The cheapest university in Nigeria has come to be the cheapest across the continent. All these attributes are credited to the government through the subsidy that is allocated to the education sector to keep it running.
However, in recent years, the cost of learning is increasing as a result of the increased cost of materials, maintenance of inventories used by most educational institutions, which has driven the fee upward, especially for higher learning institutions in the country, which as the University.
Various factors have caused an increase in tuition fees and have made them vary from one institution to another, even in a particular institution. The courses differ from each other, and the cost of learning each course differs from each other in Nigeria University. While most health and Allied Science courses and Engineering courses tuition fees are expensive, other course fees are cheaper.
Different levels of university in Nigeria also contribute to differences in tuition fees, with some being cheaper, while some are very expensive. The Cheapest University in Nigeria sector comprises the federal, state, and private universities. While most federal universities are known to have cheaper tuition fees, followed by state and private universities, which have high tuition fees.
While federal and state universities are known to have cheaper tuition fees in Nigeria. Cheaper tuition fees in federal and state universities have become a mirage in recent years as some universities have increased their tuition by more than one hundred percent.
The increased tuition has caused many students to drop out of university and left others to forego the dream of attending university. However, there are still some universities in Nigeria who still charge cheaper tuition fees yearly. The cheaper tuition fee does not mean the university has reduced in quality, but rather in making sure the university is accessible due to its low tuition fee.
We will look at the cheapest university in Nigeria, from federal universities to private institutions.
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Cheapest University in Nigeria
1. Ahamdu Bello University, Zaria
- Tuition Fee: ₦84,500
Located in the far northern part of the country. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, popularly known as ABUZARI, is known for its sound excellence in academics and its impact on the education sector in the northern part of the country.
With a massive land area, adequate facilities and quality lecturers, the university is distinct in one thing, lower tuition fee, which is low compared to the quality produced by this institution.
ABUZARIA is one of the cheapest universities to study in Nigeria, with its students paying a tuition fee of under ₦100,000, which is commendable compared to other institutions across the country. Fresher pays ₦84,500 per session, excluding fees like registration fee, which equate to N30,000, which is still commendable compared to other institutions.
Tuition fee also varies across faculties, while the science and engineering program pays N78,875 per session additional fee of N30,000. The tuition fee for Health Science and medical seems faculty is the highest in the institution, with students paying N95,750 per session, excluding an additional fee of N50,000.
2. Bayero University Kano
Bayer University Kano, known for its acronym BUK, is a public university located in the northwestern part of Nigeria, Kano. Established in 1975, it is one of the oldest universities in Nigeria. The university is known for its quality in both dispensing adequate knowledge to its students and its infrastructure, including the library, which was set up as far back as 1964, before the university.
The university offers a variety of courses ranging from Education courses to health and Allied science courses. The university, in spite of its infrastructure and relevance, stands out in the area of its tuition fees.
BUK is one of the few in Nigeria where the tuition fee for health and Allied science courses is under N150,000, which is remarkable. The tuition fee for BUK varies across faculty, but with most still under N100,000.
The breakdown includes thus
- Faculty of Science: Within the range of N85,000-N90,000.
- Faculty of Engineering: Within the range of N90,000-N110,000.
- Faculty of Law: Within the range of N95,000-N105,000.
- Faculty of Social Sciences: Within the range of N75,000-N85,000
- Faculty of Education: Within the range of N70,000-N75000
- College of Health Science: Within the range of N110,000-N120,000
- Faculty of Arts and Islamic Studies: Within the range of N70,000-N80,000
The range of tuition fees across the faculties is indicated, as there might be additional cost that comes with paying tuition fees yearly, such as medical costs or the fee mandated by the institution to be paid by all students.
BUK tuition fees are indicated above, but this does not show in detail all the full costs you will incur, especially as a new student who has just been admitted. For proper guidance, you can ask the returning students who are probably in the 200 level for proper information on the cost of registration.
3. Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA)
- Tuition Fee: N90,950
Federal University of Technology is a public university established in 1983. The university is quite distinct from other universities in the northern part of Nigeria. It is one of the universities whose main focus is only on science and technology-based courses.
The university is located in Bosso, Minna. Currently under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Frauk Adamu Kuta and with over N27,000 students, including undergraduate and postgraduate. The tuition fee for FUTMINNA is cheap compared to the value dished out by this institution yearly and has even been affiliated with the Armed Forces of Nigeria to show the excellence of the institution.
