Redeemer’s University, Ede (RUN), owned by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, is one of Nigeria’s leading faith-based private universities. Prospective medical students frequently search for the cost of studying Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) at the institution, especially now that the university has expanded into full clinical medical training. This article explains the current status of the Medicine and Surgery programme at RUN, what students should expect to pay, and how the fees compare with other private medical schools in Nigeria.
Does Redeemer’s University Offer Medicine and Surgery?
Redeemer’s University runs a Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences that has, for many years, offered pre-clinical and allied health programmes such as Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Biochemistry, Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, Medical Laboratory Science, and Public Health. These programmes prepare students in the foundational sciences that support medical training but do not, on their own, lead to a medical doctor’s licence.
In June 2026, the National Universities Commission (NUC) approved Redeemer’s University to commence the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme, alongside new programmes in Pharmacy, Dental Surgery, and additional Engineering and postgraduate courses. This approval is a major milestone for the university, building on more than a decade of work in public health research through its African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), which gained international recognition for its role in sequencing the Ebola virus and later contributing to COVID-19 genomic surveillance.
With NUC approval now secured, Redeemer’s University is preparing to admit its pioneer set of Medicine and Surgery students, with intake expected to begin from the 2026/2027 academic session. This means the MBBS programme at RUN is newly established, and prospective applicants should treat the fee figures discussed below as a guide based on the university’s existing fee pattern rather than a fixed, long-published rate for the course.
Current Status of Medicine and Surgery Fees at Redeemer’s University
Because the MBBS programme is only just commencing, Redeemer’s University has not published a long-standing, department-specific fee schedule for Medicine and Surgery in the way it has for its older programmes. Students who need the exact current figure should confirm directly with the university’s admissions office or check the official university website, since a newly approved programme’s fee schedule is usually released closer to the resumption of the first cohort and may be reviewed once actual costs of running the clinical programme are established.
That said, there is enough information from the university’s existing fee structure and its stated cost drivers to give applicants a realistic expectation of what Medicine and Surgery will cost.
What Drives the Cost of Medicine and Surgery at RUN
Medicine and Surgery is consistently the most expensive category of programme at private universities in Nigeria, and Redeemer’s University itself acknowledges that medical courses attract the highest fees within the institution because of laboratory, equipment, and practical training costs. Several factors combine to push MBBS fees above every other course at the university:
- Laboratory and equipment costs: Anatomy dissection, physiology practicals, and biochemistry laboratory work require specialised, continuously maintained equipment and consumables.
- Clinical training and teaching hospital access: Clinical years of the MBBS programme require access to a functional teaching hospital or affiliated hospital, ward rounds, and consultant-led bedside teaching, all of which carry higher operating costs than classroom-based instruction.
- Faculty specialisation: Medical schools employ senior consultants, professors of clinical medicine, and specialist lecturers whose remuneration is factored into tuition.
- Accreditation and regulatory compliance: Programmes accredited by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), in addition to NUC, must meet strict staffing, infrastructure, and equipment benchmarks that raise running costs.
- Duration of the programme: MBBS at Nigerian universities typically runs for six years, compared to four to five years for most other undergraduate degrees, which affects the total cost of the degree even where per-session fees appear comparable to other health science courses.
Fees for Related Health Science Programmes at Redeemer’s University
While Medicine and Surgery fees for the newly approved programme are still being finalised, the table below shows what Redeemer’s University currently charges for its existing Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences programmes for the 2025/2026 session. These figures are useful as a benchmark, since Medicine and Surgery is expected to sit above this range, similar to the pattern at other Nigerian private universities where MBBS costs substantially more than Nursing or Medical Laboratory Science.
| Programme | 100 Level | 200 Level | 300 Level | 400 Level | 500 Level | 600 Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy | ₦926,000 | ₦927,500 | ₦911,000 | ₦939,500 | ₦1,027,500 | — |
| Biochemistry | ₦928,000 | ₦929,500 | ₦913,000 | ₦931,500 | ₦1,019,500 | — |
| Human Physiology | ₦951,000 | ₦927,500 | ₦911,000 | ₦939,500 | ₦1,017,500 | — |
| Public Health | ₦1,300,500 | ₦1,302,000 | ₦1,285,500 | ₦1,235,000 | ₦1,458,500 | — |
| Medical Laboratory Science | ₦1,389,500 | ₦1,391,000 | ₦1,374,500 | ₦1,324,000 | ₦1,407,500 | ₦1,486,500 |
| Physiotherapy | ₦1,420,000 | ₦1,421,500 | ₦1,405,000 | ₦1,392,500 | ₦1,367,500 | ₦1,480,000 |
| Nursing Science | ₦1,702,300 | ₦1,906,300 | ₦1,889,800 | ₦1,732,200 | ₦1,478,750 | ₦1,571,500 |
Note that these figures reflect the 2025/2026 session, and Redeemer’s University reviews its fee schedule periodically, so students should expect adjustments for the 2026/2027 session and beyond, including for whichever fee band Medicine and Surgery is placed under.
