Computer Science at the University of Lagos falls under the Faculty of Science, and because the programme involves laboratory and practical work, it is billed under UNILAG’s “Courses With Lab/Studio” fee category rather than the lower non-lab category paid by students in purely theoretical departments. For the 2026/2027 academic session, a Computer Science undergraduate at UNILAG should budget a total of roughly ₦140,000 to ₦190,000 in official university charges per session, on top of separate one-time fresher charges such as acceptance fee, accommodation, and medical screening. This article breaks down exactly what makes up that figure, how it compares to other departments, and what additional costs a Computer Science student at UNILAG needs to plan for.
Why Computer Science Fees Differ From Other Courses at UNILAG
UNILAG, being a federal university, does not charge conventional “tuition” in the way private universities do. Federal government policy keeps tuition officially at zero or a nominal token for undergraduate students, so what students actually pay is a bundle of compulsory service charges: registration, examinations, library services, IT support, laboratory or studio charges, medical services, sports, and a few smaller administrative fees. This is why UNILAG’s fee structure is organized around three broad categories rather than course-specific tuition brackets:
- Courses without lab or studio requirements (mainly humanities, social sciences, and some management courses)
- Courses with lab or studio requirements (science, engineering, and technology-based courses, including Computer Science)
- Medical and health-related programmes, which carry the highest charges due to clinical and practical components
Computer Science sits in the second category. Because the programme requires access to computer laboratories, networking equipment, and departmental practical sessions, students pay a laboratory charge that non-lab departments do not pay, which is the main reason Computer Science fees run higher than fees for a course like Economics or History.
Full Fee Breakdown for Computer Science Students
The table below sets out the standard components that make up total UNILAG charges for a lab-based course such as Computer Science. These figures reflect the university’s published categorization for lab/studio courses and give a realistic session-by-session picture.
| Fee Component | Amount (₦) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | 15,000 | Compulsory annual charge for course registration |
| Identity card | 5,000 | One-time for new students, occasionally renewed |
| Examinations | 15,000 | Covers semester and end-of-session examinations |
| Library services | 15,000 | Access to physical and digital library resources |
| IT and entrepreneurship | 15,000 | Covers IT infrastructure access and entrepreneurship modules |
| Laboratory charge | 39,500 | Specific to lab-based departments like Computer Science |
| Accreditation | 5,750 | Contributes to programme accreditation costs |
| Medical services | 10,000 | Covers access to the university health centre |
| TISHIP (health insurance) | 5,000 | Tertiary Institutions Social Health Insurance Programme |
| Sports | 10,000 | Access to sports facilities and events |
| Endowment fund | 5,000 | University development contribution |
| Total (lab-based courses) | ≈140,250 | Baseline session charge before additional levies |
On top of this baseline, every undergraduate student, regardless of department, pays a utility charge of around ₦20,000 per session to cover water and electricity costs on campus. Final-year Computer Science students additionally pay a convocation fee of about ₦30,000 in their graduating year, and all fresh students pay a one-time toxicology test fee of roughly ₦10,000 as part of medical clearance during registration. When these are added to the baseline lab-course total, a fresher in Computer Science typically pays close to ₦170,000 to ₦190,000 in the first session, while returning students pay a comparatively lower amount since several one-time charges like the ID card and toxicology test do not repeat.
Acceptance Fee and Other Pre-Registration Costs
Before a newly admitted Computer Science student pays the fees above, there is a separate acceptance fee that confirms the offer of admission. This fee generally falls between ₦20,000 and ₦45,000 depending on the admission cycle and any adjustments the university makes for the session, and it must be paid within a short window after the admission letter is issued, usually two to three weeks, to avoid forfeiting the offer. The acceptance fee is not part of the school fees described above; it is a distinct, one-time payment that comes first, followed later by the full school fees once registration opens.
Some guides list a lower acceptance figure around ₦10,000 to ₦30,700, while others place it closer to ₦45,000, and the reason for this variance is that UNILAG periodically revises the amount and also because acceptance fee totals sometimes bundle in small administrative charges. Prospective Computer Science students should treat any published figure as an estimate and confirm the exact amount on the official UNILAG admission portal once they receive their offer letter for the 2026/2027 session.
Accommodation Costs for Computer Science Students
UNILAG does not operate a compulsory residential policy, and on-campus hostel space is limited relative to the size of the student population, which now exceeds 50,000 across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Because of this, most Computer Science students beyond 100 level end up living off campus in areas around Akoka, Yaba, and Bariga, while a smaller number of first-year and final-year students secure hostel allocation through the university’s competitive process.
