Going to class for American university students may require crossing campus. However, in the Maldives, it may require crossing the ocean. The Maldives’ scattered island geography creates barriers to where students can study, which programs they can apply to and whether they need to leave their home to pursue higher education. The Maldives’ unique geography is influencing how higher education in the Maldives is developing. On March 8, 2026, Maldives National University held a groundbreaking ceremony for a planned new campus in Eydhafushi, Baa Atoll. The new campus, valued at approximately $5.2 million, is scheduled to take 720 days to complete. Once finished, it should give students the opportunity to attend university closer to home and reduce the costs associated with studying elsewhere. At the same time, new programs and scholarships are creating additional pathways into postsecondary education.

Education Across an Island Nation

The Maldives’ geography sets its education apart from many other countries. The challenge arises because communities are spread across more than 180 inhabited islands while many educational opportunities are concentrated in larger population centers. This affects students long before they even enter university. UNICEF reports that disparities in access to services, including education, remain between Malé and remote islands. It also reports that the country’s monetary poverty rate is about 8% and that 33% of children experience multidimensional poverty. For families with limited incomes, the additional costs of traveling or relocating for education can make geographic barriers more difficult to overcome.

Geography is not the only challenge. UNICEF identifies limited upper-secondary opportunities in remote islands and teacher shortages as additional barriers facing students in smaller communities. In some remote areas, students must leave their home islands simply to complete upper-secondary education.

For certain students, moving off their home islands before commencing university might be necessary for them to pursue further education. These geographical disparities are among the reasons why the establishment of regional campuses has been a key feature of the education system in the country. This is not an isolated case of such a development. Maldives National University (MNU) has announced agreements to develop additional campuses, including one in Naifaru in Lhaviyani Atoll. These agreements represent planned developments rather than campuses that are already operating. MNU said both projects will expand access to tertiary education for students living in the atolls.

When Online Classrooms Bridge Gaps

While building more campuses offers one way to reduce distance, technology can offer another. Taking advantage of this opportunity, UNICEF and the Maldivian government have expanded digital and hybrid learning initiatives that allow students to attend classes online. UNICEF identifies online learning as a method of reaching students in rural areas. The TechPath program, which the Ministry of Education developed in partnership with UNICEF and Google for Education, focuses on students’ digital skills and expanding remote learning. In 2024, UNICEF reported that TechPath was being piloted with more than 1,600 students in 15 schools across the Maldives.

The program also supports the Maldives’ satellite school model, which connects students in rural and remote communities with educational opportunities that may not exist locally. UNICEF said the initiative aims to strengthen the satellite school model and expand remote-learning options to grades 11 and 12. This remains a school-level initiative rather than a university program, but greater access to upper-secondary education can help students prepare for higher education.

For students in rural communities, these school-level programs can help create a pathway toward higher education before a student reaches a university campus. Access to upper-secondary courses can determine whether students are able to meet the requirements for further study.

Beyond the Islands

For other students, pursuing higher education may require leaving the Maldives entirely. The Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development announces international scholarship opportunities that allow Maldivian students to pursue higher education abroad. These have included opportunities connected with countries such as India, Hungary, Indonesia, China and Australia. For example, in April 2026, the ministry announced an Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarship (ICCR) through the Aid to Maldives Scheme. The scholarship gives Maldivian applicants opportunities to study at participating universities in India. ICCR’s 2026-2027 scholarship guidelines provide financial support that can include tuition and compulsory fees, monthly stipends, housing allowances and annual contingency allowances depending on the student’s level of study and program rules.

International scholarships can therefore reduce some of the financial barriers associated with studying abroad while giving Maldivian students another route into higher education. Combined with planned regional campuses, school-level digital learning programs and international scholarships, these developments show that higher education in the Maldives increasingly extends beyond a single type of location or institution.

Systems Moving Outward

The planned campus in Eydhafushi highlights how higher education in the Maldives is changing. Once completed, the project is expected to allow students in Baa Atoll to pursue higher education closer to home while reducing some of the costs associated with studying elsewhere. Other planned regional campuses, including Naifaru, show that Maldives National University is also working to expand higher education beyond the country’s main population centers. Digital-learning initiatives and international scholarships provide additional pathways for students whose location or financial circumstances may otherwise limit their educational options. In a country where home and school can be separated by miles of ocean, the location of education matters. Although several of the new campuses are still in development, their expansion, along with digital programs and scholarships, shows how the map of educational opportunity in the Maldives is beginning to change.

– Inika Chemuru

Inika is based in Pembroke Pines, Florida, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

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