The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus in Antigua has reported a sharp increase in student numbers, with enrollment climbing from just over 900 last year to 1,300 this academic term.

Cabinet spokesman Maurice Merchant confirmed the figures following this week’s meeting, noting the steady growth as a sign of the campus’s expanding role in regional higher education.

The news comes ahead of the campus’s 2025 **Matriculation & Welcome Ceremony**, scheduled for Thursday 18 September at 4:00 p.m. at the Five Islands Campus Auditorium.

The ceremony will formally induct new students into the academic community through the signing of the Matriculation Register.

Campus Principal, Professor C. Justin Robinson, will deliver the welcome, and the top matriculant for the 2025–2026 academic year will also be introduced.

Since opening in 2019, the Five Islands site has broadened its offerings in areas such as teacher training, business studies, and the sciences, while also hosting regional conferences and academic exchanges. Officials say the rise in admissions reflects growing confidence in the institution, the newest of UWI’s five campuses.

The government has linked the expansion to wider efforts to position Antigua and Barbuda as a hub for tertiary education in the Eastern Caribbean.

Merchant described the surge in enrollment as “a strong indicator that young people and professionals across the region are choosing UWI Five Islands as their first option.”

The increase comes amid broader discussions on the role of education in national development, with officials emphasising the campus’s contribution to workforce training and the long-term goal of reducing reliance on overseas universities.