Umaru Musa Yar’adua University (UMYU), located in Katsina, Katsina State, runs a College of Health Sciences that offers several medical and health-related courses alongside the university’s broader academic programs. As a state-owned university, UMYU maintains one of the more affordable fee structures among Nigerian institutions offering medical training, though its health science programs still cost more than the university’s general arts and social science courses. This article covers the medical courses available at UMYU, what each one costs, and the admission requirements candidates need to meet.
Overview of the College of Health Sciences at UMYU
UMYU’s College of Health Sciences operates alongside the university’s eight other faculties, which include Natural and Applied Sciences, Humanities, Education, Social Sciences, Management Sciences, Law, Agriculture, and Earth and Environmental Science. The College of Health Sciences is dedicated specifically to training students in clinical and allied health disciplines, and its programs are consistently among the most competitive at the university, both in terms of admission cut off marks and cost of tuition. Since the university’s establishment as Katsina State University in 2006, and its renaming in honour of former President Umaru Musa Yar’adua in 2009, the institution has steadily expanded its academic offerings, with the College of Health Sciences representing one of its more specialized and resource-intensive additions.
Medical Courses Offered at UMYU
The College of Health Sciences at UMYU runs the following medical and health-related programs.
Medicine and Surgery (MBBS)
This is the flagship program of the College of Health Sciences, leading to the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) qualification. It is a six-year clinical program that trains students to become medical doctors, combining preclinical coursework in the early years with clinical postings and hospital-based training in the later years. Medicine and Surgery consistently carries one of the highest departmental cut off marks at UMYU and is not included in the university’s standard Post-UTME screening exercise in some admission cycles, since highly competitive clinical programs of this nature are often processed through a separate, more rigorous selection procedure.
Nursing Science
UMYU’s Nursing Science program leads to a Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.NSc.) degree. This is a university-level nursing qualification, distinct from the diploma-style Basic Nursing programs run by standalone colleges of nursing, and it prepares graduates for Registered Nurse (RN) certification alongside broader opportunities in nursing education, research, and healthcare administration.
Physiotherapy
The Physiotherapy program at UMYU trains students to assess, diagnose, and treat movement disorders and physical impairments arising from injury, illness, or disability. Like Medicine and Surgery and Nursing Science, it is one of the more competitive and resource-intensive programs within the College of Health Sciences.
Medical Laboratory Science
This program trains students in the diagnostic and laboratory-based aspects of healthcare, covering areas such as haematology, microbiology, clinical chemistry, and histopathology. Graduates typically go on to work in hospital laboratories, diagnostic centres, and research institutions, and the program requires significant laboratory practical work throughout the course of study.
School Fees for Medical Courses at UMYU
UMYU’s general undergraduate tuition for most non-clinical courses falls between ₦60,000 and ₦100,000 per session, making it one of the more affordable state universities in Nigeria. However, courses under the College of Health Sciences, including Medicine and Surgery, Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, and Medical Laboratory Science, attract higher fees than this general range due to the additional laboratory, clinical, and practical training costs associated with medical education. The table below gives a general estimate of what students in these programs should expect to budget for.
| Course | Estimated Fee Range (Per Session, New Students) |
|---|---|
| General Arts, Social Science, and Education Courses (for comparison) | ₦60,000 – ₦100,000 |
| Nursing Science | ₦100,000 – ₦180,000 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | ₦100,000 – ₦170,000 |
| Physiotherapy | ₦100,000 – ₦180,000 |
| Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) | ₦150,000 – ₦280,000 |
These figures are general estimates based on the typical premium that College of Health Sciences programs carry over standard undergraduate courses at UMYU, and they are not official figures published by the university for a specific session. Because UMYU, like most Nigerian universities, reviews its fee schedule periodically and applies different rates for indigenes and non-indigenes of Katsina State, prospective medical students should always confirm the exact current fee for their specific course and residency status directly through the UMYU student portal or bursary office before making any financial commitment.
