Many prospective students search for the Covenant University, Ota Medicine and Surgery school fees expecting a straightforward tuition figure. The direct answer is that Covenant University does not currently run an accredited Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) programme, so there is no official school fee for it yet. This article explains the present status of the programme, what the university has announced about launching a College of Health Sciences, what it will likely cost once admission opens, and what Covenant University charges for its existing courses so prospective medical applicants can plan realistically.
Does Covenant University Currently Offer Medicine and Surgery?
No. As of the 2026/2027 admission cycle, Medicine and Surgery is not an admissible course at Covenant University. The university’s own post-UTME and Direct Entry admission guidance for 2026/2027 explicitly states that Covenant does not currently offer Medicine and Surgery, and it warns applicants against attempting to change their course to Medicine on the admission portal, since no such department exists to receive them yet. Any website, agent, or social media post claiming to sell a Medicine and Surgery admission form or fee schedule for Covenant University should be treated with caution, because the programme has not been accredited or opened for enrolment.
This is an important distinction for search intent. A candidate who wants the fee amount for Medicine and Surgery at Covenant University is really asking two separate questions: whether the course exists, and what it is likely to cost once it does. The sections below answer both.
What Covenant University Has Announced About a Medical Programme
Covenant University’s Chancellor, Dr David Oyedepo, has publicly announced plans to establish a College of Health Sciences that will house Medicine and Surgery alongside Anatomy and Physiology as foundational departments. This announcement came during the university’s 17th Convocation ceremony, where the Chancellor responded to calls for the university to expand beyond its traditional strength in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines into professional fields such as Law and Medicine.
A budget of approximately ₦6 billion has been allocated to this expansion, covering the construction of medical training facilities. Reports from late 2025 and early 2026 confirm that groundbreaking and foundation-laying activities for the new Medical College took place at the university’s Ota campus, following a similar foundation-laying ceremony for a College of Law. Job postings for academic staff in the planned health sciences departments have also appeared, which typically signals that a university is building out a faculty ahead of seeking regulatory approval.
Under Nigerian regulatory practice, however, no university can begin admitting students into a Medicine and Surgery programme until it secures accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) and, separately, recognition from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) for the training pathway leading to provisional registration as a doctor. As of this writing, Covenant University’s Medicine and Surgery programme has not received either approval. Construction of facilities is a necessary first step, but it is not the same as regulatory clearance to enrol students, and the two processes typically run on different timelines.
When Is Covenant University Likely to Start Admitting Medical Students?
There is no officially confirmed resumption date for Medicine and Surgery at Covenant University at this time. The announcement of the College of Health Sciences and the ongoing construction work indicate the university is actively working toward the programme, but Nigerian universities generally do not open admission for a new professional programme until construction, staffing, equipping of laboratories and simulation facilities, and the accreditation inspection are all complete. Prospective applicants should monitor Covenant University’s official admissions website and JAMB’s list of NUC-approved courses each admission cycle, since the appearance of Medicine and Surgery on the university’s official course list will be the clearest signal that admission has opened.
Estimating What Medicine and Surgery Fees Might Cost at Covenant University
Although an official fee schedule does not exist yet, Covenant University’s current tuition structure across its existing courses gives a reasonable basis for estimating what a future medical programme is likely to cost. Covenant University prices its courses according to how resource-intensive the training is, with laboratory-heavy and equipment-dependent disciplines charged at the top of the scale. The table below shows the university’s approved tuition fees for the 2026 academic session across its current fee bands.
| Course Category | Example Courses | Approved 2026 Tuition (Per Session) |
|---|---|---|
| Highest fee band | Engineering courses (Mechanical, Electrical/Electronics, Petroleum, Civil, etc.) | ₦2,009,280 |
| Upper-mid fee band | International Relations, Economics, Mass Communication, Architecture, Computer Science | ₦1,959,945 |
| Standard fee band | English, Political Science, Policy and Strategic Studies (Humanities-based courses) | ₦1,733,797.50 |
Medicine and Surgery, once launched, would almost certainly sit above the Engineering fee band, since medical training requires cadaver and anatomy laboratories, simulation wards, extensive clinical equipment, teaching hospital arrangements, and a higher ratio of specialist faculty per student than any of Covenant’s current programmes. Private universities in Nigeria that already run accredited MBBS programmes typically charge several million naira more per session than their standard engineering or science courses, so applicants should expect Covenant’s eventual Medicine and Surgery fee to be substantially higher than the ₦2,009,280 currently charged for Engineering, likely running into several million naira per session once clinical years begin.
