The University of Maine at Fort Kent is located in Maine's Saint John Valley, probably the most bilingual French/English region of the United States. Just across the river lies French-speaking northwestern New Brunswick. Ten miles beyond is the Province of Québec, whose capital (the second largest francophone city in the western hemisphere) is actually closer than Bangor.

French is commonly spoken here in homes, stores, offices, and workplaces. It's possible to live here and speak nothing but French. You can buy a car, negotiate the loan, register it and insure it tout en français!

Our students don't have to stick close to a "French dorm" or cafeteria French table. Here they live in French... not "school book" or Parisian French, but the living language spoken by native speakers. Via our exchange program with l'Université de Moncton, UMFK students can study almost any subject they wish entirely in French. Education students can even do their practice teaching in French-language schools or in the Valley's own French/English bilingual K-12 program.