The University of Delta, Agbor, widely known by its short form UNIDEL, is a Delta State-owned university established in 2021. It runs its academic activities across three campuses within the Agbor metropolis, namely Agbor, Owa-Alore, and Owa-Oyibu. Among its most sought-after programmes is Medicine and Surgery, offered through the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, leading to the award of the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. Because Medicine and Surgery is one of the most competitive and capital-intensive courses to run at any Nigerian university, prospective students and their sponsors need a clear picture of what the programme costs before applying.
This article breaks down what students currently pay to study Medicine and Surgery at UNIDEL, how the fee compares for indigenes and non-indigenes of Delta State, what other charges apply on top of tuition, and what a candidate needs to gain admission into the programme for the 2026/2027 academic session.
Overview of Medicine and Surgery at UNIDEL
UNIDEL structures its Medicine and Surgery programme as a six-year course, in line with the standard MBBS curriculum used across Nigerian medical schools. Students begin with a foundation year covering basic sciences before proceeding into pre-clinical and clinical training phases, which include hospital-based clinical postings, ward rounds, and supervised patient care under the guidance of qualified physicians. Because of the specialized equipment, laboratory demands, and clinical training infrastructure the course requires, Medicine and Surgery costs considerably more per session than most other undergraduate programmes at the university.
How Much Does Medicine and Surgery Cost at UNIDEL?
Tuition for Medicine and Surgery at UNIDEL is charged per session rather than per semester, and the amount a student pays depends on their state-of-origin status. Students who are indigenes of Delta State pay a lower rate than students who are non-indigenes, a common practice among Nigerian state-owned universities designed to make tertiary education more accessible to residents of the state that funds the institution.
| Fee Category | Delta State Indigenes | Non-Indigenes |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery Tuition (per session) | Approximately ₦360,000 | Approximately ₦400,000 |
| Acceptance Fee (new students only) | Approximately ₦53,250–₦63,250 | Approximately ₦60,750–₦73,250 |
| Hostel Accommodation (per session, where applicable) | Varies by hostel and session | Varies by hostel and session |
These figures represent tuition alone and do not include one-time charges that apply specifically to newly admitted students, such as medical clearance fees, faculty and departmental dues, ID card charges, and library or ICT charges that most Nigerian universities bill separately from the core school fee. Because UNIDEL periodically reviews its fee schedule from one academic session to the next, and because acceptance fee figures have shown a modest year-on-year increase in recent sessions, prospective students should treat the amounts above as a reliable estimate rather than a fixed figure, and should always confirm the exact current amount on the official UNIDEL fee payment portal before making any payment.
Why Medicine and Surgery Costs More Than Other Courses
Medicine and Surgery consistently ranks among the most expensive programmes at any Nigerian university, UNIDEL included, and this is not arbitrary. The course requires dedicated laboratories for anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pathology, along with access to teaching hospitals or affiliated clinical training sites where students complete their clerkships and internships. Running these facilities, maintaining specialized equipment, and paying clinical instructors and consultants all add significant cost that gets reflected in the tuition students pay, compared to programmes in the humanities, social sciences, or general arts that do not require the same level of infrastructure. Students weighing the cost of Medicine and Surgery against other science-based courses like Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, or Biochemistry at UNIDEL should expect Medicine to sit at the top of the fee scale.
Other Charges Newly Admitted Medical Students Should Expect
Beyond the core tuition, new students admitted into Medicine and Surgery at UNIDEL typically encounter several additional charges during their first year. These include:
- Acceptance fee, paid immediately after a candidate confirms their admission offer, which serves as proof that the candidate has accepted the university’s offer of provisional admission.
- Medical clearance fee, which covers the cost of the mandatory medical examination the university conducts on all new students, including blood tests and other basic health screenings, to confirm the student’s fitness to begin the programme.
- Faculty and departmental dues, charged by the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences or Faculty of Clinical Sciences to cover departmental activities, practicals, and administrative costs specific to the medical programme.
- Hostel accommodation fee, for students who choose to live on campus rather than arrange off-campus housing in Agbor or its environs.
- Identity card, library, and ICT charges, which most Nigerian universities bundle as standard one-time fees for new students.
Returning students in subsequent years of the programme generally pay a reduced fee compared to fresh students, since several of the one-time charges listed above apply only in the first year.
Admission Requirements for Medicine and Surgery at UNIDEL
Gaining admission into Medicine and Surgery at UNIDEL, like at any Nigerian medical school, is highly competitive, and candidates need to meet both O’Level and UTME requirements before they can be considered.
For O’Level requirements, a candidate needs a minimum of five credit passes obtained in not more than two sittings at WAEC, NECO, or an equivalent examination. The five credits must include English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, since these subjects form the scientific foundation the MBBS curriculum builds on.
For UTME requirements, candidates must sit for the JAMB examination with English Language, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as their subject combination, since this is the standard combination required for Medicine and Surgery at virtually every Nigerian university, UNIDEL included.
Beyond UTME, candidates must also pass UNIDEL’s post-UTME screening exercise, which typically tests candidates further on relevant science subjects and verifies their O’Level results and other application documents. Because Medicine and Surgery is one of the most oversubscribed courses in Nigerian higher education, the cut-off mark and post-UTME screening standard for the programme tend to be considerably higher than the university’s general cut-off mark, so candidates aiming for the course should score as high as realistically possible in the UTME to improve their chances.
Direct Entry candidates, who typically hold a relevant Advanced Level qualification, a National Diploma, or a first degree in a related biological or basic medical science field with at least a Second Class Lower Division, may also apply, though direct entry slots into Medicine and Surgery are generally far more limited than the regular UTME entry route across Nigerian universities.
How to Pay UNIDEL Medicine and Surgery School Fees
UNIDEL processes tuition and other fee payments through its online school fees portal rather than requiring students to pay directly at a bank counter. Students typically follow these steps:
- Visit the official UNIDEL fee payment portal and log in using the credentials provided after admission.
- Locate the “Edit” option on the application record to access the payment section.
- Click “Add Online Payment Ticket” to generate a new payment invoice for the specific fee being paid.
- Make payment using an ATM-enabled Verve or MasterCard through the Interswitch payment gateway linked to the portal.
- After payment, open the Payment ID of the generated ticket to review the transaction.
- Confirm the payment details on the confirmation page and submit to complete the process.
Students should always keep a copy of their payment receipt or confirmation for their records and for use during physical or online registration at the start of each session.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Medicine and Surgery cost per session at UNIDEL?
Tuition is approximately ₦360,000 per session for Delta State indigenes and approximately ₦400,000 per session for non-indigenes, though these figures exclude acceptance fees and other one-time charges for new students.
Is UNIDEL Medicine and Surgery fee paid per semester or per session?
The fee is paid once per session, not broken down into semester installments.
Does the acceptance fee count as part of the school fees?
No. The acceptance fee is separate from tuition and is paid only once, immediately after a candidate accepts their admission offer.
What UTME subjects are required for Medicine and Surgery at UNIDEL?
Candidates need English Language, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as their UTME subject combination, alongside five O’Level credits in the same subjects plus Mathematics.
Do returning medical students pay the same fee as new students?
No. Returning students generally pay less than fresh students because several one-time charges, such as the acceptance fee and medical clearance fee, apply only during the first year of admission.