Public HBCU in the US Virgin Islands offering affordable, globally-engaged education across six colleges.
UVI offers undergraduate and graduate degrees across six colleges: Liberal Arts & Sciences, Science and Math, Agriculture, Business, Education, and Nursing. The university features 99 degree programs, minors, and certificates with a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. Notable programs include a marine biology program leveraging proximity to John Brewers Bay, a 3+2 engineering partnership with Columbia University, University of Florida, Washington University in St. Louis, and University of South Carolina, and an early medical school selection program with Boston University. The curriculum is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
The university operates two main campuses: the Orville E. Kean Campus on St. Thomas (388 acres, opened 1963) and the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix. The St. Thomas campus features a 64,000-square-foot Sports and Fitness Center, John Brewer's Bay beach access, and six residential halls. St. Croix has the Delta M. Jackson Dorsch Complex with 90-bed capacity. A St. John Academic Center provides four classrooms, library, computer lab, and video conferencing for island residents. Students enjoy clubs, Greek life, athletics, and study abroad opportunities through the National Student Exchange program.
UVI hosts over a dozen research programs funded by the National Science Foundation, including MBRS-RISE, SEAGEP, HBCU-UP, and MARC under the Emerging Caribbean Scientist program. The university operates the Agricultural Experiment Station conducting research in agronomy, aquaculture, biotechnology, and agroforestry. The Etelman Observatory supports astronomical research. Research symposiums are held each semester where students present findings to faculty and the community.
UVI's Buccaneers compete in NAIA, primarily in the HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) since 2023–24. The university hosts the annual Paradise Jam tournament in November, attracting NCAA Division I and II basketball teams. UVI publishes The Caribbean Writer, an international literary journal founded in 1986. The university serves approximately 95% local students while recruiting nationally and internationally to build diversity.