FUTMINNA’s current institution fee is N90,950 for newly admitted students into the institution and N59,950 for returning students. However, it should be noted that newly admitted students might be required to pay for some fees, as the fee mentioned only covers the tuition fee of the student.
4. Federal University Of Lokoja(FUlokoja)
- Tuition Fee: 117,500
Federal University of Lokoja is a public federal university located in Lokoja, Kogi state. The university was established in 2011, making it among the youngest federal universities established by the Federal government of Nigeria.
The university tuition fee varies across universities but seems to be higher for colleges of health science. However, the fees are still considerably lower compared to other federal universities, which charge higher tuition fees, especially if you are not studying competitive courses like medicine and surgery, and Law.
The tuition fee for FULOKOJA is broken down into.
- Faculty of Arts- N117,500
Faculty of Social Sciences- N117,750
Faculty of Management Science- N117750
College of Health Science- N280,000
Law-N187,500
Returning students get to pay N61,340 in their respective year that follows after their first year.
5. Gombe State University
- Tuition Fee: N160,000
Gombe State University(GSU) is a public state university located in Gombe. Established in 2003 as a state university to address the issue of education in the state. Gombe State University courses span many fields, ranging from social to health science. Although they don’t offer courses such as nursing, medicine, and surgery, radiography, and such like but the university offers courses in the field of pharmacy, like pharmaceutical biology and others.
The university charges low tuition compared to other state universities across the federation, charging N160,000 for freshers who want to get admitted into the institution. However, other fees are not included in the fee, so students might be charged additional fees for other expenses.
6. Kebbi State University.
- Tuition Fee:82,500
Kebbi State University is a public state university located in Aliero, Kebbi State. It is part of the state university that still offers cheap university services in the northern part of the country. Notable for its relevance in offering courses in Agriculture and Science, ranging from Animal Science, Agricultural extension, mathematics, physics, to Nursing. The university also offers education courses that pertain to education; these include computer education, science education, and others.
The university is known for its cheap tuition, charging a fee not up to N100,000 for both indigenous and non-indigenous students. Fees across faculties might vary.
The tuition fee for Indignee and non-indignee is broken down into thus:
- Newly admitted students who are in the science faculty and who are not indigent pay N82,500, while the indigent pay N32,500.
- For students who are in Engineering, Agric, and Education, the non-indigene pays N72,000 while non-indigenes get to pay N30,000.
Other fees might be included; the fee just focuses on the aspect of tuition fee, not the other expenses like health and sports fees, which might be required by the institution for you to pay.
7. Oduduwa University
- Tuition: N245,000 per semester
Oduduwa University is a private university located in Ipetumodu, Osun State. The university is named after the Yoruba founder Oduduwa. Despite being a private university, the institution charges lower tuition compared to other private universities across the federation.
The tuition charge is N245,000 per semester, which equates to N490,000 charged by the institution per session across the field of study in the institution.
It should be noted that the university tuition fee does not cover additional fees like the hospital fee and other fees which is mandated by the institution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which universities are considered the cheapest in Nigeria in 2025?
The cheapest universities in Nigeria based on the 2025/2026 academic session include ABUZARIA, BUK, FUTMINNA, Oduduwa University, and Gombe State University.
What are the typical tuition fees for the cheapest universities?
In view of the rising tuition fees in most universities. The typical tuition fee is below N100,000 for state and federal universities and N500,000 for private universities.
Do cheap universities mean lower quality?
No, it does not. While some universities charge lower tuition fees and deliver low-quality service, most universities with low tuition are up to standard, and most are fully accredited.
How can one verify the fees and avoid being misled?
To verify the fees and avoid being misled, it is generally advisable to visit the official university website.
Are there hidden costs apart from tuition?
Yes, they are. It is fully stated in our post that the university might charge an additional fee, which is not part of the tuition fee.
Conclusion
The list of the cheapest university mentioned took rigorous research through various blogs in comparison to the university websites and statements from students in each institution to come up with the list.
Federal universities are much cheaper than state universities, while state universities are cheaper than private university. Universities are governed by an authority that might decide to increase or decrease the tuition. What is written on the mentioned list is correct, but take some time to check through the university website to check for any changes in tuition fees.