University of St. Martin

What University of St. Martin does

The University of St. Martin (USM) is the primary institution of higher education serving Sint Maarten/Saint Martin and the surrounding Caribbean islands. Founded in the early 1980s as an employee-training initiative with Johnson & Wales University and Mullet Bay Resort, and formally inaugurated in 1989, USM operates a single campus in Philipsburg with an 18-person staff. It delivers Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees in Business, Hospitality and Tourism Management, General Liberal Arts, Performing Arts, and Networking and Digital Technology, as well as Bachelor of Arts degrees in Business Administration Management, Elementary Education, and Social Work. Supplementary offerings include a tuition-free Caribbean Foundation Year (CFY), a Secondary Teaching Certificate, GED preparation, ESL instruction, and individual continuing-education courses open to the general public. The university also runs a Fall 2026 GED program with morning and evening classes.

USM generates revenue primarily through tuition and academic fees for degree programs and individual courses, supplemented by a flat $25 application fee. The CFY program is tuition-free, functioning as a loss-leader/feeder product that builds the university's applicant pipeline. Distribution is executed through direct admissions via the university website and an island-coordinator network that extends CFY delivery to Saba and St. Eustatius. Marketing relies on organic social (Facebook), an on-site events calendar, and news content. USM is positioned as a bi-national community asset — 65% of St. Maarten's teachers are USM alumni and the network claims 800+ graduates worldwide — and operates as what appears to be a public or semi-public educational institution, with no disclosed parent company, ownership changes, or external funding rounds.

Technically, USM runs on the OpenSIS student information system (usm.cloud.opensis.com) and offers access to ProQuest and ProQuest eBook Central for academic resources. No proprietary technology platform, API, or developer-facing infrastructure is offered. The institution is embedded in a wide academic network of 14+ partnership relationships spanning Caribbean, U.S., and European universities (including UVI, JWU, AUC, UWI, University of Curaçao, Monroe College, Mount Saint Vincent, FAMU, The Hague University, University of Amsterdam, Leiden University, NIPA, BTEC, and GED), enabling credit transfer, articulation, and a co-sponsored Ph.D. researcher position with Leiden/KITLV.

Name

University of St. Martin

Legal name

University of St. Martin

Website

https://usm.sx

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The University of St. Martin is the primary higher education institution for Sint Maarten and surrounding Caribbean islands, offering Associate and Bachelor degree programs plus a tuition-free Caribbean Foundation Year, GED, and ESL courses to local and regional students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Junior Colleges (61121)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA), University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Associate degrees
• Bachelor's programs
• Continuing education
• Caribbean university

Headquarters

HQ city

Philipsburg

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: The university generates revenue through tuition fees for degree programs and individual courses. Some programs like the Caribbean Foundation Year (CFY) are tuition-free, while others charge tuition.
2. Application Fees: An application fee of $25.00 is charged during the application process, followed by specific requirements for each program.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The University of St. Martin (USM) is the primary higher education institution in Sint Maarten/Saint Martin, offering Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree programs in fields such as Liberal Arts, Business, Hospitality and Tourism, Elementary Education, Social Work, and Performing Arts, along with certificate and continuing education offerings. It also provides the tuition-free Caribbean Foundation Year (CFY) preparatory program for recent high school graduates from Sint Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius, plus GED preparation and ESL courses for the broader community.

Product overview

The University of St. Martin is an educational institution serving as the main center for higher education in Sint Maarten/Saint Martin and the surrounding Caribbean islands. The institution offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs including a preparatory Caribbean Foundation Year (CFY) program, multiple Associate of Arts and Science degrees in fields such as Business, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Liberal Arts, Performing Arts, and Networking and Digital Technology, as well as Bachelor of Arts degrees in Business Administration Management, Elementary Education, and Social Work. Additional offerings include certificate programs (Secondary Teaching Certificate), GED preparation, ESL instruction, and individual courses for continuing education. The institution is committed to providing quality, tailor-made education while fostering creativity, productivity, and career preparation for students from Sint Maarten/Saint Martin and neighboring Caribbean islands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Caribbean Foundation Year (CFY) A tuition-free, one-year preparatory program for recent high school graduates from Sint Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius, qualifying them for admission to bachelor's degree programs. The program was awarded 'Best Practice' by the Netherlands Ministry of Education in 2010.
• A.A. General Liberal Arts

