Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), is one of Nigeria’s most established private universities for medical training, and its Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) programme is consistently the most expensive course on its fee schedule. This article breaks down exactly what students pay to study Medicine and Surgery at ABUAD, level by level, and explains the other charges that come with the programme.
About ABUAD’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences
ABUAD was founded in 2009 by legal icon Aare Afe Babalola and operates a collegiate academic structure spread across several colleges, including the College of Law, College of Engineering, College of Sciences, College of Social and Management Sciences, and the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, which houses the Medicine and Surgery programme. The university runs the standard six-year MBBS curriculum used across Nigerian medical schools, combining pre-clinical basic medical sciences in the earlier years with full clinical rotations in the later years, supported by the university’s own teaching hospital, which gives ABUAD’s medical students consistent access to clinical training without relying on an external hospital partnership.
The College of Medicine and Health Sciences also runs other allied health programmes, including Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, Dentistry, and Physiology, all of which sit within the same broad fee category as Medicine and Surgery, though MBBS remains the highest-priced course at the university.
ABUAD Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) School Fees by Level
Medicine and Surgery fees at ABUAD are structured on a level-by-level basis rather than a single flat sessional charge, and the fee at 200 Level is typically the highest across the six-year programme, reflecting the transition into more intensive coursework and laboratory-based training at that stage. The table below sets out the approved fee schedule for Medicine and Surgery at ABUAD for the 2026/2027 academic session:
| Level | School Fees (per session) |
|---|---|
| 100 Level | ₦5,795,000 |
| 200 Level | ₦6,175,000 |
| 300 Level | ₦5,875,000 |
| 400 Level | ₦5,855,000 |
| 500 Level | ₦5,855,000 |
| 600 Level | ₦5,655,000 |
Across the six years of the programme, this places total tuition for a full MBBS degree at ABUAD well above ₦34 million, making it one of the more significant financial commitments among Nigerian private medical schools, though the fee structure remains broadly comparable to what other leading private universities such as Babcock University charge for the same programme.
Why Medicine and Surgery Costs More Than Other ABUAD Courses
Medicine and Surgery sits at the top of ABUAD’s fee schedule for the same reasons the course carries the highest price tag at almost every Nigerian university offering it. Clinical training requires continuous access to a functional teaching hospital, specialist consultants, and diagnostic equipment, all of which cost significantly more to maintain than a standard lecture-based course. Pre-clinical years involve cadaver-based anatomy dissection, physiology and biochemistry laboratory work, and other practical components that demand constant equipment maintenance and consumables. In addition, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), alongside the National Universities Commission (NUC), imposes strict staffing and infrastructure benchmarks on accredited medical schools, and meeting these standards adds materially to the cost of running the programme. ABUAD’s own College of Medicine and Health Sciences reflects this pattern clearly, with MBBS priced well above every other course offered at the university, including Law, Engineering, and other health science programmes such as Nursing and Medical Laboratory Science.
Comparing ABUAD’s MBBS Fees to Other Programmes at the University
To put the cost of Medicine and Surgery into perspective, it helps to see how it compares against other health-related and non-health programmes at ABUAD. The table below gives a general sense of this gap using approximate first-year figures:
| Programme | Approximate 100 Level Fee |
|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) | ₦5,795,000 |
| Dentistry | ₦4,295,000 |
| Nursing | ₦3,295,000 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | ₦2,595,000 |
| General Arts and Social Science programmes | ₦1,114,500 – ₦2,000,000 |
This comparison shows that while all health-related courses at ABUAD carry a premium over the university’s general arts and social science programmes, Medicine and Surgery still sits meaningfully above even Dentistry and Nursing, both of which are themselves priced well above the university average.
Other Compulsory Charges for Medicine and Surgery Students
Beyond the core tuition fee listed above, ABUAD applies several additional charges that apply to all students, including those in Medicine and Surgery:
- Acceptance fee: A mandatory, non-refundable fee of approximately ₦100,000 to ₦200,000, paid once admission is confirmed, along with a separate mandatory university requirement or “souvenir” fee of around ₦40,000 to ₦75,000 for fresh students.
