Cross River State offers a mix of options for students who want to study nursing outside the government-run colleges and university nursing departments. This article focuses specifically on the privately owned institutions in the state that train nursing students, the programmes each one runs, and the tuition students should expect to pay. It also clarifies an important distinction that often confuses applicants: most of the widely known “Schools of Nursing” in Cross River State, such as the ones in Calabar, Ogoja, and Itigidi, are state-government-owned, not private. Private nursing training in the state runs mainly through private universities that operate accredited Nursing Science degree programmes, plus at least one private university that also runs basic and post-basic nursing certificate training.
Understanding the Difference Between Public and Private Nursing Institutions in Cross River State
Cross River State runs several nursing training institutions under government ownership. The College of Nursing Sciences in Calabar, the College of Nursing Sciences in Obudu, and the Cross River State College of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences in Itigidi all operate under state government subvention, meaning tuition is significantly subsidized compared to what a privately funded institution would charge. The School of Nursing at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and the Department of Nursing Sciences at the University of Calabar are likewise attached to federal institutions.
Private nursing education in the state, by contrast, comes primarily through private universities that hold Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.NSc) accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) and the National Universities Commission (NUC). These institutions fund their operations entirely through tuition and other privately generated revenue, which is why their fees sit considerably higher than what a state-subsidized college charges. Anyone comparing “private nursing school fees” against the figures published for CONMSIT Itigidi or the College of Nursing Sciences Calabar is comparing two fundamentally different funding models, and the fee gap reflects that difference rather than a difference in quality.
List of Private Universities Offering Nursing Programmes in Cross River State
Three private universities in Cross River State currently run accredited nursing training: Arthur Jarvis University, Havilla University, and British Canadian University. Each is profiled below, along with what is known about their fee structure.
Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo
Arthur Jarvis University holds the distinction of being the first private university established in Cross River State, founded in 2016 and commencing academic activities in 2017. The university runs a Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.NSc) degree under its Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, supported by a dedicated nursing science demonstration room and simulation facilities on campus. The programme carries NMCN accreditation, which qualifies graduates to sit for the licensing examination that grants Registered Nurse (RN) status.
Tuition for Nursing Science at Arthur Jarvis University runs at approximately ₦1,300,000 per session. This figure covers the professional course load nursing demands, which is higher than the university’s tuition for non-medical courses, but the school has positioned its overall fee structure as more moderate than several other private universities running similar professional programmes, largely because of the university’s founder-backed subsidy model.
Havilla University, Nde-Ikom
Havilla University is the first university, public or private, established in the central and northern senatorial districts of Cross River State. Licensed by the NUC in April 2021, the university runs a Nursing Sciences programme alongside Medical Laboratory Science, Physiotherapy, and Public Health, all housed under its health and science-related faculties.
Published general tuition at Havilla University has run between ₦2,000,000 and ₦2,500,000 per session for undergraduate programmes, with new students typically charged at the higher end of that range and returning students at the lower end. Because professional science-based programmes like Nursing Science often carry additional practical and laboratory charges beyond the base tuition figure, applicants should confirm the exact current amount specific to the Nursing Sciences department directly with the university’s admissions office, since published general fee figures do not always break down cleanly by department.
British Canadian University, Obudu (Obufu)
British Canadian University is a private, NUC-accredited university situated in Obudu, Cross River State. It stands out among the state’s private institutions because it runs nursing training at two levels: a university-degree Nursing Science programme under its Basic Medical and Health Sciences cluster, and separate Basic Nursing and Post-Basic Nursing certificate programmes, including tracks that lead to Registered Nurse (RN) and Registered Midwife (RM) certification. This dual structure makes it the closest match in the state to what many applicants picture when searching for a “private nursing school,” since it offers both the four-year degree route and the certificate-based nursing training route under one institution.
Exact published tuition figures specific to the Nursing programmes at British Canadian University vary depending on which track a student enters (degree versus certificate, and basic versus post-basic), and the school’s tuition schedule is subject to session-by-session review. Applicants should request the current fee breakdown by programme type directly from the university’s admissions or bursary office before applying.
