Having submitted applications for national and international accreditation candidacy, University of The Bahamas (UB) is pursuing higher standards of academic excellence, student success and operational strength.
Fall 2025 has already set the stage for historic milestones. For the first time, UB’s total student enrolment has surged beyond 5,200 students, according to preliminary figures, even more than the total enrolment pre-COVID-19. That momentum is buoyed by steady growth at UB North in Grand Bahama of approximately 500 students and an uptick in applicants nationwide.
The last time that total student enrolment exceeded 5,000 was in Fall 2013. This fall, international student enrolment is also climbing, reflecting the university’s rising reputation abroad.
“Families are recognizing that UB is not just an affordable choice, it’s a first option for a quality university education,” says Vice President of Enrolment Management and Athletics, Dr. Marcella Elliott-Ferguson. “Our numbers prove that more Bahamian and international students see UB as a place where they can get a firm foundation to launch their future and, from day one, we are providing the kind of support for student success that they need to achieve excellence.”
Creating a vibrant and supportive environment for students – especially freshmen – is a priority. This year, a team of enthusiastic student ambassadors called almost 2,000 incoming students to welcome and prepare them for forthcoming orientation activities held in August.
UB’s global footprint is also expanding. For the Fall 2025 semester, the largest group ever of 12 exchange students from Norway, Denmark, Spain, Germany, France, and Sweden joined the Oakes Field Campus, studying in various academic disciplines. Their diverse cultural backgrounds and academic pursuits add fresh perspectives to classroom and campus life. For Spring 2026, partner universities in Japan, Switzerland, and Finland have nominated their students to spend a semester or year at UB, far ahead of the university’s October 31st, 2025, nomination deadline.
“When students from Europe and beyond choose UB, it signals that what we are building here is resonating across borders,” notes Executive Director of Global Studies and Programmes, Dr. Abdul Knowles. “This exchange enriches not only their lives, but also the lives of every UB student who engages with them.”
UB students continue to take advantage of global opportunities too. Four of them are studying abroad at partner institutions in Canada, Spain, and Switzerland. UB has active partnerships with more than 60 tertiary-level institutions around the globe, 45 of which participate in study abroad and student exchange programmes.
At the heart of UB’s growth is a philosophy of student success-focused excellence. President Dr. Robert Blaine, who began his tenure in July, notes that the continual improvement sparked by accreditation will serve as both a benchmark and a catalyst for transformative change.
“Accreditation opens doors for our students. It opens doors for our institution. It creates partnerships that we can build like creating opportunities for us to advance our athletic programmes because we will be a member of a set of accredited institutions,” says President Blaine.
“It also gives us a process for continual growth and development. One of the things you will see is that administration to administration, priorities can change. Accreditation gives a general set of rules that everyone is living by so that it maintains a process for continual improvement.”
University leaders say that the promise of quality higher education envisioned at the institution’s inception – that serves national needs and leads to global opportunities – has never been brighter.
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