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Universities and colleges in Brunei, the Maldives, Timor-Leste, Laos, Bhutan and Kuwait
These countries have too few higher-education institutions for a section of their own, so they share this page. For each, it lists what the government's own list holds — 92 institutions in Brunei, the Maldives, Timor-Leste, Laos and Bhutan — with the regulator to check recognition with. It shows names, types, towns and websites only: none of these lists is published under an open licence, so there are no fees, enrolment figures or rankings. For Kuwaitthe regulator's list could not be read, so only the regulator is named. Bahrain has no section: its regulator's website did not respond (see below).
This is a list of what each country's official register or regulator lists, as read on the date shown — not proof that an institution or a qualification is accredited or recognised. Check with the regulator before you apply.
Brunei
Regulator: Ministry of Education · Higher Education page · Private Institutions page · read 21 October 2026
Higher education in Brunei comes under the Ministry of Education, and qualifications are accredited by the Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council (BDNAC). The four public institutions are those on the ministry's Higher Education page; the nine private ones are the 'Private Higher Institution' table on its Private Institutions page, which lists Micronet International College's two branches separately. A town is shown where the ministry's address for the institution names it.
| Institution | Type | City |
|---|---|---|
| Universiti Brunei Darussalam | Higher education institution | — |
| Universiti Teknologi Brunei | Higher education institution | — |
| Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali | Higher education institution | — |
| Politeknik Brunei | Higher education institution | — |
| BICPA Academy Sdn Bhd | Private higher institution | Bandar Seri Begawan |
| Kemuda Institute | Private higher institution | — |
| Micronet International College, Gadong Branch | Private higher institution | Bandar Seri Begawan |
| Micronet International College, Jerudong Branch | Private higher institution | Bandar Seri Begawan |
| Cosmopolitan College of Commerce and Technology (CCCT) | Private higher institution | Bandar Seri Begawan |
| Laksamana College of Business | Private higher institution | Bandar Seri Begawan |
| International Graduate Studies College | Private higher institution | — |
| HADtech College | Private higher institution | — |
| Mahakarya Institute of The Arts Asia | Private higher institution | Bandar Seri Begawan |
Maldives
Regulator: Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development · Register of Higher Education and Training Institutions · read 21 October 2026
Higher-education and training institutions in the Maldives are registered by the Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development; the Maldives Qualifications Authority accredits programmes and recognises qualifications. The register shown is the ministry's, dated 12 August 2025. Its universities and colleges are listed here; it also has 30 government-institute entries (Maldives Polytechnic is entered twice) and 90 private institutes, mostly training providers, which are not listed.
To check recognition: the Maldives Qualifications Authority.
| Institution | Type |
|---|---|
| Maldives National University | University |
| Islamic University of Maldives | University |
| College of Defence and Security Studies | Government college |
| National College of Policing and Law Enforcement | Government college |
| Avid College | Private college |
| Clique College | Private college |
| Cyryx College | Private college |
| Maldives Business School | Private college |
| MAPS College | Private college |
| MIANZ International College | Private college |
| Villa College | Private college |
| Zikura International College | Private college |
| Mandhu College | Private college |
| Maldives Institute of Technology | Private college |
Timor-Leste
Regulator: Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture (MESCC) · Private higher-education institutions · Public higher-education institutions · read 21 October 2026
Higher education in Timor-Leste comes under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture; the National Agency for Academic Assessment and Accreditation (ANAAA) accredits institutions and their programmes. The list comes from the ministry's two pages of public and private higher-education institutions, last updated in February 2022; we found no current list of accredited institutions on ANAAA's site, whose newest posts are from 2022. Names are as the ministry writes them.
