The Maldives National University

Maldives National University is a public university in Malé, Maldives. It traces its origins back to 1973 with the establishment of the Allied Health Services Training Centre and became a national university in 2011.

It is the largest higher education institution in the Maldives and is based across multiple campuses in Malé. It plays a central role in the country’s education system, particularly as higher education is mainly concentrated in the capital due to the island geography of the Maldives.

The university has around 10,000 students and offers programmes through a range of faculties and specialised schools. These include arts, education, engineering, science and technology, health sciences, hospitality and tourism studies, and Shari’ah and law. It also has dedicated schools for medicine and nursing, as well as a Business School. Additional centres support foundation studies, maritime education and educational technology.

Its academic structure reflects national priorities in the Maldives, with a strong focus on health, tourism, maritime studies and public administration. The School of Medicine and School of Nursing support the national healthcare workforce, while tourism and hospitality programmes support one of the country’s key economic sectors.

Alongside degree teaching, the university provides foundation and professional training programmes to prepare students for higher education and employment. It also carries out research and applied learning across its faculties to support national development and workforce needs.