10 Cheapest Private Universities in Nigeria in 2026 and Their School Fees

Private universities in Nigeria have a reputation for being expensive.

And in many cases, that is true.

Some private universities now charge more than ₦2 million per session, while Medicine, Nursing and other professional courses can cost several million naira.

But not every private university is that expensive.

There are still schools where selected undergraduate programmes cost between roughly ₦200,000 and ₦600,000 per session, although accommodation and other compulsory charges may increase the final amount.

The problem is that many lists online still use old fees.

So instead of simply copying the usual "cheapest private universities" list, we checked newer fee schedules and university portals where possible.

Quick Answer

Some of the most affordable private universities in Nigeria include:

1. Paul University, Awka
2. Al-Hikmah University
3. Al-Qalam University
4. Tansian University
5. Fountain University
6. Oduduwa University
7. Obong University
8. Novena University
9. Coal City University
10. Achievers University

However, there is no official national ranking of the cheapest private universities in Nigeria.

Your actual cost depends on:

• course
• level
• accommodation
• compulsory levies
• scholarship eligibility
• academic session

Cheapest Private Universities in Nigeria: A Quick Look

Important: Do not use this table as a payment invoice. Always confirm the amount for your course directly from the university before paying.

1. Paul University, Awka

Location: Awka, Anambra State

Paul University is one of the more affordable private universities for students studying regular non-health programmes.

Recent 2025/2026 fee information puts tuition for many programmes at about ₦190,000 per session.

This includes programmes in areas such as:

• Arts
• Education
• Social Sciences
• Management Sciences
• some Natural and Applied Sciences

Additional charges apply for things such as acceptance, portal access, faculty dues, accommodation and other university services.

A recent breakdown puts the total at roughly ₦362,000 when accommodation and major compulsory charges are included.

Professional programmes are significantly more expensive.

Paul University's official 2025/2026 admission portal lists:

• Nursing Science: ₦897,000 for new students
• other Health Sciences: ₦542,000
• Law: ₦887,000

The university also charges a ₦20,000 acceptance fee and ₦5,000 yearly portal access fee.

So Paul University can be cheap for some courses, but not every programme.

2. Al-Hikmah University

Location: Ilorin, Kwara State

Al-Hikmah University is another interesting option because its fees vary dramatically by faculty.

Its official 2025/2026 portal lists a fresh student in the Faculty of Agriculture at ₦242,825.

Fresh Education students are listed at around ₦343,000, while some subsidised programmes are around ₦367,500.

However, do not assume every Al-Hikmah student pays around ₦300,000.

For example, the same official fee schedule lists:

• Natural and Applied Sciences: ₦850,000 for some freshers
• Public Health: ₦1.38 million
• Medical Laboratory Science: ₦1.61 million
• Nursing: ₦1.72 million
• Law: ₦1.68 million
• Medicine and Surgery: over ₦4 million

So Al-Hikmah belongs on an affordable-university list mainly because certain programmes remain relatively inexpensive.

3. Al-Qalam University, Katsina

Location: Katsina State

Al-Qalam University is another private university with relatively affordable programmes.

The latest detailed 2025/2026 fee breakdown we found puts some 100-level Education programmes at approximately ₦255,887.

Examples include:

• Hausa Education
• Islamic Studies Education
• Arabic Education
• English Education
• Accounting Education
• Economics Education

Humanities programmes such as Arabic, Islamic Studies and Hausa were around ₦274,900, while Social and Management Science programmes were around ₦350,950.

Computer Science and some laboratory-based programmes were higher, at around ₦402,950 for 100 level.

Al-Qalam operates its official payment process through its student information portal, but students should confirm their current generated invoice before payment.

4. Tansian University

Location: Umunya, Anambra State

Tansian University is frequently mentioned among Nigeria's affordable private universities.

For the 2026/2027 session, recent fee information gives approximately:

Tansian's official website provides its payment channel, although the complete current fee table is not publicly displayed on the payment page.

For students studying Education, Philosophy and some standard undergraduate programmes, the university can therefore be relatively affordable.

5. Fountain University

Location: Osogbo, Osun State

Fountain University has one advantage for this comparison:

its 2026/2027 fees are publicly available on the university's official website.