- PTCF Levy: An additional charge of about ₦30,000 applied across the university.
- Medical screening fee: Approximately ₦10,000, covering the compulsory health screening every new student undergoes.
- Students’ Association dues: A smaller charge applied as determined by the relevant student association.
- Accommodation: Hostel accommodation at ABUAD is compulsory for all students, since the university operates a fully residential system. Hostel fees generally range from ₦300,000 to ₦600,000 per session depending on the room type and block, and this amount is factored into a student’s overall budget for the session rather than treated as optional.
Because accommodation is compulsory rather than optional at ABUAD, prospective Medicine and Surgery students should factor hostel fees into their total first-year budget alongside tuition and the one-time admission charges, since the combined total for a fresh medical student’s first year typically runs well above the tuition figure alone.
Payment Structure for Medicine and Surgery at ABUAD
ABUAD generally allows most undergraduate programmes to be paid in two instalments, with 75% due at the start of the first semester and the remaining 25% payable before the start of the second semester. Medicine and Surgery, however, is treated differently from most other courses at the university. Along with Law, MBBS students are required to pay their full session’s tuition upfront rather than benefiting from this instalment arrangement. This means Medicine and Surgery students should be prepared to clear the entire session’s fee, as shown in the level-by-level table above, in a single payment rather than spreading it across the two semesters. Late payment for MBBS students, as with Law students, can attract penalties and, in serious cases, risk forfeiture of admission, so early and full payment is strongly advised for anyone admitted into the programme.
Admission Requirements for Medicine and Surgery at ABUAD
Candidates seeking admission into Medicine and Surgery at ABUAD must meet both the university’s general entry requirements and the specific, more demanding requirements attached to the MBBS programme. At the O’Level stage, candidates need a minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including Mathematics and English Language, but unlike many other courses at ABUAD that permit two sittings, Law and Medicine specifically require all five credits to be obtained in a single sitting.
At the UTME stage, ABUAD’s general cut-off mark sits around 180, but Medicine and Surgery, being one of the university’s most competitive programmes, typically requires a considerably higher score than this general baseline. Candidates must also select ABUAD as their first choice on the JAMB portal and participate in the university’s Post-UTME screening exercise, with final admission based on how a candidate’s aggregate score compares against the departmental cut-off mark for Medicine and Surgery that admission cycle. Direct Entry candidates with an Upper Credit or equivalent qualification in a relevant discipline from an accredited institution are admitted directly into 200 Level and pay the same fees applicable to 100 Level freshers in their first year at the university.
FAQs
How much is Medicine and Surgery at ABUAD per session?
Fees range from ₦5,655,000 at 600 Level to ₦6,175,000 at 200 Level, with 100 Level freshers paying ₦5,795,000. Fees vary slightly by level across the six-year programme.
Can Medicine and Surgery students at ABUAD pay fees in instalments?
No. Unlike most other courses at ABUAD, which allow a 75%/25% instalment split across the two semesters, Medicine and Surgery, along with Law, requires full payment of the session’s fee upfront.
Is accommodation included in the Medicine and Surgery school fees at ABUAD?
Accommodation is compulsory for all ABUAD students but is billed separately from tuition, typically ranging from ₦300,000 to ₦600,000 per session depending on the hostel block and room type.
What is the acceptance fee for Medicine and Surgery at ABUAD?
The acceptance fee is approximately ₦100,000 to ₦200,000, non-refundable, and payable once admission into the programme is confirmed. A separate mandatory university requirement fee of around ₦40,000 to ₦75,000 also applies to fresh students.
Why is Medicine and Surgery the most expensive course at ABUAD?
Medicine and Surgery costs more than every other programme at ABUAD because of the expense of running clinical training, laboratory equipment, teaching hospital access, and the strict staffing and infrastructure standards required by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the National Universities Commission for accredited medical programmes.