Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, runs one of the more established Colleges of Health Sciences among federal universities in Nigeria’s South-East region. Prospective students applying for Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy, Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, and related health disciplines need accurate information on what each programme costs before they commit to the admission process. This article outlines the medical courses UNIZIK offers, the fees attached to them for the 2026/2027 academic session, and the extra costs that apply specifically to health-related programmes.
Medical and Health-Related Courses Offered at UNIZIK
UNIZIK’s College of Health Sciences and its affiliated departments run several undergraduate degree programmes in the medical and allied health field. The courses include:
- Medicine and Surgery (MBBS)
- Pharmacy (B.Pharm)
- Nursing Science (BNSc)
- Medical Laboratory Science
- Physiotherapy / Medical Rehabilitation
- Radiography
- Public Health / Environmental Health Science
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Medical Biochemistry
Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy, and Nursing Science are the most competitive of these programmes and consistently attract the highest number of applicants each admission cycle. Medicine and Surgery runs for about six to seven years depending on whether a student proceeds without repeating any class, while Pharmacy typically runs for five years and Nursing Science for five years as well. Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography, and Physiotherapy generally run for five years, combining classroom instruction with clinical postings at the university’s teaching hospital.
General Fee Structure for UNIZIK Students
As a federal government-owned institution, UNIZIK receives government subvention, which keeps its fees considerably lower than what private universities charge for equivalent medical programmes. Students still pay a combination of separate charges rather than one single amount, and this combination makes up the total cost per session:
- Tuition/school fee – the core departmental charge, which differs by faculty
- Acceptance fee – a one-time payment made after confirming admission, generally in the region of ₦60,000 to ₦65,000 for new students
- Registration fee – covers course form processing and departmental registration
- Library and ICT fee – supports library access and computer-based services
- Medical and health services fee – covers basic healthcare on campus
- Accommodation fee – charged separately for students who secure a hostel space
- Student union dues and sports fee – union levy and sports development charge
- Matriculation fee – applies only to new students during their formal matriculation ceremony
For most non-medical faculties, the overall new-student payment for a session generally falls between ₦100,000 and ₦165,000 once all these components are combined, while returning students typically pay a reduced figure since they do not repeat the one-time charges tied to fresh admission.
School Fees for Medicine and Surgery
Medicine and Surgery carries the highest fee among UNIZIK’s undergraduate programmes because of the additional cost of clinical training, laboratory use, and affiliation with the university’s teaching hospital. The base departmental school fee for Medicine and Surgery sits noticeably above what students in non-medical faculties pay, and clinical-year students (typically from 400 level onward, once they move into hospital-based postings) incur further charges connected to ward rotations, clinical supervision, and hospital-based practicals. Because of this, a new medical student’s total first-year payment, once acceptance fee, tuition, and other mandatory charges are combined, can run considerably higher than the general university average, sometimes reaching into the ₦250,000 to ₦300,000 range depending on the specific charges applied that session.
School Fees for Pharmacy, Nursing Science, and Medical Laboratory Science
Pharmacy, Nursing Science, and Medical Laboratory Science also carry fees above the general faculty average, though not as high as Medicine and Surgery. These three programmes share a similar fee bracket at the departmental tuition level, with practical and laboratory charges added on top because all three require hands-on laboratory work, and Nursing Science in particular involves clinical postings that come with their own supervision charges.
Estimated Fee Breakdown Table for Medical Courses
The table below presents the approved departmental school fee figures reported for UNIZIK’s health-related programmes, alongside the acceptance fee that applies to all new students. These are the tuition-level charges before accommodation, clinical/hospital charges (where applicable), and other optional costs are added.