For fresh students, some of the cheapest programmes include:

• Arabic: ₦319,000
• Islamic Studies: ₦319,000
• Arabic Education: ₦330,000
• English Education: ₦330,000
• Islamic Studies Education: ₦330,000
• Computer Science Education: ₦330,000
• Economics Education: ₦330,000

Other programmes cost more.

For example:

• English: ₦481,800
• Accounting: ₦766,656
• Business Administration: ₦766,656
• Economics: ₦766,656

Professional health programmes are considerably more expensive.

So Fountain University can be affordable, particularly for selected Arts and Education courses.

6. Oduduwa University

Location: Ipetumodu, Osun State

Oduduwa University appears near the top of almost every "cheapest private university" article on Google.

But there is an important problem.

Some current search results still quote fees as low as ₦98,000 to ₦150,000 per session.

The university's own publicly available fee notice says:

₦195,000 per semester

with two semesters making one session.

That comes to approximately:

₦390,000 per session

The university also states that practical-oriented courses attract an additional ₦50,000.

There is one limitation.

That official page was originally published several years ago and we did not find a newer public fee table on the university website.

So do not assume ₦390,000 is guaranteed for 2026/2027.

Contact the university or check your current admission invoice before paying.

7. Obong University

Location: Obong Ntak, Akwa Ibom State

Obong University has one of the clearest current fee structures.

Its official 2026/2027 undergraduate schedule lists:

Mass Communication, English and Religious Studies

Tuition: ₦290,000

Other charges: ₦160,000

Total before accommodation:

₦450,000

Business Administration, Political Science, Accounting, Economics and related programmes

Tuition: ₦340,000

Other charges: ₦160,000

Total:

₦500,000

Computer Science costs more at ₦440,000 tuition plus ₦160,000 charges.

The university lists optional hostel accommodation at:

• ₦60,000
• ₦70,000

depending on hostel type.

This makes Obong one of the more transparent affordable private-university options in this list.

8. Novena University

Location: Ogume, Delta State

Novena University also has relatively affordable standard undergraduate programmes compared with many private institutions.

Recent 2025/2026 fee information puts standard undergraduate costs at approximately:

• tuition and other academic fee: ₦200,000
• acceptance: ₦40,000
• registration: ₦40,000
• library: ₦20,000
• medical test: ₦10,000
• medical fee: ₦30,000
• examination: ₦40,000
• development levy: ₦50,000
• other smaller charges

This puts the approximate total at ₦459,000 before accommodation.

A hostel adds around ₦80,000, bringing the estimated total to approximately ₦539,000 for some programmes.

Professional programmes can be significantly more expensive, so check your course before applying.

9. Coal City University

Location: Enugu State

Coal City University is another school worth comparing, although its fee structure has changed and different online sources still quote conflicting totals.

Its official website currently hosts a 2025/2026 fee schedule.

Recent extracts from that schedule put some lower-cost 100-level programmes, particularly the school's BEMAPS group, at around ₦585,900 per session.

BEMAPS includes programmes such as:

• Biochemistry
• Economics
• Mass Communication
• Microbiology
• Accountancy
• Political Science
• Sociology

Other programmes can cost substantially more, especially Allied Health courses.

Because Coal City's fees have changed over time, use the school's current fee schedule rather than older articles that quote totals around ₦300,000.

10. Achievers University

Location: Owo, Ondo State

Achievers University is slightly different from the other schools on this list because its biggest affordability advantage comes through scholarships and tuition waivers.

The university officially offers some programmes with 100% tuition scholarships.

Students in eligible programmes pay annual sundry charges rather than normal tuition.

Examples include:

• Economics
• Sociology
• Banking and Finance
• Guidance and Counselling
• Library and Information Science
• Health Information Management
• Procurement Management

The university's scholarship page lists an annual sundry fee of about ₦300,000 for several of these programmes.

However, accommodation is additional.

For 2026/2027, Achievers lists:

• 6-person room: ₦300,000
• 4-person room: ₦400,000
• clinical hostel: ₦750,000

and states that the university operates a largely residential system.

So Achievers can be cheap academically if you qualify for a tuition waiver, but your total cost will still be much higher once accommodation is included.

Which Is the Cheapest Private University in Nigeria?

There is no permanent official answer.

