The 10 cheapest private universities in Nigeria include Obong University, Oduduwa University, Alhikmah University, and Ajayi Crowther University Wellspring University. Other are Caritas University, Tansian University, Adeleke University, Joseph Ayo Babalola University, and Newgate University.
One of the many things you consider while choosing a university to study is tuition fees. Nigeria is one of the leading countries where you can find quality education. Most of the universities in the country are not only globally recognized, well-equipped, and adequately funded, but they are also affordable enough to suit various financial classes.
The tuition fee of each school varies depending on the course you want to study. However, some universities have some of the cheapest course fees you may consider. Below is the list of the affordable private universities in Nigeria with their tuition fee.
1. Obong University, Obong Ntak
- Year Founded: 1997
- Location: Obong Ntak, Akwa Ibom
- Fee (Average): N180,000
Obong University tops the list of the cheapest Universities in Nigeria. It was established in 1997 with a commitment to upholding the best academic standards and Christian values, as it is owned by a religious body known as the Church of Christ. At the time it was established in 1997, the institution was named the African College of Management. After one year, it was renamed the University of Africa.
At Obong University, students are allowed to develop their skills and sense of independence to equip them better to contribute to society and God’s kingdom while enrolled at Obong.
Talking about the fees, tuition fees at Obong University is relatively cheap compared to other private universities in Nigeria. Undergraduates pay at most N200,000 as tuition fees. Students in the sciences pay the highest amount while students in arts pay the least, with Christian Religious Studies paying as low as N90,000. Below is a breakdown of the tuition fees at Obong University
Tuition Fees
- Sciences: N200,000.00
- Management/Social Sciences (Except otherwise stated): N180,000.00
- Mass Communication: N180,000
- Christian Religious Studies: N90,000.00
- Marketing, Business Administration: N135,000.00
- English & Lit. Studies: N135,000
Other Charges
- Departmental/Faculty Dues: N10,000
- Medical: N20,000
- Sports: N5,000
- Registration: N5,000
- Special Fee (PTA) Development Levy: N20,000
- Library: N5,000
- Exams Fee: N15,000
- Students Welfare: N5,000
- I.C.T.: N10,000
- S.U.G: N5,000
- Utility Fee: N20,000
Total: N120,000
2. Oduduwa University Ipetumodu
- Year Founded: 2009
- Location: Ile Ife, Osun State
- Fee (Average): N195,000
Oduduwa University (OUI) is a private higher education institution located in Ipetumodu, Ile Ife, Osun State. The University was named after Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba people and the founder of the Ife empire. It is accredited and recognized by the National Universities Commission of Nigeria.
Oduduwa University is a cutting-edge institution with excellent standards for both teaching and research. It is well situated to guarantee a transformative student experience. The university offers degree programs in courses cutting across science and technology, arts and social science, engineering, etc.
Oduduwa University school fees range from N170,000 (One Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira) to N350,000 (Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) for new and returning students; this, of course, is based on the desired program. Part-time and pre-degree students pay the lowest fees, between N98,000 and N150,000, while a bachelor’s degree in courses like Economics, International Relations, Accounting, Biochemistry, Computer Science, and Microbiology costs around N245,000. Accommodation fees at the University are also relatively cheap and affordable for both new and returning students.
3. Al-hikmah University
- Year Founded: 2009
- Location: Benin City, Edo State
- Fee (Average): N200,000
Making it on our list of cheapest private Universities in Nigeria is Alhikmah University, which came into force after receiving its Operating License (License No. 010). The university was founded by the AbdulRaeem Oladimeji Islamic Foundation and it commenced academic activities during the 2005–2006 academic session with 70 students spread across its three take-off colleges: Humanities, Management Sciences and Natural Sciences.
The university currently has two campuses in Ilorin and Igbaja, Kwara State. Though these campuses are still new, it is believed that in a few years from now, they will be among the best in Nigeria. Alhikmah University currently only offers some of the courses in Nigeria. Some of the faculties present at the university include Health Sciences, Education, Law, Natural and Applied Sciences, Natural & Applied Sciences, and Humanities and Social Sciences. The University also offers sub-Degree Diploma Programmes.
Tuition fees at Alhikmah University range from N103,000 to N850,000 for undergraduate programmes. Courses like Agricultural Science cost around N106,000 for returning students and N170,000 for freshers, while courses like law cost as much as N800,000 for returning students and over N1 million for new students.
