Overview
In 2026, Unity Environmental University finalized the sale of its 90 Quaker Hill property in Unity, Maine.
The sale represents the completion of a multi-year institutional transition that began several years earlier as the university adapted to changing student needs and the evolving landscape of higher education.
Importantly, this transaction does not represent the closure of the university, a reduction in educational offerings, or a retreat from in-person education. Rather, it reflects the culmination of a strategic transformation that has enabled Unity Environmental University to expand access to environmental education while remaining headquartered in Maine and continuing to offer in-person learning opportunities.
Is Unity Environmental University Still Operating?
Yes.
Unity Environmental University is a private, nonprofit university fully accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), one of the oldest and most respected institutional accreditors in the United States.
Today, the university serves more than 10,000 students nationwide and has become one of the fastest-growing universities in the United States.
Did Unity Environmental University Close?
No.
Unity Environmental University remains fully operational and continues to offer bachelor’s, 90 credit applied bachelor’s, master’s, and professional programs focused on environmental science, sustainability, conservation, business, technology, and related fields.
The university continues to enroll students from all 50 states and multiple countries while maintaining its headquarters in Maine.
Does Unity Environmental University Still Have a Campus?
Yes.
Unity Environmental University’s main campus is located at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine.
The university’s in-person educational offerings, Unity at Pineland, are based on more than 200 acres at Pineland Farms, where students participate in immersive, place-based learning experiences connected to the natural environment. The institution also maintains additional educational and operational locations throughout Maine, including its Sky Lodge location in the Jackman Region, in support of its mission.
Is the Pineland Farms Campus Being Sold?
No.
The Pineland Farms campus in New Gloucester, Maine is not for sale.
Unity Environmental University continues to invest in and operate its in-person educational offerings at Pineland Farms. Students continue to learn, live, conduct fieldwork, and engage in hands-on environmental education at the campus.
Why Was the Unity Property Sold?
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Unity Environmental University continued to maintain a residential learning experience at the Unity property and worked to attract sufficient enrollment to sustain the traditional residential model.
Despite those efforts, demand for the traditional semester-based residential experience did not return at levels capable of supporting the long-term operation of the property.
University leadership ultimately determined that consolidating in-person learning at Pineland Farms while expanding access through new educational models represented the most sustainable path forward for preserving and strengthening the institution’s mission.
Rather than shrinking, merging, or closing, the university chose to evolve.
What Will Happen to the Unity Property?
The buyer intends to utilize the property for summer camp programming and outdoor experiential learning opportunities.
The property will continue serving educational and recreational purposes while remaining connected to the outdoors and environmental experiences that have long defined the site.
Is Unity Environmental University Growing?
Yes.
Unity Environmental University has experienced significant enrollment growth over the past decade and now serves more than 10,000 students nationwide.
The university has been recognized as:
- #1 in Maine on the Social Mobility Index for three consecutive years
- Among the top 1% of colleges and universities nationally for social mobility
- One of the fastest-growing universities in the United States
Additional coverage:
Is Unity Environmental University Accredited?
Yes.
Unity Environmental University is fully accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). NECHE accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and serves as the primary institutional accreditor for many of New England’s most respected colleges and universities.
Is Unity Environmental University a Nonprofit Institution?
Yes.
Unity Environmental University is a private nonprofit university headquartered in Maine and governed by an independent Board of Trustees.
What Makes Unity Environmental University Different?
At a time when many colleges and universities have faced enrollment declines, financial pressures, mergers, and closures, Unity Environmental University has pursued a different approach focused on accessibility, affordability, workforce relevance, and environmental leadership.
Key institutional commitments include:
- Tuition frozen through 2030 for distance education students
- A minimum annual salary of $50,000 for full-time exempt employees
- In-person educational offerings in Maine
- Programs designed for working adults, first-generation students, military-affiliated learners, and career changers
- Technology-enabled student support and advising systems
Has Unity Environmental University’s Mission Changed?
No.
The university’s mission remains focused on preparing environmental leaders and professionals who can address complex sustainability, conservation, climate, business, and environmental challenges.
While the university’s educational model has evolved, its commitment to environmental education, accessibility, affordability, workforce readiness, and student success remains unchanged.
In many ways, the university’s transformation has allowed that mission to reach more learners than at any point in the institution’s history.
Looking Forward
The Unity property will always remain an important part of the university’s history. A generation of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters built experiences and traditions there that continue to shape the institution today.
At the same time, Unity Environmental University believes its responsibility extends beyond preserving a place. It includes preserving and strengthening a mission.
Today, that mission remains firmly rooted in Maine, supported by a growing in-person presence at Pineland Farms, powered by a private nonprofit institution fully accredited by NECHE, and extended to learners across all 50 states.
The result is a university that remains committed to environmental education while serving more students, creating more opportunity, and generating more impact than at any point in its history.