How Redeemer’s University Medicine and Surgery Fees May Compare to Other Private Medical Schools
To put Redeemer’s University’s likely MBBS pricing into context, it helps to look at what other private universities offering Medicine and Surgery in Nigeria currently charge per session:
| University | Approximate Medicine and Surgery Fees (per session) |
|---|---|
| Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) | ₦5.6 million – ₦6.2 million |
| Babcock University | ₦5.5 million – ₦7 million |
| Bowen University | ₦3.5 million – ₦4.5 million |
| Igbinedion University | ₦1.2 million – ₦4.5 million |
| Madonna University | ₦3 million – ₦3.5 million |
Given that Redeemer’s University’s existing science and health-related programmes are generally priced below the fees charged at ABUAD and Babcock for comparable programmes, it is reasonable to expect that RUN’s Medicine and Surgery fees, once officially released, will likely fall on the moderate end of the private university range rather than at the very top, though this cannot be confirmed until the university publishes the specific figure.
Other Charges Beyond Tuition
Aside from the core tuition fee, students admitted into any programme at Redeemer’s University, including Medicine and Surgery once admissions open, should budget for additional charges that apply university-wide:
- Acceptance fee: Typically between ₦20,000 and ₦30,000, paid once admission is confirmed.
- Accommodation: On-campus hostel fees vary by room type, with self-contained rooms costing more than shared rooms.
- ICT levy: An annual technology access fee of roughly ₦15,000.
- Exam clearance fee: Around ₦10,000, paid before final clearance and certificate collection.
- Late registration fine: About ₦20,000 for students who register after the stipulated deadline.
- ID card replacement: Around ₦5,000 where applicable.
Medical students, because of the practical nature of their training, may also encounter programme-specific charges such as laboratory coats, dissection kits, and clinical posting fees, which some universities bundle into tuition and others list separately.
Payment Plan for Redeemer’s University Fees
Redeemer’s University generally allows students to pay tuition in instalments rather than as one lump sum, which helps spread the financial burden across the session. Under the university’s standard instalment structure, students pay 40% of their fees before first-semester resumption, 20% before first-semester examinations, and the remaining 40% before second-semester resumption. It is worth noting that at comparable private universities, Medicine and Surgery and Law are sometimes excluded from instalment plans and required to be paid in full at the point of registration, so applicants into RUN’s new MBBS programme should confirm directly with the university’s finance office whether the same instalment structure will apply to medical students.
Why the Exact Medicine and Surgery Fee Isn’t Fixed Yet
It is normal for a newly accredited programme not to have a long-standing published fee schedule immediately after NUC approval. Universities typically finalise fees for a new professional programme close to the resumption date of the first cohort, once staffing, equipment procurement, and clinical training arrangements with teaching or affiliated hospitals are settled. Applicants interested in the pioneer set for Medicine and Surgery at Redeemer’s University should regularly check the university’s official admissions channels and portal for the released fee schedule, rather than relying on unofficial figures.
FAQs
Does Redeemer’s University currently run a Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) programme?
Redeemer’s University received NUC approval in June 2026 to commence the MBBS programme, with the pioneer intake expected from the 2026/2027 academic session. Before this approval, the university offered only pre-clinical and allied health programmes such as Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Nursing, and Medical Laboratory Science.
How much will Medicine and Surgery cost at Redeemer’s University?
The official fee for the MBBS programme has not yet been published, since it is a newly approved course. Based on the university’s existing fee pattern, where its health science programmes range from about ₦900,000 to over ₦1.9 million per session, and comparing this with other private universities where MBBS costs between ₦3 million and ₦7 million per session, Medicine and Surgery at RUN will likely be priced significantly above the university’s other programmes.
Can Medicine and Surgery students at Redeemer’s University pay fees in instalments?
The general university-wide policy allows fees to be paid in three instalments across the session. However, some private universities exclude professional programmes like Medicine and Law from instalment plans, so applicants should confirm the specific payment policy for MBBS once admissions officially open.
Is Redeemer’s University a good option for studying Medicine and Surgery?
Redeemer’s University brings over a decade of recognised strength in medical and public health research through ACEGID, along with an established Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences. This gives its new MBBS programme a strong scientific foundation, though prospective students should also confirm details such as teaching hospital affiliation, clinical training arrangements, and Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) accreditation status before applying.