Benue State University, Makurdi, widely known by its acronym BSU, is a state-owned institution established in 1992. Prospective students researching this university should note one important update first: the Benue State House of Assembly has renamed the institution, first to Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, and later shortened to Father Adasu University, Makurdi. The university’s admission portal, alumni records, and much of the public still refer to it by its original name and abbreviation, BSU or BSUM, so this article uses that familiar name while noting the current official one. This guide covers the medical and health-related courses run under the university’s College of Health Sciences, along with their school fees, admission cut-off marks, and what the fees typically cover.
Overview of Medical Courses at BSU
BSU runs its medical and health science programmes through the College of Health Sciences, a division of the university that has been further split administratively into the Faculty of Basic and Allied Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Clinical Sciences. This structure separates the pre-clinical and allied health courses from the full clinical medical degree, reflecting how most Nigerian universities organize their health-related faculties.
The medical and health-related courses currently offered at BSU include:
- Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
- Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.N.Sc.)
- Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D)
- B.Sc. Human Anatomy
- B.Sc. Human Physiology
- B.Sc. Medical Laboratory Science
- B.Sc. Radiography and Radiation Science
- B.Sc. Biochemistry
- B.Sc. Microbiology
Each of these programmes carries its own admission cut-off mark and fee structure, since the College of Health Sciences groups its courses by competitiveness and resource demand rather than charging a flat rate across the board.
Admission Cut-Off Marks for BSU Medical Courses
Before discussing fees, it helps to understand how competitive each medical course is, since cut-off marks directly affect how BSU screens candidates during its Post-UTME exercise. The table below reflects the departmental cut-off marks published by the university for its most recent admission cycle.
| Course | Minimum UTME Score Required |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) | 220 |
| Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) | 220 |
| Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.N.Sc.) | 200 |
| B.Sc. Medical Laboratory Science | 200 |
| B.Sc. Radiography and Radiation Science | 200 |
| B.Sc. Human Anatomy | 180 |
| B.Sc. Human Physiology | 180 |
| B.Sc. Microbiology | 180 |
Medicine and Surgery, along with Pharmacy, sit at the top of BSU’s cut-off scale at 220, tied with Law as the university’s most competitive programmes. Candidates who fall short of this threshold but still want to enter the College of Health Sciences are often advised to consider Anatomy or Physiology, both of which accept a lower score of 180 and above.
BSU School Fees for Medical Courses
BSU charges different tuition amounts depending on the specific course, the student’s year of study, and whether the student is an indigene of Benue State or a non-indigene. Indigenes consistently pay less than non-indigenes across every faculty, a standard practice at state-owned universities in Nigeria that receive funding support from their state government primarily for the benefit of residents.
| Course | Indigene Fee (Fresh Student, ₦) | Non-Indigene Fee (Fresh Student, ₦) |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) | 208,700 | 259,800 |
| Nursing Science (B.N.Sc.) | 95,000 | 115,000 |
| General Sciences and Allied Health courses (Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology) | Within the general BSU range of ₦70,000 – ₦120,000 | Within the general BSU range of ₦100,000 – ₦180,000 |
Medicine and Surgery carries the highest fee among BSU’s undergraduate offerings by a wide margin, reflecting the extended clinical training, teaching hospital affiliation, and laboratory-intensive nature of the six-year MBBS programme. Nursing Science costs considerably less than Medicine but still sits above the university’s general fee range because of its own clinical and practical components. Allied health courses such as Anatomy and Physiology, which do not carry the same volume of clinical placement hours as Medicine or Nursing, fall within BSU’s standard science-faculty fee bracket.
Returning students across all these courses typically pay a reduced fee compared to fresh students, since fresh-student charges include one-time costs such as ID card processing, matriculation, and initial medical screening that returning students do not repeat each session.
What the Medical Course Fee Covers
The consolidated school fee for BSU’s medical and health science courses generally bundles together the following components:
- Tuition: the core academic cost for the session.
- Registration: covers processing of course registration for each semester.
- Examination fee: covers the administration of semester and, where applicable, professional qualifying examinations.
- Library fee: grants access to the university library and its resources.
- ICT fee: covers access to the university’s digital learning systems and computer facilities.
- Medical fee: covers basic healthcare services at the university clinic, along with any mandatory health screening required before clinical placement.
- Sports fee: supports recreational facilities on campus.
- ID card fee: charged to fresh students during their first registration.
- Development levy: contributes toward ongoing infrastructural projects.
- Clinical/laboratory fee: applies specifically to Medicine, Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, and Radiography students, covering laboratory consumables, teaching hospital affiliation costs, and supervised clinical postings.
This fee typically excludes hostel accommodation and the one-time acceptance fee, both of which are billed separately from the core tuition invoice.
Additional Charges Beyond Tuition
Students applying into any of BSU’s medical courses should budget for a few charges outside the standard school fee:
- Acceptance fee: a one-time, non-refundable payment of ₦15,000, required from every newly admitted student before they can proceed to pay their full school fee.
- Admission verification fee: a smaller charge, typically around ₦3,000, paid through the university’s e-payment platform during the admission confirmation process.
- Hostel accommodation: billed separately from tuition, with on-campus hostel fees generally lower than off-campus private accommodation around Makurdi.
- Uniform and clinical kit: Medicine, Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, and Radiography students typically need to purchase white coats, scrubs, or other clinical wear not included in the standard fee.
- Textbooks and practical manuals: particularly relevant for Medicine and Nursing students, whose coursework depends heavily on specific reference texts and clinical skills manuals.
How Payment Works at BSU
Fee payment at BSU follows an e-payment structure rather than direct bank deposit. Students generate a payment reference through the university’s official portal, then complete payment through the approved online channel linked to the school’s account. After payment, the portal typically issues an electronic receipt, which the student needs to complete course registration for the semester. Candidates applying into College of Health Sciences courses should confirm the current invoice through the official BSU admissions portal before payment, since amounts occasionally differ slightly at the point of manual screening compared to the initially published figures, and departments periodically review their fee schedules.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Medicine and Surgery cost at BSU per session?
Indigenes of Benue State pay approximately ₦208,700, while non-indigenes pay approximately ₦259,800 per session, making Medicine and Surgery the most expensive undergraduate course at the university.
What is the cut-off mark for Medicine and Surgery at BSU?
The departmental cut-off mark for Medicine and Surgery, along with Pharmacy and Law, is 220, the highest threshold among all courses offered at the university.
Is BSU now called by a different name?
Yes. The Benue State House of Assembly has renamed the university, first to Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, and subsequently shortened to Father Adasu University, Makurdi. Many students, staff, and the university’s own portal still commonly refer to it as BSU or BSUM.
Which medical-related courses at BSU cost less than Medicine and Surgery?
Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography and Radiation Science, Human Anatomy, and Human Physiology all cost considerably less than Medicine and Surgery, with allied health courses like Anatomy and Physiology falling within the university’s general science-faculty fee range.
Do indigenes and non-indigenes pay the same fee for medical courses at BSU?
No. Non-indigenes pay a higher fee than indigenes of Benue State across every course, including Medicine and Surgery, Nursing Science, and the allied health programmes.