The answer changes depending on whether you compare:

• tuition only
• total compulsory fees
• accommodation
• a scholarship
• one particular course

For example, Paul University may have tuition of around ₦190,000 for many standard programmes, but extra charges increase the total.

Al-Hikmah has a fresh Agriculture fee around ₦242,825, but some of its professional programmes cost more than ₦1 million.

Tansian can cost around ₦258,000 for Philosophy or Education, but Law costs considerably more.

So instead of asking only:

Which private university is cheapest?

also ask:

Which private university is cheapest for the course I want to study?

Be Careful With Very Old Fee Lists

This is particularly important for private universities.

You may see Google results claiming:

• Oduduwa University: ₦98,000
• Al-Hikmah: ₦106,500
• Obong University: ₦170,000

Those figures may have been correct in an older session or may represent tuition without additional compulsory charges.

For example, Obong University's actual official 2026/2027 schedule now puts its cheapest listed combination at about ₦450,000 before hostel.

Always check the academic session attached to a fee.

Private University Tuition vs Total School Fees

This distinction matters.

Imagine a university advertises:

Tuition: ₦250,000

You may still need to pay:

• acceptance fee
• registration
• ICT
• medical fee
• library fee
• development levy
• departmental charges
• accommodation
• laboratory fee

Your actual bill could easily become ₦450,000 or more.

That is why this article focuses on the real fee picture, not just headline tuition.

Are Private Universities Cheaper Than Federal or State Universities?

Usually, no.

Federal universities are generally the cheapest because of government funding.

State universities usually come next.

Private universities generally cost more because they depend heavily on student fees to fund operations.

You can compare:

10 Cheapest Federal Universities in Nigeria in 2026 and Their School Fees

and

10 Cheapest State Universities in Nigeria in 2026 and Their School Fees

before deciding.

Should You Choose a Private University Just Because It Is Cheap?

No.

Before applying, also check:

Accreditation

Confirm that the university and your specific programme are properly approved.

Your Course

A university may be cheap for Education but extremely expensive for Nursing.

Accommodation

Some private universities require students to live on campus.

Payment Plan

A higher total fee may be easier to manage if the university allows instalments.

Location

Transport and living costs still matter.

Academic Environment

Consider facilities, stability, lecturers, internships and career opportunities.

Final Thoughts

Private university education in Nigeria does not always have to cost several million naira.

Schools such as Paul University, Al-Hikmah University, Al-Qalam University, Tansian University, Fountain University and Obong University still provide relatively affordable options for selected courses.

But there is one rule you should remember:

Never choose a university using only the lowest fee you see on Google.

Find your exact programme.

Check whether the figure is tuition only.

Add compulsory charges and accommodation.

Then confirm the amount directly from the university.

That gives you a much more realistic picture of what the university will actually cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest private university in Nigeria?

There is no official permanent ranking. Paul University, Al-Hikmah, Al-Qalam, Tansian and Fountain University have some relatively affordable programmes based on recent fee information.

Which private university has school fees below ₦300,000?

Some programmes at Al-Hikmah and Al-Qalam fall below ₦300,000, while Tansian lists Philosophy and Education around that range. The final bill may include additional charges.

How much is the cheapest private university in Nigeria?

For selected programmes, academic charges can start around ₦200,000 to ₦300,000 per session, but the total cost is usually higher after accommodation and compulsory fees.

Is Oduduwa University still ₦98,000?

Do not rely on that figure. Oduduwa University's own public fee notice lists ₦195,000 per semester, or roughly ₦390,000 per session, although students should confirm the latest current amount directly with the university.

Which private university is cheapest for Nursing?

Nursing usually costs far more than Arts, Education and Social Science courses. Compare Nursing fees separately rather than relying on a university's lowest advertised fee.

Are there private universities with scholarships?

Yes. Achievers University, for example, officially provides major tuition waivers for selected undergraduate programmes.

Can private university fees be paid in instalments?

Many private universities allow structured or instalment payments, but the rules differ by institution.

Are private universities cheaper than state universities?

Generally no. State universities usually receive government subsidies and therefore tend to be cheaper.

Are private universities cheaper than federal universities?

Generally no. Federal universities are usually the cheapest category of university in Nigeria.

What should I check before paying school fees?

Confirm your programme, academic session, acceptance fee, compulsory levies, accommodation and the university's official payment channel before making any payment.