Estimated Fee Comparison Table
The table below summarizes what is known about tuition across the three private institutions running nursing training in Cross River State, alongside their programme type, for the 2026/2027 academic session.
| Institution | Location | Nursing Programme Type | Estimated Tuition (per session) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Jarvis University | Akpabuyo, Calabar | B.NSc (Nursing Science degree) | ₦1,300,000 |
| Havilla University | Nde-Ikom | B.NSc (Nursing Science degree) | ₦2,000,000 – ₦2,500,000 |
| British Canadian University | Obudu | B.NSc, plus Basic/Post-Basic Nursing certificates, RN and RM tracks | Varies by programme; confirm directly with the school |
These figures represent tuition only. Additional charges apply across all three institutions and should be budgeted for separately.
Additional Costs Beyond Tuition
Nursing programmes, whether run through a private university or a state college, typically carry costs beyond the base tuition figure because of the practical, laboratory-heavy nature of the training. Prospective students should plan for the following:
- Acceptance fee: a one-time, non-refundable payment made after an admission offer is confirmed
- Practical/laboratory fee: covers access to simulation labs, skills demonstration rooms, and clinical training equipment, which nursing programmes rely on heavily
- Uniform and clinical kit costs: nursing students are required to purchase uniforms, aprons, and basic clinical instruments as part of their training
- Clinical placement/hospital attachment fee: covers the cost of arranging supervised clinical hours at affiliated hospitals
- Hostel/accommodation fee: a separate charge for students choosing on-campus housing
- Examination and registration fees: cover internal university examinations as well as any fees tied to NMCN licensing examination registration in the final year
Because nursing is a professional, practice-based course, these additional charges tend to be higher than what a student in a purely classroom-based discipline at the same university would pay.
Admission Requirements for Private Nursing Programmes in Cross River State
Admission into a Nursing Science degree at any of these private universities generally requires:
- A minimum of five credit passes in relevant O’Level subjects (WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB), including English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, obtained in not more than two sittings.
- A UTME score that meets the institution’s minimum cut-off for Nursing Science, which is typically higher than the university’s general cut-off because nursing is a competitive professional course.
- A satisfactory result in the institution’s Post-UTME screening exercise.
- Supporting documents, including birth certificate, passport photographs, and O’Level result slips or certificates.
Applicants interested in certificate-based Basic Nursing or Post-Basic Nursing programmes, such as those offered at British Canadian University, should confirm entry requirements separately, since certificate programmes sometimes carry different age, qualification, or prior-training requirements than the degree route.
Why Fee Figures Should Always Be Confirmed Directly
Private university fee schedules in Nigeria change more frequently than state-funded institutions, often on a session-by-session basis, and figures published by third-party platforms can lag behind the current approved schedule. Nursing programmes in particular tend to carry departmental charges layered on top of the general university tuition, which is not always reflected in figures quoted for the institution as a whole. For this reason, the safest approach for any applicant is to treat the figures in this guide as a planning benchmark and to request the specific, current Nursing Science fee breakdown directly from the bursary or admissions office of the university in question before making any payment.
Conclusion
Private nursing education in Cross River State is concentrated in three universities: Arthur Jarvis University, Havilla University, and British Canadian University, each running NMCN-accredited Nursing Science programmes, with British Canadian University additionally offering certificate-based nursing and midwifery training. Tuition across these institutions runs well above what government-owned nursing colleges in the state charge, reflecting their self-funded status, and ranges roughly from ₦1,300,000 to ₦2,500,000 per session for the degree route, with additional practical, clinical, and uniform-related charges layered on top. Students should confirm exact current fees directly with each institution and budget for the full cost of a practice-based professional programme, not tuition alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the government-run nursing colleges in Cross River State cheaper than private options?
Yes. State-owned colleges such as CONMSIT Itigidi and the College of Nursing Sciences in Calabar and Obudu receive government subvention, which keeps their tuition significantly lower than what privately funded universities charge for equivalent nursing training.
Which private university in Cross River State has the most affordable nursing tuition?
Based on published figures, Arthur Jarvis University’s Nursing Science tuition, at approximately ₦1,300,000 per session, is lower than the general tuition range published by Havilla University.
Do private university nursing graduates in Cross River State qualify to become licensed nurses?
Graduates of NMCN-accredited Nursing Science programmes are eligible to sit for the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria licensing examination, which grants Registered Nurse status, provided the specific programme holds valid accreditation at the time of graduation.
Can a student study basic nursing without a university degree in Cross River State privately?
British Canadian University in Obudu offers Basic Nursing and Post-Basic Nursing certificate tracks alongside its degree programme, making it currently the main private option in the state for certificate-based nursing training outside the university-degree route.