Private Medical Schools in Nigeria: Cost Compared to Public Universities
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 07, 2026 • Fields of Study
Public federal medical schools in Nigeria charge around N150,000 to N200,000 a session, while MDCN-accredited private medical colleges charge N1.5 million to nearly N6 million a session, and both routes end at the same MDCN license.
💵 Federal public medical schools (UNILAG, UNIBEN): roughly N150,000-N200,000 per session
💵 Private medical colleges: N1.56 million (Igbinedion) up to N5.95 million (Nile University) per session
🎓 Afe Babalola University was the first private medical college fully accredited by MDCN
Public schools face far more applicants per seat and stricter JAMB cutoffs
Both paths end in the same one-year housemanship and MDCN registration
Two very different price tags, one license
Whether you study medicine at a federal university or a private medical college, you register with the same body afterward: the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). The gap between the two routes is cost and how hard the seat is to get, not what the qualification is worth on paper.
What public federal medical schools cost
Federal universities keep tuition low because government subsidy, not student fees, covers most of the running cost. Medicine at the University of Lagos runs around N150,000 to N190,000 a session, plus a separate acceptance fee near N40,000. The University of Benin charges a similar range, roughly N150,000 to N200,000 a session, with acceptance fees between N60,000 and N80,000, according to fee compilations from Nigerian universities . State universities often sit close to these federal figures, though some state schools raise fees faster from one admission cycle to the next.
What private medical colleges cost
Private medical colleges run on tuition alone, and fees reflect that. Per 2024 reporting from Nairametrics , Nile University of Nigeria charges about N5,950,000 a session for Medicine and Surgery, among the highest in the country. Bingham University sits lower, around N2.2 million to N3.2 million a session, and Igbinedion University ranges from N1.56 million to N4 million depending on year of study. Madonna University comes in near N2 million a year, which includes accommodation, making it one of the more affordable private options.
| University | Type | Approx. fee per session (NGN) |
|---|---|---|
| University of Lagos | Public federal | 150,000-190,000 |
| University of Benin | Public federal | 150,000-200,000 |
| Madonna University | Private | ~2,000,000 |
| Bingham University | Private | 2,200,000-3,200,000 |
| Igbinedion University | Private | 1,560,000-4,000,000 |
| Nile University of Nigeria | Private | ~5,950,000 |
These figures reflect 2024 reporting and change by admission cycle. Confirm current fees directly with each university before you budget or apply.
MDCN accreditation covers both
Cost alone does not tell you whether a school is legitimate. MDCN maintains an official list of accredited medical schools , and it includes both public and private institutions. Afe Babalola University's College of Medicine and Health Sciences was the first private medical college in the country to receive full MDCN accreditation. Madonna University and Bingham University's colleges of health sciences also hold full accreditation. Check a private school against this list before you pay any tuition, since an unaccredited program can leave you with a degree MDCN will not register.
Costs beyond tuition
Tuition is not the only cost either route carries. Medical students budget for textbooks, lab coats and equipment, clinical posting transport, hostel or off-campus accommodation, and MDCN-related fees during housemanship and registration. These add-on costs matter more at the public federal fee level, where they can equal or exceed tuition itself, and matter proportionally less at private colleges, where tuition already dominates the budget.
Financing a private medical education
Because private tuition runs into the millions of naira a session, most families pay through a mix of savings, family contribution, and in some cases bank education loans or university-arranged installment plans. Few scholarships cover the full cost of a private medical degree in Nigeria, so treat a scholarship search as a way to offset cost rather than eliminate it, and confirm any installment plan directly with the university's bursary office before you commit.
Admission chances
Public federal medical schools receive far more JAMB applicants than they have seats for, and medicine sets among the highest UTME cutoffs of any course at these universities, on top of a competitive post-UTME screening. Private medical colleges set their own entry requirements and generally admit a higher share of qualified applicants who can afford the tuition, since demand sits closer to capacity. Cutoff marks shift every admission cycle, so check JAMB and each university's requirements for the year you apply rather than relying on a past cycle's numbers.
Does the extra cost buy a faster route to MDCN registration
No, in most cases. Both routes run the same length: roughly six years of MBBS study followed by a one-year housemanship before full MDCN registration. Private tuition buys a higher chance of admission if your JAMB score falls short of what public schools demand, and sometimes better staff-to-student ratios or newer facilities. It does not shorten the path to your license or change what MDCN requires of you as a doctor once registered.
Which route makes sense
If you meet the JAMB cutoff and secure a public university seat, the subsidized cost makes federal medical school the cheaper path by a wide margin. Private medical college makes sense if your score or post-UTME performance falls short of the public cutoff and your family can absorb tuition in the millions of naira, or if a school's specific accreditation status, facilities, or location matter enough to you to pay for them.