KVCC’s 2026-27 catalog lists the same per-credit rates as in 2024-25. Mandatory fees are $42 per credit: a $13 student services fee and a $29 comprehensive fee.
| 2026-27, per credit | Tuition | With $42 in fees |
|---|---|---|
| Maine resident | $96 | $138 |
| New England Regional Student Program (NEBHE) | $144 | $186 |
| Out-of-state | $192 | $234 |
At 30 credits a year, tuition and fees plus the $16 accident insurance come to about $4,156 for Maine residents, $5,596 for NEBHE regional students and $7,036 for other out-of-state students. Other charges include a $30 new-student orientation fee, professional liability insurance of $16 for nursing, radiologic technology, OTA, PTA, medical assisting and early childhood students ($69 for EMS), a $75 TEAS fee and a $25 per-semester payment plan fee. Program tools add $2,000 to $2,500 for lineworker climbing gear (plus $200 to $300 for boots), about $1,200 to $1,400 for plumbing and heating, and $300 to $600 for electrical technology.
KVCC takes federal student aid (OPE ID 00982600). College Navigator puts the average net price at $6,229 for in-state, full-time first-year students in 2023-24, and 94% of them received grant aid averaging $5,850. The Maine Free College Scholarship, made permanent on 10 April 2026, covers 100% of tuition after federal and state grants for Maine residents in the high-school Class of 2026 and later who enroll within two years of graduating. The KVCC Foundation gave $266,443 in scholarships to 217 students in 2024-25. The catalog has a section for veterans using VA benefits, and there is a Veterans Lounge at the Alfond Campus.
Open admission, with selective health programs
Most programs are open admission. Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Therapy, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant and Paramedic are selective; Nursing requires a TEAS composite at the 70th percentile or above; ask the other selective programs for their criteria. The Paramedic certificate starts each fall.
Several programs can be taken without coming to campus: Health Information Management is 100% online, Medical Coding is online, and Early Childhood Education can be completed online in live classes. Accounting, Business Administration and Psychology are offered on campus or online, and the OTA degree is hybrid with regional labs. College Navigator reports that 36% of KVCC undergraduates took only distance courses.
Accreditation and published results
KVCC is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Its last comprehensive evaluation was in 2018, NECHE continued its accreditation in November 2018, and the next comprehensive evaluation is due in spring 2028. Programmatic accreditors are ACEN for nursing, JRCERT for radiologic technology (an eight-year award), CoARC for respiratory therapy (program #200417), ACOTE for the OTA degree, CAPTE for the PTA degree, CAAHEP for medical assisting and paramedic, and CAHIIM for health information management through 2027-28.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 93.75% (32 graduates) | May 2024 class, KVCC nursing outcomes report (spring 2025); the 2024-25 Fact Book reports 44 of 45 for 2024 |
| Nursing, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 96.43% (28) and 94.12% (34) | May 2023 and May 2022 classes, same report |
| Radiologic Technology, ARRT first attempt | 92.5% (62 of 67); job placement 100% (59 of 59) within 12 months | 2020-2024, program page |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | Ultimate licensure pass 92%, graduation 89%, employment 100% | 2023-24 two-year average, program page |
| Paramedic, NRP cognitive and psychomotor | 100% | Classes of 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2026, program page |
| Medical Assisting, CMA (AAMA) | 86.49% five-year average; 100% in 2024 | 2020-2024, program page |
| Graduation rate | 39% within 150% of normal time | Full-time, first-time students entering fall 2021, College Navigator |
| Retention | 64% of full-time and 51% of part-time students returned | Fall 2023 to fall 2024, College Navigator |
The college’s 2024-25 Fact Book gives a different 2024 NCLEX-RN result (44 of 45 passed). The two school sources conflict, so confirm the current pass rate with KVCC. The Respiratory Therapy program page does not post exam results, and the newest Health Information Management outcomes KVCC posts are from 2019-20.
Before you enroll
- Nursing at KVCC is the associate RN degree only. There is no LPN program, and no CNA program among the 30 listed programs; licensed LPNs can enter the RN degree in its second semester.
- Health Science Preparation, the college’s largest program with 303 students in fall 2024, prepares students to apply to health degrees such as Nursing. It does not award a CNA, phlebotomy or CPR credential.
- Psychology is an AS designed mainly for transfer to a four-year college, and Sustainable Construction no longer appears on the program list.
- Lineworker students should budget $2,000 to $2,500 for climbing gear and tools plus boots, on top of tuition, and ask how graduates get a CDL if an employer wants one.
- Students outside Maine should confirm with KVCC before enrolling in an online program, especially one that leads to a license.
Two campuses: Fairfield and the Alfond Campus in Hinckley
| Campus | Address | What the college places there |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield (main) | 92 Western Avenue, Fairfield, ME 04937 | Enrollment Services, the associate nursing degree, OTA labs, the phlebotomy workforce course; the address on most program pages |
| Harold Alfond Campus | 677 Skowhegan Road, Hinckley, ME 04944 | Electrical Lineworker training facility and yard; Veterans Lounge |
The main campus covers 70 acres off I-95 Exit 132. The Alfond Campus is a 600-acre site on US Route 201, seven miles north. The college’s own location page gives the Alfond Campus a Fairfield, ME 04937 mailing address; NECHE and the Fact Book use Hinckley, ME 04944. KVCC has also offered courses at the Mid-Coast School of Technology in Rockland, a high-school technical center; ask the college what is offered there now.
What students say on Niche
On Niche, Kennebec Valley Community College is rated 3.9 out of 5 from 155 reviews, with an overall grade of B (checked 10 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise small classes and professors who go above and beyond, helpful advisors, low cost and good support in online courses. The most common complaints are about the financial-aid office, including slow processing and delayed refunds, and limited campus life outside some majors. The newest dated review is from March 2025, with only a few undated ones since, so the reviews may not reflect the college today; we could not tell whether any were invited by the school.
Sources
Checked October 2026: KVCC Programs of Study · 2026-27 catalog · Tuition and fees · NECHE record · Nursing student achievement data · College Navigator · Free College Scholarship made permanent · Niche reviews
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Nursing (Associate Degree, RN)
- Radiologic Technology
- Respiratory Therapy
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Emergency Medical Services: EMT, AEMT Certificate, Paramedic Certificate, AAS
- Medical Assisting
- Health Information Management
- Medical Coding
- Health Science Preparation Certificate
Skilled Trades
- Electrical Lineworker
- Electrical Technology
- Plumbing and Heating Technology
- Plumbing (certificate)
- Heating Technology (certificate)
- Welding
- Precision Machining Technology
- Trade and Technology Occupations (for registered apprentices)
Business and Computers
- Accounting
- Business Administration
- Applied Electronics & Computer Technology (AECT)
Culinary
- Culinary Arts
- Cooking Skills (certificate)
Education and Human Services
- Early Childhood Education
- Behavioral Health & Human Services
- Psychology (transfer degree)
- Education Pathway
Transfer and General Studies
- Liberal Studies
- Biological Science
- Sport Management
- General Studies
- Career Studies
Campus Locations
Fairfield, ME 92 Western Avenue, Fairfield, ME 04937
Hinckley, ME 677 Skowhegan Road, Hinckley, ME 04944