To check recognition: the National Agency for Academic Assessment and Accreditation (ANAAA).
| Institution | Type |
|---|---|
| Universidade Nacional de Timor-Leste (UNTL) | Public higher education institution |
| Instituto Politécnico de Betano (IPB) | Public higher education institution |
| Universidade de Dili (UNDIL) | Private higher education institution |
| Universidade da Paz (UNPAZ) | Private higher education institution |
| Universidade Oriental Timor Lorosa’e (UNITAL) | Private higher education institution |
| Instituto São Joao de Brito (ISJB) | Private higher education institution |
| Instituto Superior de Cristal (ISC) | Private higher education institution |
| Instituto Boaventura Timor-Leste (IBTL) | Private higher education institution |
| Instituto de Ciência Religiosa (ICR) | Private higher education institution |
| Instituto Ciência de Saúde (ICS) | Private higher education institution |
| Institute of Bussiness (IOB) | Private higher education institution |
| Joao Saldanha Institute (JSI) | Private higher education institution |
| Dili Institute of Technology (DIT) | Private higher education institution |
| Instituto Superior de Filosofia e Teologia (ISFIT) | Private higher education institution |
| Instituto Profissional de Canossa (IPDC) | Private higher education institution |
| Instituto Católico Para a Formação de Professores (ICFP) | Private higher education institution |
| East Timor Coffee Institute (ETCI) | Private higher education institution |
| Instituto Filosófico São Francisco de Sales (IFSFS) | Private higher education institution |
Laos
Regulator: Ministry of Education and Sports — Department of Higher Education · Higher-education institutions (in Lao) · read 21 October 2026
Higher education in Laos comes under the Ministry of Education and Sports, whose Department of Higher Education publishes this list of higher-education institutions — universities, academies and institutes, including some run by other ministries. Names are in Lao as the department writes them, with an English name where the institution uses one on its own website. The list gives no type; the type shown is read from the first word of each name (university, academy, institute).
| Institution | Type |
|---|---|
| ມະຫາວິທະຍາໄລ ແຫ່ງຊາດNational University of Laos | University |
| ມະຫາວິທະຍາໄລ ຈຳປາສັກChampasack University | University |
| ມະຫາວິທະຍາໄລ ສຸພານຸວົງ | University |
| ມະຫາວິທະຍາໄລ ສະຫວັນນະເຂດ | University |
| ມະຫາວິທະຍາໄລ ວິທະຍາສາດສຸຂະພາບUniversity of Health Sciences | University |
| ມະຫາວິທະຍາໄລ ຊູໂຈ ຢູ່ ສປປ ລາວ | University |
| ວິທະຍາຄານ ໄກສອນພົມວິຫານ | Academy |
| ວິທະຍາຄານ ການແພດກອງທັບ | Academy |
| ວິທະຍາຄານ ພະລາທິການ | Academy |
| ວິທະຍາຄານ ເຕັກນິກການທະຫານ | Academy |
| ວິທະຍາຄານ ກົມມະດຳ | Academy |
| ວິທະຍາຄານ ສັນຕິບານແຫ່ງຊາດ | Academy |
| ວິທະຍາຄານ ການເມືອງ ປກສ | Academy |
| ວິທະຍາຄານ ຕຳຫຼວດປະຊາຊົນ | Academy |
| ສະຖາບັນການເມືອງ-ການປົກຄອງ ແຫ່ງຊາດ | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ວິຈິດສິນແຫ່ງຊາດ | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ຍຸຕິທຳແຫ່ງຊາດ | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ເສດຖະກິດ ແລະ ການເງິນ | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ການທະນາຄານBanking Institute | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ເຕັກໂນໂລຊີການສື່ສານຂໍ້ມູນຂ່າວສານ | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ຣັຕນະ ບໍລິຫານທຸລະກິດRattana Institute of Business Administration | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ທຸລະກິດ ແສງສະຫວັນ | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ເຕັກໂນໂລຊີ ສຸດສະກະSoutsaka Institute of Technology | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ພາສາຕ່າງປະເທດ ໂລໂກສLogos Institute of Foreign Language | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ໄຊສົມບັດ ເຕັກໂນໂລຊີ | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ລາວ-ອາເມລິກາ | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ບໍລິຫານເສດຖະກິດ ສຸກສະຫັວດ | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ວິສະວະກຳ-ເຕັກໂນໂລຊີ ບຸນເກີດ | Institute |
| ສະຖາບັນ ກິລາ-ກາຍຍະກຳແຫ່ງຊາດInstitution of Sports | Institute |
Bhutan
Regulator: Bhutan Qualifications and Professionals Certification Authority (BQPCA) — Higher Education Quality Council · Accreditation status, 2016–2025 · Assessment decisions, 2026 · read 21 October 2026
We found no published register of higher-education institutions in Bhutan. Quality is regulated by the Higher Education Quality Council of the Bhutan Qualifications and Professionals Certification Authority, which accredits institutions; those listed are the ones in its accreditation records from 2016 to 2026, with the month of the latest assessment visit the records show. The council's page gives each institution's grade and how long its certificate is valid.
