The College of Nursing Sciences, Kano is a state-owned tertiary institution under the Kano State Ministry of Health, responsible for training nurses and midwives who serve within and outside the state’s healthcare system. It runs across four campuses — Kano, Madobi, Dambatta, and Gwarzo — and offers programmes recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). This article explains the school fees, admission requirements, available programmes, and application procedure for candidates targeting the 2026/2027 academic session.
Background of the College of Nursing Sciences, Kano
The origin of the institution traces back to 1948, making it one of the earliest nursing training centres in Nigeria. What began as a single school later expanded into a multi-campus college once the state government identified the need to train a larger nursing workforce to meet growing healthcare demands. Formal lectures at the current permanent site on New Hospital Road, Gyadi-Gyadi, Kano, started in September 1989, and the site was commissioned later that year. The Kano State College of Nursing and Midwifery was then formally constituted in May 2012, bringing together seven schools under one collegiate structure, with the School of Nursing, Kano as one of its constituent schools.
Today, the college operates as a state monotechnic focused entirely on nursing and midwifery education, with its main administrative campus located on Court Road, adjacent to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano. Its programmes are accredited by the NMCN, which is the professional regulatory body responsible for setting and enforcing standards for nursing and midwifery training across Nigeria.
Programmes Offered at the College of Nursing Sciences, Kano
The college runs several distinct programmes spread across its four campuses. A candidate applying for admission needs to first decide which specific programme and campus fit their qualification and career goal, since entry requirements and campus-specific cut-off marks can differ slightly between programmes.
| Programme | Level | Campuses Offering It |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Nursing | Certificate/Diploma | Kano |
| National Diploma (ND) in Nursing | ND | Kano |
| Basic Midwifery | Certificate/Diploma | Kano, Dambatta, Gwarzo |
| Community Midwifery | Certificate/Diploma | Kano, Madobi, Dambatta, Gwarzo |
| Community Nursing | Certificate/Diploma | Kano, Madobi, Dambatta, Gwarzo |
| Post-Basic Nursing (HND) | HND | Kano, Madobi |
| Post-Basic Nursing Anaesthesia | HND/Post-Basic | Kano (in collaboration with Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital) |
The Basic Nursing programme trains students to become Registered Nurses, while Basic Midwifery and Community Midwifery focus on maternal and child healthcare. Community Nursing prepares graduates for public health-oriented nursing roles, particularly in primary healthcare settings, and the Post-Basic (HND) programmes are meant for nurses who already hold a Registered Nurse (RN) or Registered Midwife (RM) qualification and want to specialise further or advance academically.
School Fees at the College of Nursing Sciences, Kano
School fees at the college vary depending on the specific programme a student is admitted into, and whether the student is a fresh admission or a returning student. As with most Nigerian nursing schools, tuition for new students is generally higher than for returning students because new students pay one-off charges such as registration, matriculation, and identity card fees that do not recur in subsequent years.
The school does not review its tuition upward every session; in many cases, the same fee structure applies across two or more academic sessions before any adjustment is made. Based on the fee pattern applied by the college and similar state-run nursing schools in Kano State, a student should expect to budget within the following ranges:
| Fee Category | Estimated Range (₦) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application/registration fee | 4,000 – 10,000 | Paid online before screening; varies by programme (Basic vs Post-Basic) |
| Acceptance fee | 5,000 – 15,000 | Paid once, after admission is confirmed |
| Tuition, fresh students (per session) | 40,000 – 90,000 | Higher for Post-Basic/HND programmes than Basic Nursing or Midwifery |
| Tuition, returning students (per session) | 30,000 – 60,000 | Lower than fresh students since one-off charges do not apply |
| Hostel accommodation | Charged separately | Not included in the standard tuition schedule |
These figures represent the general range within which the college’s fees typically fall, since the exact tuition amount for a given session, particularly for a specific programme such as Basic Midwifery versus Post-Basic Nursing Anaesthesia, is confirmed and published by the college’s bursary department at the point of admission. Candidates preparing financially for the 2026/2027 session should treat the figures above as a planning guide and confirm the exact, current amount directly from the college once admission is offered, since fee schedules bundled with hostel charges and other miscellaneous levies can shift the total a student ultimately pays.
