Universities in Sierra Leone: Admission, Costs and How to Apply
By Muntasir • Published Feb 09, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • African Countries & Cities, Africa Admissions & Exams
Sierra Leone has one collegiate public university, the University of Sierra Leone, plus several other public and private universities. Degree entry needs five WASSCE or GCE O-Level credits including English, and each university runs its own application process.
- 🎓 University of Sierra Leone groups Fourah Bay College, COMAHS, IPAM and Eastern Polytechnic under one system
- Njala University, Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology, University of Makeni and Milton Margai Technical University run as separate universities
- Degree entry needs 5 credits including English. Diploma entry needs 4 credits.
- 📩 Apply directly to your chosen university. There is no single shared national portal.
- 💵 Fees vary by university and program. Confirm the exact figure with the admissions office before you commit.
The universities that make up Sierra Leone's higher education system
The University of Sierra Leone (USL) is the country's oldest public university system and the largest by student numbers. It brings together four constituent colleges under one umbrella. Fourah Bay College in Freetown is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in West Africa. The College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) trains the country's doctors, nurses and pharmacists. The Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) runs business and public administration programs. Eastern Polytechnic in Kenema completes the group.
Several other universities operate outside the USL system. Njala University has campuses in Njala, Moyamba District, and in Bo, and is known for agriculture, environmental science and education degrees alongside a wider arts and science offering. Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology (EBKUST), based in Port Loko, focuses on science, engineering and technology. Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU) in Freetown runs technical and vocational degrees, and University of Makeni (UNIMAK) is a private Catholic university in the north of the country. Smaller private institutions, including the University of Management and Technology (UNIMTECH), Highwoods Institute and DIDAMS College, add more options, mostly in business, IT and professional courses.
Who checks that a university is legitimate
The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) , working under the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, accredits universities, colleges and individual programs, and sets minimum quality standards for them. Confirm that both the institution and the specific program you want carry current TEC accreditation before you apply anywhere. A qualification from an unaccredited program will not count toward jobs or further study, no matter how established the institution looks.
Admission requirements
Entry into a degree program requires five credits, including a pass in English Language, from WASSCE or GCE O-Level, earned in not more than two sittings. Diploma programs ask for four credits with a pass in English on the same terms. Programs in medicine and allied health at COMAHS, and engineering programs elsewhere, add subject requirements on top of this baseline, typically biology, chemistry and physics for health sciences, and mathematics and physics for engineering and technology courses.
Universities verify your results directly against WAEC's own records, so use your correct WAEC index number on every application form and keep your original certificate safe for when you register.
How to apply
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm your chosen university and program carry current TEC accreditation |
| 2 | Collect the application form from the admissions office or the university website |
| 3 | Submit certified WASSCE or GCE results, birth certificate and passport photographs |
| 4 | Pay the application fee set by that university |
| 5 | Sit any entrance test or interview the program requires |
| 6 | Accept your admission offer and register, paying the first tuition installment to hold your place |
Sierra Leone does not run one shared national application system covering every university, so apply directly to each institution you are interested in and track each application separately. Academic year and application timelines differ by university, so confirm deadlines with the admissions office instead of assuming a fixed national calendar applies everywhere.
Cost of studying
Tuition is charged in Leones and set separately by each university, so what you pay depends on the institution and the program. Programs with lab or clinical components, medicine, allied health and engineering among them, generally cost more than arts and social science degrees because of practical and equipment fees on top of tuition. Public universities tend to charge less than private ones such as University of Makeni, though the gap varies by program.
Fee schedules change from one academic year to the next, so get the current breakdown, tuition, registration, lab fees and any hostel charge, directly from your chosen university's finance or admissions office before you set a budget. Do not rely on figures you find in older material or hear secondhand.
Choosing between universities
Match your choice to the program strength of each institution rather than reputation alone. COMAHS is the main route into medicine and allied health careers. Njala carries the strongest agriculture and environmental science programs. EBKUST specializes in engineering and applied science, and IPAM and UNIMAK both run recognized business programs. If you plan to stay in one city for your full program, weigh the location, Freetown, Bo, Njala, Port Loko or Makeni, since it shapes your housing and living costs as much as your course choice does.
| University | Type | Location | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Sierra Leone (Fourah Bay College, COMAHS, IPAM, Eastern Polytechnic) | Public | Freetown, Kenema | Arts, medicine, business, engineering |
| Njala University | Public | Njala, Bo | Agriculture, environmental science, education |
| Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology | Public | Port Loko | Engineering, applied science |
| Milton Margai Technical University | Public | Freetown | Technical and vocational degrees |
| University of Makeni | Private, Catholic | Makeni | Business, arts, applied sciences |
All accredited programs teach in English, and admission cycles across Sierra Leone's universities line up with the WASSCE results release each year, since that is when most applicants have their final grades in hand. Check with each admissions office for the exact date, since it shifts slightly from year to year.