To check recognition: the Higher Education Quality Council.
| Institution | Type |
|---|---|
| Gedu College of Business StudiesLatest assessment visit in the records: October 2025. | Higher education institution |
| Royal Thimphu CollegeLatest assessment visit in the records: May 2023. | Higher education institution |
| Arura Academy of Health SciencesLatest assessment visit in the records: October 2025. | Higher education institution |
| Faculty of Nursing and Public HealthLatest assessment visit in the records: August 2026. A faculty of the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan; the link is the university's site. | Higher education institution |
| Faculty of Traditional MedicineLatest assessment visit in the records: August 2026. A faculty of the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan; the link is the university's site. | Higher education institution |
| Faculty of Postgraduate MedicineLatest assessment visit in the records: October 2025. A faculty of the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan; the link is the university's site. | Higher education institution |
| Paro College of EducationLatest assessment visit in the records: August 2026. | Higher education institution |
| Samtse College of EducationLatest assessment visit in the records: November 2022. | Higher education institution |
| College of Science and TechnologyLatest assessment visit in the records: October 2025. | Higher education institution |
| Jigme Namgyel Engineering CollegeLatest assessment visit in the records: December 2024. | Higher education institution |
| Sherubtse CollegeLatest assessment visit in the records: May 2025. | Higher education institution |
| College of Natural ResourcesLatest assessment visit in the records: May 2025. | Higher education institution |
| Gyalpozhing College of Information TechnologyLatest assessment visit in the records: May 2025. | Higher education institution |
| College of Language and Culture StudiesLatest assessment visit in the records: March 2018. | Higher education institution |
| Royal Institute of ManagementLatest assessment visit in the records: May 2025. | Higher education institution |
| Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of LawLatest assessment visit in the records: May 2025. | Higher education institution |
| Norbuling Rigter CollegeLatest assessment visit in the records: October 2025. | Higher education institution |
| Institute of Science of MindLatest assessment visit in the records: August 2026. | Higher education institution |
Kuwait
Regulator: Ministry of Higher Education · Private Universities Council · checked 21 October 2026
The Ministry of Higher Education's page of bodies under the minister names Kuwait University and Abdullah Al Salem University under the Council of Public Universities, and the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts and the Higher Institute of Musical Arts under the Kuwait Academy of Arts. Private universities and colleges are licensed by the Private Universities Council.
The Private Universities Council's website did not respond when we tried to read it on 21 October 2026, so its list of licensed private institutions is not shown. See the regulator’s own website.
Sources
- Brunei: Higher Education page and Private Institutions page, Ministry of Education, read 21 October 2026 (13 institutions).
- Maldives: Register of Higher Education and Training Institutions, Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, read 21 October 2026 (14 institutions).
- Timor-Leste: Private higher-education institutions and Public higher-education institutions, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture (MESCC), read 21 October 2026 (18 institutions).
- Laos: Higher-education institutions (in Lao), Ministry of Education and Sports — Department of Higher Education, read 21 October 2026 (29 institutions).
- Bhutan: Accreditation status, 2016–2025 and Assessment decisions, 2026, Bhutan Qualifications and Professionals Certification Authority (BQPCA) — Higher Education Quality Council, read 21 October 2026 (18 institutions).
- Kuwait: Private Universities Council, Ministry of Higher Education, checked 21 October 2026.
Institution names, types, cities and websites are restated as facts from each official list; no register's text or layout is reproduced, and no figures are shown except where the source's licence allows reuse. Ordering, anchors and English labels are CollegeMatcher's. CollegeMatcher provides information, not admissions advice.
Elsewhere in the Gulf on this site
Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates have sections of their own, from their governments' open data. Every other Asian country with a section is on Study in Asia.
What isn't here, and why
Bahrain's Higher Education Council and Kuwait's Private Universities Council license their countries' institutions, but neither website responded when we tried (checked 21 October 2026). We found no published register of institutions for Bhutan, so its list is the quality council's accreditation records. The Maldives register also covers government and private institutes, mostly training providers, which are counted in its section but not listed. Timor-Leste's list was last updated in February 2022.