Universities in Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is a small English-speaking country in the eastern Caribbean, and its university sector is small too. Students can choose between a campus of the regional University of the West Indies (UWI), a national college that is being reorganised, and offshore medical schools that train doctors for practice in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

SpainExchange currently lists one university in Antigua and Barbuda: the University of Health Sciences Antigua (UHSA), a medical school in Dow's Hill, Piccadilly, founded in 1982.

The main institutions

UWI Five Islands Campus. The University of the West Indies, the regional university shared by several Caribbean countries, has its Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda. It offers more than 40 programmes in schools of Humanities and Education, Business and Management, Science, Computing and Artificial Intelligence, and Health and Behavioural Sciences. Undergraduate admission covers degrees, associate degrees, diplomas and certificates, with intakes in August and January.

Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies. The country's public tertiary colleges are being merged into a new institution, the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS). Phase one began in September 2025 and the full process is expected to take three years. It brings together the former Antigua State College, founded in 1977, the Antigua and Barbuda International Institute of Technology and the Antigua and Barbuda Hotel Training Institute, on campuses for education, arts, science and industry, for business and information technology, and for tourism and hospitality. Antigua State College has offered associate degrees in fields such as accounting, business administration and marketing.

University of Health Sciences Antigua. UHSA trains doctors. Its Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme follows a US-modelled curriculum taught entirely in English: two years of basic sciences on campus in Antigua, followed by two years of clinical training in affiliated teaching hospitals in the United States, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico and other sites. The programme prepares students for the USMLE, PLAB and MCCQE licensing exams. For students without the science prerequisites, UHSA runs a premedical programme of 90 credit hours, taught fully online. UHSA lists the Antigua & Barbuda National Accreditation Board (ABNAB), the World Directory of Medical Schools and the ECFMG among its recognitions and approvals, and advises students to check the licensing rules of the country where they plan to practise.

Admission

Requirements depend on the institution and the level. For the UHSA MD, applicants need a bachelor's degree or at least three years of study (90 semester credits), prescribed courses in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and English, and fluency in English; applicants from the United States should submit MCAT scores. UHSA admits students on a rolling basis. For its premedical programme, Caribbean students need five GCE O level passes at grade C or five CXC passes at grade III, and other students a high school diploma with English, mathematics and chemistry.

Student permit and visa

According to UWI Five Islands, all students who are not from Antigua and Barbuda or the OECS need a student permit or a visa. Citizens of many countries, including EU countries, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and several Latin American countries, can enter without a visa but still need a student permit. The permit request goes through the Ministry of Education and then the Immigration Department, with proof of address, proof of financial means and a return ticket; UWI quotes a processing fee of EC$150. The immigration department states that a visitor who arrives on holiday cannot change status to student, so the permit must be approved before arrival. Renewal for a further year requires a report from the institution.

Costs

Fees vary widely. UHSA publishes its tuition in US dollars for 2025/2026: US$14,601 for the premedical programme and US$107,419 in total for the MD, billed per term. UWI Five Islands estimates monthly living costs of US$370 to US$1,000 for accommodation (shared or single), US$370 to US$553 for food and US$57 to US$114 for transport.

How to choose

• Type of qualification: a regional UWI degree, an associate degree or certificate, or a medical degree
• Where clinical training or work placements take place, and where you plan to practise
• Recognition by the licensing body of your target country, especially for medicine
• Total cost: tuition per term, insurance, housing and travel
• Student permit: start the application early, before you travel

Frequently asked questions

Are universities in Antigua and Barbuda taught in English?

Yes. English is the language of instruction; the UHSA MD, for example, is delivered entirely in English, and applicants must be fluent in the language.

Do I need a visa to study in Antigua and Barbuda?

Many nationalities can enter without a visa, but all students from outside Antigua and Barbuda and the OECS need a student permit, which must be approved before arrival.

How long does it take to become a doctor at UHSA?

The MD takes four years: two years of basic sciences in Antigua and two years of clinical training in affiliated hospitals abroad. Students without the prerequisites can first take the online premedical programme.

How much does it cost to live in Antigua as a student?

UWI Five Islands estimates US$370 to US$1,000 a month for accommodation, US$370 to US$553 for food and US$57 to US$114 for transport.