The University of Malawi is the biggest and most important of the country’s three tertiary educational establishments. It comprises five separate university colleges across the country: the Bunda College of Agriculture, Chancellor College, the College of Medicine, Kamuzu College of Nursing, and The Polytechnic.

Bunda College of Agriculture is based 35km from the capital city, Lilongwe. It offers B.Sc., M.Sc.. and Ph.D. degrees in agriculture, environmental sciences and development studies.

Chancellor College is the largest of the five constituent colleges and is based in Zomba in the southern region of the country. It has five faculties, covering humanities, science, law, social science and education.

College of Medicine is the most recent addition to the university, opening its doors to students in 1991. Situated in the commercial city of Blantyre in the southern region of Malawi, it has a current population of over 200 students. The college library stocks over 150,000 books and has some access to online journals.

Kamuzu College of Nursing is spread over two sites, one in Lilongwe and the other in Blantyre. The two campuses have a capacity of 239 students and 41 academic and administrative staff. There is a small library in Lilongwe with 23,000 volumes.

The Polytechnic is made up of four faculties, covering applied science, technician training, commerce and engineering.

Country fact file
Malawi has a population of 11.9m and an estimated per capita income of $600. Literacy stands at 63%, with an estimated 55% living below the poverty line.