Private University School Fees in Nigeria (2025/2026): Ranked List + Federal & State Fees

The cheapest private universities in Nigeria start from about ₦200,000–₦500,000 per session for arts and social-science courses, while medicine, law, nursing and engineering run into millions. Below is a ranked comparison of Nigerian private university school fees for the 2025/2026 session, built only from figures each university publishes officially — plus how federal and state university fees compare, and how to pay without being scammed. Every figure is sourced to the university’s own fee schedule; where a school does not publish its fees, we say so rather than guess.

Private university fees in Nigeria — ranked cheapest first (2025/2026)

Ranked by the lowest-priced programme at each university. Read the whole range, not just the entry figure: professional courses (Medicine, Law, Nursing, Pharmacy, Engineering) cost far more than arts and social sciences at the same school. Note the “What it covers” column — some schools quote tuition only, others bundle accommodation, so a low number is not always the cheaper deal.

How to read this table:

• Entry price ≠ total cost. The cheapest figure is one programme (usually Agriculture, Religious Studies or a social science). Your actual fee depends on your course.
• Tuition-only vs all-inclusive. Covenant’s figure already includes hostel and most charges; ABUAD adds compulsory accommodation on top of tuition; Ajayi Crowther and Al-Hikmah quote tuition only. Compare like with like before deciding which is “cheaper.”
• Sessions differ. Most figures are 2025/2026. Al-Hikmah’s published schedule is 2026/2027; Bingham’s is 2024/2025 (its most recent published); Oduduwa’s page carries no session label. Fees usually rise each year — treat older figures as a floor, not the current price.

Private universities that don’t publish fees online

Some schools do not put a current fee schedule on their website. We will not copy the figures that circulate on other blogs — they are frequently invented or years out of date, and this is your money. Contact these universities directly for the exact current fee:

• Benson Idahosa University (BIU), Benin City — no live fee table on the official site. Confirm with Financial Services on +234 811 111 7310 before paying.
• Caleb University, Imota, Lagos — the site was recently rebuilt and its fee pages are down. Contact the university directly for the current schedule.
• Lead City University, Ibadan — ⚠️ Security note: at the time of writing, Lead City’s website is displaying injected gambling and adult-content spam (a known attack on Nigerian university sites). The institution is real, but do not enter details or follow “fee” links on the site while it is compromised. Reach the university by phone/email (admissions line) instead, and confirm any account number directly with the bursary.

Studying nursing at a private university? See our dedicated guide to Paul University, Awka nursing and school fees.

Federal and state university fees (much cheaper)

If cost is your main concern, federal and state universities are far cheaper than private ones — but you need a competitive JAMB and Post-UTME score to get in. As a rough guide for 2025/2026 (reported by Nairametrics, July 2026, and national newspapers covering the 2023–2024 fee reviews):

• Federal universities: roughly ₦50,000 – ₦200,000 per session for most courses (professional courses trend higher).
• State universities: roughly ₦100,000 – ₦400,000 per session, often depending on whether you are an indigene of the state.
• Private universities: from about ₦200,000 to several million per session, as the table above shows.

Federal and state schools generally do not publish a public fee table — you see your exact charge after logging into the student portal with your JAMB/matric number. Check the official portal for these three:

• University of Benin (UNIBEN): the Registrar confirmed fees are unchanged for 2025/2026 (Vanguard, Nov 2025). See the exact schedule on the official portal portal.uniben.edu — and beware fake payment sites; UNIBEN has warned students to use the official portal only.
• University of Calabar (UNICAL): log in at portal.unical.edu.ng for your current fee. Figures on blogs date to the 2023 review and may be superseded.
• Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED): check my.tasued.edu.ng for the current tuition and acceptance fee.

How to pay Nigerian university fees safely

Admission season is peak season for fee fraud. Protect your money:

• Pay only through the university’s official portal or its named bank account. Never pay school fees, “acceptance” or “admission” money into a personal account, or to an “agent” who promises a slot.
• Type the university’s web address yourself. Do not follow “fee payment” links from WhatsApp, Facebook or a random blog — as the Lead City case above shows, even a real university site can be hijacked with fake links.
• Confirm the exact figure and account number with the bursary before sending money, especially where fees are not published online.
• Keep every receipt. No receipt means no proof of payment.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the cheapest private university in Nigeria?

Among schools that publish official fees, Ajayi Crowther University (from ₦200,000/session for Agriculture, tuition only), Achievers University and Al-Hikmah University (from about ₦300,000/session) have the lowest entry-level programmes. But the cheapest course at one school can cost more than a mid-range course at another, and professional courses cost far more everywhere — always check the fee for your specific course.

Are these the total fees I will pay?

Not always. Some universities quote tuition only and add registration, hostel and other charges separately (for example Achievers adds ₦300,000 in sundry fees; ABUAD adds compulsory accommodation). Covenant’s figure, by contrast, already bundles accommodation and most charges. Read the “What it covers” column and confirm the full payable amount with the bursary.

How much are federal university fees compared to private?

Federal universities charge roughly ₦50,000–₦200,000 per session — a fraction of private university fees, which start around ₦200,000 and rise into millions. The trade-off is that federal and state universities are far more competitive to enter.

Why don’t you list a fee for every university?

Because we only publish figures a university states officially. Where a school does not publish its fees (or its site is compromised), copying a number off another blog would risk giving you a wrong, outdated amount on a decision that costs real money. In those cases we point you to the official contact instead.

Fees last verified against each university’s official source in July 2026. Private university fees change from session to session and vary by programme and level — always confirm the current amount on the official website or with the bursary before you pay.