These figures cover tuition only. Covenant University also charges separate compulsory fees that apply to every student regardless of course, including an application/screening fee, an acceptance fee for newly admitted students, and hostel accommodation, which is currently priced at roughly ₦185,000 per semester. Because Covenant operates a fully residential system, accommodation is not optional, and prospective medical students should budget for it alongside tuition once the programme opens.
What to Do While Waiting for Medicine and Surgery to Open
Candidates who specifically want to study medicine and are unwilling to wait for Covenant’s programme to gain accreditation have a few realistic paths available in the meantime.
- Apply to an already-accredited medical school. Several public and private Nigerian universities currently run NUC- and MDCN-recognised MBBS/MBChB programmes and admit students every session. A candidate who wants to begin a medical career now rather than wait for an unconfirmed opening date should shortlist these institutions.
- Consider a related life sciences course at Covenant while monitoring the medical programme. Covenant offers several biological and health-related science courses that build a strong foundation and keep an applicant within the university’s academic environment. A student already enrolled in a related science department may be better positioned to transfer once Medicine and Surgery formally opens, depending on the university’s internal transfer policy at that time.
- Explore Covenant’s partnership pathway for international medical training. Covenant University maintains an academic partnership arrangement with St. George’s University in Grenada, which has historically provided a pathway for Covenant graduates, particularly those from Life Sciences-related departments, to pursue medical training abroad after completing an undergraduate degree at Covenant.
- Track official announcements directly. The most reliable way to know when Medicine and Surgery becomes available is to check Covenant University’s official website and its admissions portal directly each admission cycle, rather than relying on third-party fee estimates that may be outdated or speculative.
General Admission Requirements at Covenant University
While Medicine and Surgery specific requirements have not been published, Covenant University’s general undergraduate admission criteria give a sense of the standard a future medical applicant would need to meet, since medicine is typically the most competitive course at any Nigerian university that offers it.
- UTME cut off mark: For the 2026/2027 session, the general minimum score to open a Post-UTME application profile at Covenant is 200, which is notably higher than the national JAMB baseline and reflects the calibre of candidates the university targets.
- O’ Level requirement: A minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, obtained in not more than two sittings in WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB.
- First choice requirement: Covenant University does not consider second-choice candidates; applicants must select Covenant as their first choice institution on their JAMB form to be eligible for screening.
- Post-UTME screening: Covenant conducts its own proctored online screening exercise, the Covenant University Scholastic Aptitude Screening (CUSAS), which candidates take remotely rather than travelling to the Ota campus.
Given that Medicine typically carries one of the highest departmental cut off marks at any university that offers it, a future Covenant Medicine and Surgery applicant should expect a required UTME score meaningfully above the general 200 baseline, likely in a similar range to what top private and federal medical schools in Nigeria currently demand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Covenant University offer Medicine and Surgery in 2026/2027? No. Medicine and Surgery is not currently an admissible course at Covenant University. Candidates cannot select or be screened for this course this session.
Has Covenant University started building a medical college? Yes. The university has held foundation-laying and construction activities for a new College of Health Sciences, with an allocated budget of about ₦6 billion, but construction alone does not mean the programme is open for admission.
How much will Medicine and Surgery cost at Covenant University once it opens? No official fee has been published. Based on Covenant’s current fee structure, where Engineering is the most expensive existing course at ₦2,009,280 per session, Medicine and Surgery is likely to be priced well above that once launched, given the added cost of clinical training and equipment.
Can I change my course to Medicine and Surgery on the Covenant University portal? No. The university has explicitly advised applicants not to attempt this, since the department does not yet exist to receive admissions.
What is the current highest school fee at Covenant University? Engineering programmes currently carry the highest approved tuition at ₦2,009,280 per session, followed by courses such as International Relations, Economics, Mass Communication, Architecture, and Computer Science at ₦1,959,945.