University Tuition and Cost of Study in Benin
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Mar 25, 2025 • African Countries & Cities
Public university in Benin costs far less than private, and your exact bill depends on whether you hold a state scholarship or pay into the university's paying track.
💵 Scholarship holders (bourse d'État) get registration covered plus a quarterly stipend of roughly 25,000-50,000 FCFA.
Non-scholarship students who attend classes in person pay roughly 100,000-600,000 FCFA a year at public universities, depending on faculty (humanities at the low end, medicine at the high end).
Students in the exam-only paying track pay roughly 30-50% more than the in-person rate for the same faculty.
Private university tuition typically runs 500,000-1,500,000 FCFA a year, depending on the program.
🏠 A single room near campus in Abomey-Calavi can rent for around 35,000 FCFA a month, cheaper than central Cotonou.
Public university fee tracks
Public universities in Benin run three main fee tracks, and which one applies to you depends on whether you hold a state scholarship. The breakdown reported by student platform apresbac.bj gives a useful picture of the ranges, though exact amounts can shift by university and year, so confirm current figures with your registrar.
| Track | Who pays it | Annual cost (FCFA) | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bourse d'État (scholarship) | Awarded scholarship students | Registration covered, plus ~25,000-50,000 FCFA a quarter stipend | ~$40-80 a quarter |
| Paying track, in-person | Non-scholarship students attending classes regularly | ~100,000-600,000 FCFA | ~$165-1,000 |
| Paying track, exam-only | Students who don't attend classes regularly and only sit exams | ~30-50% above the in-person fee for the same programme | Varies by programme |
The XOF franc is pegged to the euro, so it moves with EUR/USD. As a rough guide, expect around 600 FCFA to the US dollar.
Private university costs
Private, MESRS-accredited universities set their own fees, and these run well above public rates. Tuition typically falls between 500,000 and 1,500,000 FCFA a year depending on the program, with professional and health-related programs at the higher end. Distance-learning programs follow a similar pattern: one provider previously listed BTS at 350,000 FCFA a year, a licence professionnelle at 475,000 FCFA, a bachelor's-equivalent at 650,000 FCFA and a master's at 1,350,000 FCFA in its published fee schedule, though confirm current rates directly with any provider you consider, since this listing is no longer reachable to verify. Always ask for the current published fee schedule of the specific institution and program you are considering, since figures vary widely between schools.
Monthly living costs
Where you live in Benin changes your budget more than almost anything else. Abomey-Calavi, home to UAC, generally costs less than central Cotonou for the same type of room. A past listing put a single room in Abomey-Calavi at around 35,000 FCFA a month, with landlords commonly asking for three months' rent upfront, though rental listings change constantly, so confirm current rates locally. A simple meal at a small local eatery runs roughly 1,300-3,300 FCFA, based on general cost-of-living data for the country.
| Item | Estimated monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Room near campus, Abomey-Calavi | ~25,000-50,000 FCFA (~$40-80) |
| Meals at local eateries (per meal) | ~1,300-3,300 FCFA (~$2-5) |
What drives the difference
Your total cost depends on three things: whether you hold a scholarship, whether you study at a public or private institution, and where you choose to live. A scholarship holder at UAC living in a shared room in Abomey-Calavi spends a fraction of what a self-paying student at a private university in central Cotonou spends. Budget for registration or tuition, housing, meals, transport and course materials separately, and confirm every fee directly with your institution before you commit, since public fee schedules and private tuition both change between academic years.