4. Ajayi Crowther University
- Year Founded: 2005
- Location: Amorji-Nike, Enugu, Enugu State
- Founded in 2005, Ajayi Crowther University, also known as ACU, is a private university in Oyo, Oyo State. It is another cheap private university in Nigeria that is open to everyone. The institution was established in 2005, the same year as Alhikmah University. It was established by the Supra Diocesan Board (West) of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). It originates from the defunct CMS training institution, Abeokuta, and the defunct St. Andrews College, Oyo.Ajayi Crowther University is currently located in Oyo State. The academic institution is named after the late Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first African Bishop who first translated the bible into the Yoruba language. It has a vision of being a top-class institution in the pursuit of knowledge and scholarship through teaching, learning, research, and exemplary service to humanity. The school’s mission is to provide admission to students and employ staff without discrimination based on sex, race, ethnicity, disability, or religious and political persuasions.
ACU is one of the private universities in Nigeria that offers diverse undergraduate programmes. They also have a flexible school fee payment plan and accept installment payments. The average tuition fee for all courses at the university is around N162,000 to N782,000 naira, and they have three instrumental plans to make the payment easy for the student and their sponsors. The ACU school fees vary with certain conditions; the amount payable by freshers is quite different from the amount paid by the returning students; likewise, different courses have different school fees.
5. Wellspring University
- Year Founded: 2009
- Location: Benin City, Edo State
- Fee (Average): N250,000
Wellspring University is one of the unknown cheapest private universities in Nigeria. It was founded in 2009 by the Management Science Centre, a Professional Training and Educational Consulting Firm. In addition to its affordable tuition fee, Wellspring has a long history of outstanding performance.
In 2019, Webometric Ranking listed this school as third among the second-generation private universities. Their curriculum is designed to balance academic/ professional knowledge and the cultivation of moral integrity.
Along with the Master of Business Administration, the institution provides coaching for students pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting, Business Administration, and Education (MBA). Presently, the university’s curriculum is designed to balance academic/professional knowledge and the cultivation of moral integrity.
The university taught a substantial portion of the executive and part-time students at the University of Lagos, many of whom graduated in second class, with an initial enrollment of 500 students in 1983.
The tuition fee at Wellspring ranges from 190k to 245k naira, and the accommodation fee is also 62,500 naira. However, science students, especially those in Nursing, Computer Science, and Medical Laboratory Science, pay as much as N800,000 to N1 million. The fee structure covers various programmes, from Undergraduate to Doctorate Degree Programmes.
6. Caritas University
- Year Founded: 2004
- Location: Amorji-Nike, Enugu, Enugu State
- Fee (Average): N250,000
Caritas University is a private University authorized by the Nigerian government on December 16, 2004, and it formally opened on January 21, 2005. It was established by Rev. Fr. Prof. Emmanuel Paul Mattew Edeh C.S.Sp, OFR, and is the second Catholic university in Nigeria. Part of the school’s mission is transforming society through sound and unadulterated education and rescuing adolescents from further slipping into academic and moral ruin, etc.
The private Catholic university aims to advance human welfare and sound human development for a better society by discovering, sanctifying, and using knowledge of science, the environment, and engineering. Caritas University school fees are around N220,000 (two hundred and twenty thousand naira) to N390,000 (three hundred and ninety thousand naira) per session (yearly) depending on the course of study. The fees for JUPEB and pre-degree programmes are N170,000 (One hundred and seventy thousand naira).
Like most Universities in Nigeria, Caritas University allows students to pay their fees in installments. That means you can pay a particular part of the fees in the First semester and the remaining part in the second semester; this is for a student who cannot afford to pay the total fees at once. But there is a fixed amount to pay, and you cannot pay less than the said amount, this helps reduce the burden on parents and guardians as well as the student.
Affordable Private Universities in Nigeria
This category of Universities may not be among the cheapest private Universities in Nigeria but they are certainly affordable when compared to other known private universities in the country. Find some of them below
7. Tansian University
- Year Founded: 2009
- Location: Umunya, Anambra State
- Fee (Average): N300,000
Tansian University, in stark contrast to most higher institutions, was established to prepare the youths for the difficulties of a rapidly changing global environment. To accomplish this, the Father-Founder, Very Rev. Msgr Prof. John Bosco Akam, began the development process for the poor and physically challenged.
Tansian University was built on May 17, 2009, in honour of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, the first African Nigerian to be beatified, to broaden the appeal of youngsters. The main focus of Tansian University’s philosophy is making a difference. The university received its license on May 17, 2007, and over the years, it became known for its dedication to realizing its vision of being a dynamic institution with the noble philosophy of inculcating sound, high-quality education without compromising any moral issues.
