Study in Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands National University (SINU) is the national university, established under the SINU Act 2012 on 1 January 2013. Its faculties cover business and tourism, science and technology, nursing and health sciences, agriculture, fisheries and forestry, and education and humanities. SINU operates at Kukum, Ranadi and Panatina and is associated with the Solomon Islands Maritime College, the University Preparatory Certificate and the Centre for Distance and Flexible Learning. The University of the South Pacific Solomon Islands Campus offers regionally delivered and internationally recognised programs through face-to-face, blended and flexible study. Atoifi Adventist College of Nursing in Malaita offers a Bachelor of Nursing and is affiliated with Pacific Adventist University. Other providers may offer programs when they hold the required registration or authorisation. The Solomon Islands Tertiary Education and Skills Authority, known as SITESA, was created as a statutory authority in 2019 under the SITESA Act 2017. It is responsible for the national qualifications framework, quality assurance, course accreditation, provider registration, the tertiary plan and national scholarship administration. Governance, quality assurance and the qualifications framework are still being developed, so current recognition and registration should be checked for the specific provider and program. Reform bills announced for 2026 are not treated as current law. Study options include Certificates, Diplomas, Bachelor’s degrees, postgraduate diplomas and Master’s degrees. SINU programs cover areas such as accounting, public administration, tourism, science, computing, engineering, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, environment, nursing, public health, pharmacy, education, humanities, journalism, library and information studies, and maritime studies. USP offers Diplomas, three-year Bachelor’s degrees with 180 credit points, four-year Bachelor’s degrees with 240 credit points, combined five-year degrees with 300 credit points and postgraduate study in areas including arts, commerce, science, agriculture, education, environmental and marine studies, law, engineering, computing and tourism. A typical USP course lasts 18 weeks and carries 7.5 credit points. SINU commonly uses two semesters, while some programs use annual or block delivery. The University Preparatory Certificate usually takes one year. Admission requirements vary by program. SINU Bachelor’s entry commonly requires Form 7 with a relevant subject, completion within the previous five years and a minimum GPA of 2.5. Other options can include UPC 4 or an equivalent qualification, a relevant Diploma or mature entry based on at least five years of relevant work experience. Diploma entry commonly requires Form 6 with an aggregate of at least 16 or UPC 3. English requirements may be met through Form 7 Foundation English B with at least a C grade, UPC 4 English or an equivalent, previous education in English or a standardised entry examination. USP commonly recognises the Solomon Islands Senior Secondary Certificate as a Form 6 equivalent and South Pacific Form 7 as a Form 7 equivalent. Bachelor’s entry generally requires English and at least three other subjects with marks of 50% or the program’s specific subject requirements. A SINU Foundation Year in Social Science may provide an access option to USP, and an Unclassified Programme may help address an English-language gap. Atoifi uses its own institutional application process. A SINU application normally includes the application form, certified certificates, results or transcripts, a birth certificate and, where relevant, a sponsor letter. In-service applicants may also need an employer reference or statement of service and a curriculum vitae. SINU lists an application fee of SBD$50. USP applications and registration follow its handbook and Student Online Learning System procedures, while Atoifi applications go directly to the college. Students should confirm the current deadline, required documents and program-specific conditions with the institution. Published fees vary considerably. In a 2025 SINU fee snapshot, one semester cost about SBD$7,500 for many business, accounting, public administration and tourism Bachelor’s programs, about SBD$7,200 for Science, about SBD$12,200 for a Nursing Bachelor’s program and about SBD$16,000 for a postgraduate diploma. Additional listed charges include SBD$500 for registration, SBD$100 for late registration, SBD$100 for cross-credit and SBD$500 for a resit. Accommodation and full meals were each listed at about SBD$12,600 per semester, while lunch-only provision was about SBD$4,000. USP’s 2026 regional fees were listed per course at about SI$1,215 for a face-to-face general 100-level course, SI$1,700 for face-to-face Accounting, SI$1,040 for a flexible general course and SI$1,445 for flexible Accounting. Materials, field trips and other non-tuition charges can be additional. Atoifi’s current fees should be obtained directly because a reliable published national comparison is not available. SITESA’s National Scholarship Division administers Solomon Islands Government scholarships. For the 2027 opportunity cycle, the published online application period runs from 19 July to 27 September 2026. Applicants generally need Solomon Islands citizenship and a conditional offer does not itself constitute a scholarship award. Scholarship categories include pre-service school-based, constituency, self-sponsored, skills, in-service public, in-service private, teaching, open and closed awards. An award normally cannot be used for an unapproved program or institution change without consequences, and an unauthorised change can cause the award to lapse. Students should also check employer, sponsor, institutional fee-waiver and other funding arrangements. SINU and USP provide registration, course withdrawal, credit transfer or cross-credit, recognition of prior learning, assessment, examination and graduation procedures. English is the main language of teaching and assessment. Professional programs may add practical placement or licensing requirements, and there is no single national tertiary examination covering every institution. SINU provides library services, academic services, Moodle or e-learning, student email, accommodation and meals, a student association and distance-learning support. USP provides academic services, library access, digital delivery, a student association and a disability-friendly King George Campus. Provincial access can be limited, making distance and flexible learning and regional centres such as Gizo, Munda, Auki, Afio, Lata, Taro, Wagina, Panatina and Maro’u relevant options. A common progression is Certificate to Diploma to Bachelor’s degree and then postgraduate diploma or Master’s study, although each institution sets its own entry and credit rules. A completed qualification may lead to employment, in-service upgrading, further postgraduate study or a government-sponsored overseas pathway. The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development provides the political framework, SITESA regulates the national tertiary environment, and each institution controls its own admission, curriculum, assessment and graduation decisions. Professional regulators may impose additional requirements for fields such as nursing or other licensed occupations.