Indigene and Non-Indigene Fee Differences
As a state-owned university, UMYU charges different tuition rates to students who are indigenes of Katsina State compared to those who are not. Indigene students generally pay a lower rate across most courses, including the medical and health science programs, while non-indigene students pay a higher rate for the same course and level of study. This distinction is common across Nigerian state universities and reflects the fact that state governments subsidize education primarily for their own residents. Candidates applying for Medicine and Surgery or any other College of Health Sciences program at UMYU from outside Katsina State should factor this fee difference into their financial planning, since the gap between indigene and non-indigene rates tends to be more pronounced in the higher-cost medical programs than in general arts or social science courses.
Additional Charges Beyond Tuition
Beyond the base tuition figures above, a fresh medical or health science student at UMYU should budget for several other charges that are billed separately:
- Acceptance fee, generally in the range of ₦10,000 to ₦35,000, paid once by fresh students to confirm their admission offer
- Hostel accommodation, which is optional and typically costs an additional ₦20,000 to ₦30,000 per session, depending on availability and hostel type
- Other levies covering library access, ICT services, sports facilities, and basic medical care, which usually add a modest amount on top of the core tuition
- Late payment penalties, which apply if fees are not settled before the university’s published deadline
Because clinical programs like Medicine and Surgery involve additional practical and laboratory components, students in these courses may also encounter departmental-specific charges at certain stages of the program, particularly once they progress into the clinical years of the MBBS curriculum.
Admission Requirements for Medical Courses at UMYU
Candidates seeking admission into any of UMYU’s College of Health Sciences programs need to meet both the university’s general entry requirements and the more demanding conditions attached to clinical and health science courses.
A candidate needs a minimum of five credit passes in relevant O’Level subjects, including English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, obtained in not more than two sittings of WAEC, NECO, GCE, or an equivalent examination. The candidate must also possess a valid UTME result with an acceptable score and must have selected Umaru Musa Yar’adua University as the first choice institution during JAMB registration. While the university’s general JAMB cut off mark has recently been set around 150, programs within the College of Health Sciences, particularly Medicine and Surgery, Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, and Medical Laboratory Science, require considerably higher departmental cut off marks due to strong competition for the limited available slots.
Candidates should also note that Medicine and Surgery, along with a small number of other highly competitive programs, is sometimes excluded from the university’s regular Post-UTME screening exercise and processed through a separate admission procedure, so applicants targeting MBBS should confirm the specific screening arrangement for their admission cycle directly with the university.
Why Medical Courses Cost More Than Other Programs at UMYU
The higher tuition attached to Medicine and Surgery, Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, and Medical Laboratory Science reflects the specialized infrastructure these programs require. Training future doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and laboratory scientists calls for dedicated clinical laboratories, anatomical and simulation equipment, affiliations with teaching hospitals for practical postings, and a higher ratio of specialist academic and clinical staff per student compared to a standard arts or social science department. These operational costs are reflected directly in the fee structure, which is why the College of Health Sciences consistently sits above the university’s general fee range.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) tuition at UMYU?
MBBS tuition generally falls within an estimated ₦150,000 to ₦280,000 per session, though the exact figure depends on the specific academic session and whether the candidate is an indigene or non-indigene of Katsina State.
Does UMYU charge the same fees for indigenes and non-indigenes studying medical courses?
No. Indigenes of Katsina State generally pay a lower rate than non-indigenes across all courses, including those within the College of Health Sciences.
What is the cut off mark for medical courses at UMYU?
While the university’s general cut off mark has recently been around 150, programs such as Medicine and Surgery, Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, and Medical Laboratory Science require higher departmental cut off marks due to strong competition for admission slots.
Is Medicine and Surgery included in UMYU’s standard Post-UTME screening?
Not always. In some admission cycles, Medicine and Surgery is excluded from the general Post-UTME exercise and processed through a separate, more specific screening procedure, so candidates should confirm the exact arrangement for their admission year.
Are UMYU’s medical courses more expensive than its other programs?
Yes. Programs under the College of Health Sciences, including Medicine and Surgery, Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, and Medical Laboratory Science, cost more per session than the university’s general arts, social science, and education courses due to the additional clinical and laboratory training they require.