University Tuition and Cost of Study in Morocco
By Muntasir • Published Aug 02, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • African Countries & Cities
Daytime public university study in Morocco costs little beyond a small yearly registration charge, while private tuition runs into tens of thousands of MAD a year and shared student housing adds roughly MAD 1,600 to 3,150 a month depending on the city.
💵 Public flexible (evening/weekend) programs start at MAD 5,000 a year for a Licence, from the 2026/27 academic year.
🎓 Al Akhawayn University charges MAD 2,100 per credit, so a full-time year runs well over MAD 70,000 including fees.
🏠 A three-bedroom apartment in Casablanca splits to roughly MAD 2,800 each a month.
⏱️ Budget MAD 400 or more a month for utilities on a shared flat.
Tuition: What You Actually Pay
Standard full-time daytime study at a Moroccan public university costs almost nothing in tuition. You pay a small annual registration charge and cover your own books, transport, food and housing. This applies across open-access faculties and regulated schools alike, for students holding a bac. The Moroccan dirham (MAD) trades at roughly 9 to 10 per US dollar, useful to keep in mind as you convert any figure in this guide to your own currency.
A separate, newer fee schedule applies only to flexible evening and weekend programs at public universities, aimed at working students, effective from the 2026/27 academic year. According to Hespress , these harmonized fees are:
| Program | Annual fee (MAD) |
|---|---|
| Licence (flexible schedule) | 5,000 |
| Professional Bachelor's | 18,000 |
| Master's | 15,000 (or 30,000 over two years) |
| Doctorate (part-time) | 20,000 (reported by Hespress as covering the first four years: confirm with the university) |
These figures apply only to the flexible-schedule track, not to regular full-time daytime study, which stays free or near-free.
Private University Tuition
Private universities set their own fees, and these run far above public rates. Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, a private non-profit, English-taught university, charges MAD 2,100 per credit for undergraduate study, according to its official tuition and fees page . A normal full-time load of 16 to 17 credits works out to roughly MAD 33,600 to 35,700 a semester in tuition, plus a MAD 5,100 registration fee each semester, so budget well over MAD 70,000 a year in total before housing. Other private engineering, business and health-sciences schools publish their own fee schedules on their official sites, and these differ by program and city, so confirm the exact figure with the school before committing. Some private schools also offer merit-based tuition reductions or installment payment plans, so ask directly about both options during your application rather than assuming the full published fee is fixed and due upfront.
Hidden and Functional Fees
Beyond tuition, plan for a student card and library fee at your faculty, lab or workshop material charges in science and technical programs, and photocopying and printing costs through the semester. Regulated schools and private universities sometimes add an application or file-processing fee at the entrance-exam stage. Science, engineering and medical programs typically carry higher functional costs than law, arts or economics faculties, since lab consumables, protective equipment and technical materials add up over a semester.
University Restaurants and Meal Costs
Most public universities run subsidized student restaurants (restaurants universitaires) through ONOUSC, offering meals at a fraction of what a private cafe or restaurant charges nearby. Eating regularly at your campus restaurant, where one exists, cuts your food budget noticeably compared to buying every meal off campus, and is worth building into your daily routine from your first week.
Monthly Living Costs
Housing is your biggest recurring cost outside tuition. In Casablanca, a three-bedroom city-centre apartment suitable for sharing costs around MAD 8,357 a month, according to Sarouty , which works out to roughly MAD 2,800 each split three ways. In Marrakech, a one-bedroom apartment runs about MAD 1,620 a month outside the city centre and around MAD 3,150 in upmarket neighbourhoods, according to Sarouty, so a room shared with others costs correspondingly less. Utilities on a shared flat average around MAD 394 a month, split between roommates.
Add food, transport and phone data, and a realistic monthly budget for a student sharing accommodation in a major city lands somewhere between MAD 2,500 and MAD 4,500, before tuition, depending heavily on your housing choice and city. Smaller university towns cost noticeably less than Casablanca, Rabat or Marrakech.
Local public transport, a mobile data plan and occasional printing or photocopying for coursework add smaller but steady costs through the month. Students who cook at home rather than eating out regularly cut their food spending the most, particularly when sharing grocery costs with roommates.
Costs also shift with your year of study. First-year students often spend more upfront on books, a laptop or basic furnishing for a new room, while later years settle into a steadier monthly rhythm once the initial setup is behind you. Build a one-time setup budget separate from your recurring monthly costs so you are not caught short in your first weeks. Track your spending for your first full month in a new city before settling on a fixed monthly budget, since real costs commonly run higher than a plan made before you arrive.
Ways to Cut Costs
Apply for a cite universitaire room through your university's ONOUSC office if you qualify, since it costs far less than private rental.
Apply for the national Minhaty bursary if your family's Registre Social Unifie (RSU) status qualifies.
Share a flat with two or three roommates instead of renting a studio alone.
Choose a public open-access faculty near your home region to cut both tuition and housing costs.