Buying Near AUC in Sint Maarten: Where Medical Students Live and What Condos Cost (2026)

The American University of the Caribbean brings new medical students to Sint Maarten three times a year. Its campus sits at 1 University Drive in Cupecoy, at the western end of the Dutch side, and classes start in September, January and May. For parents buying a home for a student, for faculty, and for investors who rent to students, the streets around that campus are a market of their own.

Here is where AUC students live, what Andreu Realty has for sale there on 20 October 2026, and what to check before you buy.

Where AUC students live

AUC's housing team suggests off-campus homes from an approved list in five areas: Beacon Hill, Cupecoy and Cupecoy Beach, Pelican Key, Point Pirouette and Simpson Bay. According to AUC's housing page, about 90% of off-campus students live within walking distance of campus, and a free daily shuttle runs to housing in Cupecoy and Maho, about five minutes away by car. The campus also has its own furnished rooms, given out first come, first served.

That makes three circles. Cupecoy is the walking circle. Maho and Point Pirouette sit on the shuttle route. Simpson Bay and Beacon Hill need a car or a taxi; AUC notes that Uber and Lyft do not operate on the island and points students to licensed taxis.

What is for sale near campus (20 October 2026)

Andreu Realty listings with one or two bedrooms in these areas, from the lowest asking price. Fees and rental estimates are those shown on each listing.

• Maho: La Terrasse, poolside one-bedroom, 452 sq ft, fully furnished: $285,000. Fee $850 a month.

• Maho: one-bedroom investment condo built in 2021, 646 sq ft: $310,000. Fee $352 a month. Our estimate: $1,800 a month on a long lease, or about $44,600 a year as a holiday rental.

• Simpson Bay: The Hills Residence one-bedroom, built 2025, 807 sq ft: $350,000. Fee $350 a month.

• Simpson Bay: Simpson Bay Yacht Club waterfront one-bedroom with a boat slip, 550 sq ft: $375,000. Fee $350 a month.

• Maho: Blue Marine Residence two-bedroom, 1,500 sq ft: $490,000. Fee $937 a month. Currently occupied.

• Cupecoy: two apartments in one at Cupecoy Beach Club, two bedrooms and three bathrooms: $625,000. Fee $933 a month.

• Cupecoy: Fourteen Mullet Bay, built 2023, on University Drive like the campus: two one-bedroom units of 969 sq ft, ocean view and golf and ocean view, $650,000 each. Fee $550 a month.

• Cupecoy: Cupecoy Beach Club garden-view two-bedroom, $650,000 (fee $2,700 a quarter), and Sapphire Beach Club beachfront two-bedroom, $650,000 (fee $1,100 a month).

• Cupecoy: Porto Cupecoy two-bedrooms from $750,000 for a marina condo of 2,060 sq ft to $1,290,000.

• Beacon Hill: White Sand beachfront two-bedroom, built 2024, sold unfurnished: $875,000. Fee $400 a month.

See every home in the area on our Cupecoy, Maho and Simpson Bay pages, or all condos for sale in Sint Maarten. For a building-by-building look at Cupecoy, read Cupecoy condos compared.

Buying a home for your student

Rent paid for years leaves nothing behind. A furnished one-bedroom near campus means no move between semesters, and when your student leaves the island the home can be rented out or sold. That is the case many parents make. Run the numbers for your own family.

• The paperwork. Cupecoy, Maho and Simpson Bay are on the Dutch side. The sale closes with a civil-law notary, the buyer's deposit is typically 10% and is held by the notary, and closing takes 30 to 60 days from the signed agreement.

• The costs. Buyers budget about 5.5% of the price in closing costs on the Dutch side, including the 4% transfer tax.

• Whose name. Decide before the offer whether the home is bought in your name, your student's or a company's. Your notary and your tax adviser will tell you what each means.

• Financing. If you plan to borrow, read financing property as a non-resident first.

Our buyer's guide and FAQ cover each step in full.

Buying to rent to students

New students arrive in September, January and May, so a well-placed unit is not waiting for one season. Check four things first.

• The building's rules. Ask for the house rules, the budget, the reserve fund and the latest minutes. Some buildings limit rentals or set a minimum lease.

• Long lease or holiday rental. On the Maho one-bedroom above, $1,800 a month is $21,600 a year. Take off 20% for management ($4,320) and twelve months of fees ($4,224) and $13,056 is left, about 4.2% of the price before insurance, utilities and taxes. The holiday-rental estimate is higher, with more costs and more empty nights. Our rental-yield study shows the same sums for 64 listings.

• Furniture. Students arrive with suitcases. Most homes near campus on our list are sold fully furnished.

• Utilities. Agree in the lease who pays electricity and water. The power bill is the cost newcomers notice first; see our cost-of-living guide.

• Tax. Rental income is taxable; confirm the current rules with a local adviser before the first tenant moves in.

If you live abroad, Andreu Realty property management screens the tenant, writes the lease, holds the deposit, collects the rent and inspects the home. One fee: 20% of rental revenue, first month free.

Which area fits which buyer

• Walk to class: Cupecoy, from Fourteen Mullet Bay on University Drive to Cupecoy Beach Club, Sapphire Beach Club and Porto Cupecoy.

• Lowest price of entry: Maho, on the shuttle route, from $285,000.

• Newest buildings: The Hills Residence (2025), White Sand (2024), Fourteen Mullet Bay (2023).

• On the water: Simpson Bay Yacht Club and Porto Cupecoy, both on the lagoon.

Questions we get

Where do AUC students live in Sint Maarten?

AUC suggests off-campus homes in Beacon Hill, Cupecoy and Cupecoy Beach, Pelican Key, Point Pirouette and Simpson Bay. According to AUC, about 90% of off-campus students live within walking distance of campus, and a free shuttle serves housing in Cupecoy and Maho.

How much does a condo near the AUC campus cost?

On 20 October 2026, Andreu Realty's one- and two-bedroom listings in those areas and in Maho run from $285,000 to $1,290,000. One-bedroom condos in Cupecoy start at $650,000; in Maho they start at $285,000.

What does it cost to buy on the Dutch side?

Buyers budget about 5.5% of the price in closing costs, including the 4% transfer tax. The deposit is typically 10%, held by the notary, and closing takes 30 to 60 days.

Can a foreigner buy a condo near AUC?

Our guide can foreigners buy property in St Maarten explains the rules for foreign buyers on both sides of the island.

Who looks after the rental when I live abroad?

Andreu Realty property management screens tenants, writes the lease, holds the deposit, collects the rent and inspects the home, for 20% of rental revenue with the first month free.

Tell us the start date and the budget

Send us the semester and the price range, and we will send the homes near campus that fit. Contact Andreu Realty or set up property alerts to see new listings first.

Sources: American University of the Caribbean, Housing and three start dates, read 20 October 2026. Listing prices, fees and rental estimates from Andreu Realty listings on 20 October 2026.