For students who do get on-campus accommodation, the hostel fee for undergraduate students on the Akoka and Yaba campuses is around ₦43,000 per session, a modest figure compared to what many private universities charge for accommodation. Some fee compilations list an older, lower hostel figure closer to ₦25,000, reflecting adjustments the university has made in different sessions, so this too should be confirmed at the point of allocation. Off-campus accommodation, by contrast, is priced by the private housing market around the university and can vary significantly depending on distance from campus, room type, and whether the student shares with roommates.
How Computer Science Fees Compare With Other UNILAG Courses
To put Computer Science fees in context, it helps to see how they stack up against non-lab courses and against the university’s medical and health-related programmes, which carry the heaviest charges of all.
| Course Category | Example Courses | Typical Session Total (₦) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-lab courses | Economics, English, Mass Communication, Business Administration | ~100,750 |
| Lab/studio courses | Computer Science, Physics, Engineering disciplines, Architecture | ~140,250 |
| Medical/clinical courses | Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry | ~190,250 |
Computer Science, in this comparison, sits in the middle bracket. It costs more than arts and social science courses because of laboratory charges but considerably less than the College of Medicine’s clinical programmes, which carry additional charges tied to hospital-based training and specialized medical equipment.
Postgraduate Computer Science Fees at UNILAG
Students planning to pursue a Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science at UNILAG through the School of Postgraduate Studies (SPGS) face a separate fee structure entirely distinct from the undergraduate charges above. Postgraduate applications for the 2026/2027 session require a non-refundable application form fee of about ₦40,000, paid through the SPGS portal at the point of application. Beyond the application fee, postgraduate students in science and technology-related departments, including Computer Science, typically pay higher tuition than the arts and education programmes, since science-based postgraduate degrees involve laboratory access, computing resources, and research supervision costs. Fresh postgraduate students also pay an acceptance fee (commonly cited around ₦61,500) and a prospectus fee of about ₦5,000, while optional postgraduate hostel accommodation costs roughly ₦58,000 per session for those who choose it. Because UNILAG generally does not offer an official installment plan for postgraduate fees, most programmes expect full payment before registration is completed, so postgraduate Computer Science applicants should plan to have the full session’s charges ready at once rather than spreading payment across the semester.
How to Pay UNILAG Computer Science School Fees
Once admission is confirmed and the acceptance fee is settled, the fee payment process for Computer Science students, like all other departments, runs through UNILAG’s Remita-integrated portal. The steps are:
- Visit the UNILAG payments platform through the official student portal and log in with your matriculation number or application number.
- Select the correct payment purpose (school fees for the 2026/2027 session) and confirm the amount generated for your department and level.
- Generate a Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) number, which is required for the transaction to be tracked and confirmed.
- Complete payment either online with a debit card or by taking the printed slip with the RRR number to any commercial bank.
- Retrieve and save your payment receipt from the portal after the transaction reflects, since this receipt is needed for course registration.
Students who miss the university’s payment deadline risk a late registration charge or, in more serious cases, exclusion from that semester’s course registration, so Computer Science students are advised to complete payment as early as the portal opens for the session rather than waiting until close to the deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Computer Science cost at UNILAG per session for 2026/2027?
Excluding accommodation and the one-time acceptance fee, a Computer Science student should expect to pay roughly ₦140,000 to ₦190,000 in compulsory university charges for the session, factoring in the laboratory fee, utility charge, and other mandatory levies.
Why does Computer Science cost more than courses like Economics or English?
Computer Science falls under the “Courses With Lab/Studio” category because the programme requires computer laboratory access and practical sessions, which attracts an additional laboratory charge that non-lab departments do not pay.
Is UNILAG’s Computer Science fee close to what Medicine students pay?
No. Medicine and other clinical programmes at the College of Medicine carry the highest charges at UNILAG, close to ₦190,000 per session, due to hospital-based training and specialized equipment, while Computer Science sits in the mid-range lab-course bracket.
Does UNILAG allow installment payment for Computer Science fees?
UNILAG does not operate a widely publicized formal installment plan for undergraduate fees, and full payment is generally expected before registration, though some faculties and student loan arrangements with partner banks may offer flexibility in specific cases.
Is hostel accommodation compulsory for Computer Science students?
No. UNILAG does not enforce compulsory residency, and because on-campus hostel space is limited, most Computer Science students beyond their first year live off campus around Akoka, Yaba, or Bariga.