Universities in The Gambia: Admission, Costs and How to Apply
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Jul 27, 2025 • African Countries & Cities, Africa Admissions & Exams
The Gambia has one public university, several public technical and teacher-training colleges, and a small number of private universities, most clustered around Kanifing. Entry needs WASSCE or GCE O-level with 5 credits including English and Maths, and each institution runs its own online application.
🎓 University of The Gambia (UTG): public, founded 1998, main degree-granting university
Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI): public, engineering and technical trades
Management Development Institute (MDI): public, business and public administration
American International University West Africa (AIUWA): private, Kanifing, includes a medical track
International Open University (IOU): private, fully online
📩 UTG application fee: D500, plus D600 per WASSCE result verified
Universities and colleges in The Gambia
The Gambia runs a small but structured higher education system built around one public university, several specialized public colleges, and a handful of private institutions. Most sit in the Greater Banjul Area, centered on Kanifing. The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology sets policy, and the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA) licenses and accredits every institution that awards a tertiary qualification. Check NAQAA's list of accredited institutions before you commit to a school, especially a newer private college.
| Institution | Type | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| University of The Gambia (UTG) | Public | Medicine, law, science, business, education, humanities |
| Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) | Public | Engineering, construction, ICT, technical trades |
| Management Development Institute (MDI) | Public | Business, management, public administration |
| The Gambia College | Public | Teacher training, nursing, agriculture |
| American International University West Africa (AIUWA) | Private | Business, computing, education, medicine |
| International Open University (IOU) | Private, distance | Undergraduate and graduate programs, fully online |
The University of The Gambia (UTG) is the country's main public university, founded in 1998. It runs faculties covering medicine and allied health sciences, law, science and agriculture, humanities and social sciences, business, and education. UTG stays the default choice for Gambian students who want a full public university degree at the lowest cost.
Two other public institutions focus on applied training. GTTI trains students in engineering, construction, ICT, and other technical trades. MDI focuses on business, management, and public administration, and serves working professionals alongside school leavers. The Gambia College trains teachers, nurses, and agriculture extension officers, and stays the country's main feeder for public schools and health facilities.
Private options add more choice. AIUWA, based in Kanifing, teaches business, computing, education, and social science alongside a medical degree track. IOU runs fully online undergraduate and graduate programs, an option for students who need to keep working or live away from Greater Banjul while they study.
Entry requirements
Almost every Gambian university sets the same floor: the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) or GCE Ordinary Level, with a minimum of 5 credits including English Language and Mathematics, obtained in no more than two sittings. UTG's admissions office applies this standard across its faculties, though competitive programs such as medicine and law set extra subject requirements on top of the base 5 credits.
Students without a recent WASSCE certificate have a mature student route. Applicants aged 30 and above with at least 5 years of work experience and 3 credits including English or Mathematics qualify to apply through this track. It matters for adults returning to study after time in the workforce or the civil service.
How to apply
Applications run through each university's own online portal. At UTG, you pay an application fee of D500 first, then a separate D600 fee for every WASSCE result the university verifies. Payment goes through a Trust Bank Limited branch, which triggers a PIN sent by SMS. You use that PIN to complete the online form and attach your certificates, national ID, passport photo, and payment receipt.
Application windows open and close on a set cycle each year, so confirm the current dates directly on the university's admissions page before you start gathering documents. GTTI, MDI, Gambia College, and the private universities run their own separate application calendars and forms, usually shorter and less document-heavy than UTG's.
Costs
Public institutions charge less than private universities, but published fee tables are not always posted online and change by program, faculty, and citizenship status. Contact the finance or admissions office of your target institution directly for the current tuition figure before you plan a budget. Build in the D500 UTG application fee, D600 per WASSCE verification, transport to campus, and books or lab materials, particularly for science and medical programs, which cost more than humanities or business degrees.
Choosing between institutions
Base your choice on program availability first. Medicine, nursing, and law sit almost exclusively at UTG and AIUWA. Technical trades and applied engineering sit at GTTI. Business and public administration training for working adults sits at MDI. If you need flexibility around a job or family responsibilities, IOU's distance model removes the need to relocate to Greater Banjul. Confirm NAQAA accreditation for any private program before you enroll, since an unaccredited qualification will not transfer or count toward professional registration in fields like nursing, teaching, or engineering.