Since its foundation, the university has persisted in providing pertinent academic programs that aim to create highly skilled graduates who will be accepted both locally and internationally, as well as young people who are infused with a love of universal truth for the good of humanity. The university is quite affordable as the tuition fees range from N258 to N698,000. Courses like law and Nursing cost around N400,000 to N600,000, while other programmes can go as low as ₦250,000.
8. Adeleke University
- Year Founded: 2011
- Location: Ede, Osun State
- Fee (Average): N350,000
Located in Ede, Osun State, Adeleke University is a private, faith-based university. It’s situated on 520 acres of tranquil, natural territory in the ancient town of Ede, Osun State, in southwest Nigeria. It is one of the commonly known cheapest private universities in Nigeria.
The university was founded and owned by Chief Adedeji Adeleke, father of the famous Nigerian singer Davido. Mr. Adedeji Adeleke started the university in 2011 via the Springtime Development Foundation (SDF), a charitable, non-profit organization created to help needy students access high-quality higher education. The higher institution is based on the Seventh-day Adventist philosophy of education with a strict commitment to realising the vision and mission of the founding fathers. The University aims at providing a suitable avenue for students from all nations, races, colours, and ethnic groups to attain their full potential.
Adeleke University has six faculties with over 6000 students and their flexible fee structure has helped make education affordable to everyone. There, students are allowed to pay fees in four installments. Tuition fees range from N350,000 – N800,000 for undergraduate students. Adeleke University does not offer Medicine and Surgery, but it does other medical-related courses such as Nursing Science, Anatomy and Medical Lab Science, and more.
9. Joseph Ayo Babalola University – N436,000
- Year Founded: 2004
- Location: Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State
- Fee (Average): N436,000
Joseph Ayo Babalola University is a private Christian university in Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria. Ipo Arakeji and Ikeji Arakeji are two nearby settlements in Osun State, Nigeria, where the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) founded the private University (JABU). The institution is one of the youngest universities in Nigeria, as it came into existence a little over a decade ago and was named after the first spiritual head of the Christ Apostolic Church (1904–1959).
The whole student body of Joseph Ayo Babalola University lives on campus, and due to the school’s Christian roots, both male and female students are required to dress exceedingly modestly on campus. Agricultural and Natural Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Humanities, Law, Management Sciences, and Social Sciences are among the colleges where the university provides courses. The University is Nigeria’s first entrepreneurial university. It began operating in 2004.
Fees at Joseph Ayo Babalola University range from N436,000 – N650,000 for both the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. It also provides accommodation for its students and other infrastructure like a library and good college buildings.
10. Newgate University Minna (NUM)
- Year Founded: 2022
- Location: Minna, Niger State
- Fee (Average): N450,000
Newgate University is a private University approved by the Federal Executive Council on April 6, 2022, followed by the issuance of an operating license by NUC on May 12, 2022. The university was founded on the principles of equal opportunity, equity, and justice to produce graduates who are independent-minded, skilled, and competent.
To achieve its aim of providing an enabling environment where intellectual challenge and flexibility, creativity grows, where ideas sprout, applications emerge from ideas, and ideas bloom, the University encourages and guides each student, employee, and faculty member to reflect on their values in light of evolving technology and social value systems. By providing a solid teaching and learning foundation that will propel its graduates to tremendous success in their careers or ignite the spark of curiosity and research through its motto, “Explore to Excel,” NUM aims to create an environment that enables all students to maximize their intellectual potential in their chosen field of study.
As one of the cheapest private universities in Nigeria, Newgate University has its tuition fees structured based on the academic programmes it offers. Students taking Medical and Health Sciences courses pay from N225,000 to N350,000, while those in Computing and Information Technology pay around N225,000. Management and Social Sciences have tuition of around N250,000 as well; this is quite cheap compared to other bigger private universities in the country.
List of the Cheapest Private Universities in Nigeria
- Obong University School Fees (Average): N180,000
- Oduduwa University Ipetumodu School Fees (Average): N195,000
- Alhikmah University School Fees (Average): N200,000
- Ajayi Crowder University School Fees (Average): N200,000
- Wellspring University School Fees (Average): N250,000
- Caritas University School Fees (Average): N250,000
- Tansian University School Fees (Average): N300,000
- Adeleke University School Fees (Average): N350,000
- Joseph Ayo Babalola University School Fees (Average): N436,000
- Newgate University Minna School Fees (Average): N450,000