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BelairminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2021The USM Hospitality and Business Division partners with Belair for 'peer to peer' training that helps students understand the industry firsthand and reminds staff of their important role within the organization.
• University of the Virgin IslandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSM partners with University of the Virgin Islands for academic collaboration and joint health research initiatives, including the island-wide health study on St. Martin/St. Maarten.
• Johnson and Wales UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohnson and Wales University originally collaborated with Mullet Bay Resort to found USM in the early 1980s to improve employee performance. USM continues to partner with JWU for hospitality and tourism education.
• American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for medical education pathways and the AUC/USM Scholars Program supporting individuals attending USM to earn post-secondary degrees.
• University of the West Indies (UWI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Caribbean university partnership for academic collaboration and credit transfer opportunities.
• University of CuraçaominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with University of Curaçao for Caribbean regional academic collaboration.
• Monroe CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Monroe College for degree program pathways and credit transfer opportunities.
• Mount Saint Vincent UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Mount Saint Vincent University for academic collaboration and potential credit transfer.
• Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University (FAMU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with FAMU for potential credit transfer and academic pathways in the United States.
• The Hague University of Applied SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Hague University for European academic exchange and collaboration.
• National Institute of Professional Advancement (NIPA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Sint Maarten partner institution for professional and vocational education collaboration.
• University of AmsterdamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with University of Amsterdam for academic exchange and research collaboration opportunities.
• Leiden UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Leiden University for Dutch Kingdom academic collaboration, including the Ph.D. researcher position under the Islanders at the Helm research programme.
• European Qualifications FrameworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlignment with European Qualifications Framework for credit recognition and transferability.
• General Educational Development Test (GED)coreTechnology or IntegrationUSM offers GED preparation programs and accepts GED credentials for admission. Fall 2026 GED Program accepting applications with morning and evening classes beginning August 24.
• Royal Netherlands Institute of South Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Ph.D. researcher position in Governance & Policy Making for the Islanders at the Helm research programme, with recurring visits to Leiden.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of the West Indies: Regional Caribbean university system serving multiple English-speaking Caribbean territories. Comparable in mission to broaden higher education access across the Caribbean and a current USM academic partner.
• University of Curaçao: Dutch Caribbean higher education institution on Curaçao with comparable program breadth and regional academic collaboration. Closely mirrors USM's positioning within the Kingdom of the Netherlands educational ecosystem.
• Monroe College: Small private career-oriented college in the Caribbean/U.S. with applied business and professional programs. Comparable in scale, applied focus, and credit-transfer partnership role with USM.
• Mount Saint Vincent University: Small Canadian undergraduate-focused university with social work and education strengths. Comparable through similar size, social sciences and education emphasis, and partnership with USM for academic pathways.
• University of the Virgin Islands: Public higher education institution serving the U.S. Virgin Islands with a similar small-island, multi-campus profile and Caribbean-focused mission. Direct peer given its existing partnership with USM and overlapping role as a regional higher education anchor.
• American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine: Caribbean-based higher education institution focused on medical education. Directly comparable as a Sint Maarten-anchored Caribbean higher education provider and an existing USM academic partner.

Regional players

• National Institute of Professional Advancement (NIPA): Local Sint Maarten vocational and professional training institution. Comparable as a domestic partner for applied education and as a regional alternative pathway for non-degree learners.
• The Hague University of Applied Sciences: Dutch University of Applied Sciences with applied bachelor programs and European focus. Comparable via Dutch Kingdom ties and applied undergraduate degree model mirrored at USM.
• Florida A&M University: U.S. public historically Black university offering applied bachelor programs. Comparable as a credit-transfer and pathway partner for Caribbean students and as a similarly mission-driven institution.

Broad incumbents

• Johnson & Wales University: U.S. university with strong hospitality and business programs; co-founded USM in the 1980s. Comparable through overlapping hospitality/business curriculum and ongoing partnership role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/universityofstmartin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-st-martin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of St. Martin