The college began in 1903 as Aroostook State Normal School which offered a two-year teacher preparation program.

[3] UMPI's wind turbine began generating clean energy in late spring 2009 after the university reached an agreement with general contractor Lumus Construction Inc. on a $2 million project to install a 600-kilowatt wind turbine on the campus.

This agreement established UMPI as the first college or university in the state and one of only a handful in New England to install a midsize wind turbine, according to officials.

The wind turbine produces about 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and saves the institution more than $100,000 annually in electricity charges and saves an estimated 572 tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere each year.

[7] The college received a $2.25 million grant to add programs in computer science and health administration in 2019.

[12] UMPI has 12 varsity sport programs and is a member of NCAA Division III and in 2018 joined the North Atlantic Conference.