| Course | Duration | Departmental School Fee (New Students) | Acceptance Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) | 6–7 years | ₦76,000 (plus additional clinical/hospital charges from clinical years onward) | ₦60,000 – ₦65,000 |
| Pharmacy (B.Pharm) | 5 years | ₦63,500 | ₦60,000 – ₦65,000 |
| Nursing Science (BNSc) | 5 years | ₦63,500 (plus clinical posting charges) | ₦60,000 – ₦65,000 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | 5 years | ₦63,500 | ₦60,000 – ₦65,000 |
| Radiography | 5 years | ₦63,500 | ₦60,000 – ₦65,000 |
| Physiotherapy/Medical Rehabilitation | 5 years | ₦63,500 | ₦60,000 – ₦65,000 |
| Public/Environmental Health Science | 4–5 years | ₦55,500 – ₦63,500 | ₦60,000 – ₦65,000 |
These figures reflect recent approved departmental charges and are subject to periodic review by the university’s governing council. Students should not treat the table as a final invoice; it works best as a guide for budgeting while the exact current figure is confirmed through the official student portal at the point of registration.
Why Medicine and Surgery Costs More Than Other Health Courses
Medicine and Surgery’s higher overall cost comes from the structure of the programme itself rather than a deliberate decision to price it apart from other courses. Once a medical student advances into the clinical phase of training, coursework shifts from lecture-hall instruction to supervised practice inside the teaching hospital. This shift brings added costs: ward-based clinical supervision, use of hospital equipment and consumables, examination formats that involve practical assessment with patients, and coordination between the university and the teaching hospital administration. Pharmacy and Medical Laboratory Science carry some of these same laboratory-based costs but on a smaller scale, which is why their fees sit closer to the general science-faculty range while still remaining above arts and management courses.
Accommodation and Other Recurring Costs for Medical Students
Beyond tuition, medical and health science students at UNIZIK budget for a few recurring expenses tied specifically to their field of study:
- Clinical uniforms and equipment – Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, and Physiotherapy students purchase lab coats, stethoscopes, and other clinical tools required for practical sessions.
- Textbooks and practical manuals – Medical courses rely heavily on reference textbooks and dissection or laboratory manuals that are not always covered under the general library fee.
- Hostel accommodation – Students who secure on-campus housing pay a separate hostel charge each session; this is optional but common given the demanding schedule of clinical postings.
- Transportation to clinical sites – Students posted to teaching hospital wards or affiliated health centres sometimes cover their own transportation to and from posting locations.
- Project and clearance fees – Final-year students in each of these programmes pay project supervision and clearance charges before their final examinations and graduation.
How Payment Works
UNIZIK processes school fee payment through its official student portal, where each student generates a Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) specific to their department, level, and student status. Payment is then made through any commercial bank or directly online via the Remita platform, after which the student returns to the portal to confirm payment and print a receipt. New students typically pay the acceptance fee first to confirm their admission before school fees are generated for them on the portal. Payment deadlines are set by the university each session, and students who miss the deadline risk late payment penalties or exclusion from semester examinations, so early payment is the safer approach, particularly for programmes like Medicine and Surgery where practical schedules leave little room for delayed registration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medicine and Surgery the most expensive course at UNIZIK?
Yes. Among undergraduate programmes at UNIZIK, Medicine and Surgery carries the highest overall cost once departmental tuition, acceptance fee, and clinical-year charges are combined, due to the extended clinical training component of the programme.
Do Nursing and Medical Laboratory Science students pay the same fee as Medicine students?
No. Nursing Science and Medical Laboratory Science fall into a lower fee bracket than Medicine and Surgery, though both carry additional practical and clinical charges above what non-medical faculties pay.
Does the school fee cover accommodation for medical students?
No. Hostel accommodation is billed separately from tuition for all UNIZIK students, including those in medical and health-related programmes.
Can medical students pay their fees in instalments?
UNIZIK generally processes payment as a single session charge through the Remita-based portal system, though students should confirm with the bursary department whether instalment arrangements apply in a given session.
Where can I confirm the exact current fee for my medical course?
The most reliable source is the official UNIZIK student portal, where fees are broken down by department and level once a student logs in with their registration details. Fee figures published in third-party guides, including this one, should always be checked against the portal before payment is made.