What the Fees Typically Cover
Payment made at the point of registration is usually a combination of several charges rather than a single tuition line. A student’s fee package commonly includes:
- Tuition for the academic session
- Registration and matriculation processing (new students only)
- Identity card and library fees
- Practical/clinical posting fees, since nursing training involves supervised hospital attachments
- Examination fees
- Uniform-related charges, as students are required to wear approved uniforms during lectures and clinical postings
Hostel accommodation and daily transportation to clinical posting sites are handled separately from the core tuition. The college arranges a subsidised bus service to convey students to and from clinical areas each day, which students pay for independently of their main school fees.
Admission Requirements
Admission into any of the college’s programmes follows entry requirements set jointly by the Kano State Ministry of Health and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. The general requirements include:
- O’Level Qualification: Candidates need five credit passes, including English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, obtained from WAEC, NECO, or GCE in not more than two sittings. NABTEB certificates are also accepted, but must come from a single sitting.
- JAMB UTME Requirement (for ND and Basic Nursing candidates): Applicants for the ND Nursing programme must sit the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and select the College of Nursing Sciences, Kano as their first choice institution. The minimum cut-off mark applied in recent admission cycles has been around 160 out of 400, though this figure can be adjusted from one session to another.
- Age Requirement: Candidates are generally expected to be within an acceptable age bracket set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which typically excludes very young or considerably older applicants for the Basic programmes.
- Prior Qualification for Post-Basic Programmes: Candidates applying for Post-Basic Nursing (HND) or Post-Basic Nursing Anaesthesia must already hold a Registered Nurse (RN) qualification, and in some cases, relevant post-qualification working experience.
- Entrance Examination and Screening: After meeting the academic requirements, candidates proceed to a screening exercise or entrance examination organised by the college, which forms part of the final selection process alongside the JAMB score, where applicable.
How to Apply
Applying to the College of Nursing Sciences, Kano follows a structured online process managed through the Kano State Ministry of Health’s health portal. The general steps are:
- Visit the official Kano State Ministry of Health application portal and register with a valid phone number and email address.
- Select the specific school (Kano, Madobi, Dambatta, or Gwarzo) and the intended programme, such as Basic Nursing, Basic Midwifery, Community Nursing, or a Post-Basic option.
- Pay the stipulated application fee, which differs slightly depending on whether the programme is a Basic-level or Post-Basic-level course.
- Complete the online form with accurate bio-data and academic qualification details, and upload the required documents.
- Print the generated payment invoice and make payment at the designated bank, then return to the portal to upload evidence of payment for verification at the college’s bursary unit.
- Download and print the acknowledgement slip, and watch for further communication regarding the entrance examination or screening date, time, and venue.
Candidates who applied through JAMB for the ND Nursing programme should additionally ensure they meet the required UTME cut-off mark and are shortlisted for the Post-UTME screening exercise organised separately by the college.
Duration of Study
The Basic Nursing and Basic Midwifery programmes typically run for three years, in line with the national standard set for nursing training in Nigeria. The ND Nursing programme, where applicable, follows a similar structure to other National Diploma programmes recognised by the NBTE. Post-Basic (HND) programmes generally take a shorter duration, often between twelve and eighteen months, since they build on a qualification the student already holds as a Registered Nurse or Registered Midwife.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the College of Nursing Sciences, Kano a government-owned institution?
Yes. It operates under the Kano State Ministry of Health as a state-owned monotechnic dedicated to nursing and midwifery training.
How much should a candidate budget for school fees?
Fresh students should budget roughly ₦40,000 to ₦90,000 in tuition per session, depending on the programme, in addition to a separate application fee, acceptance fee, and hostel charge if accommodation is needed. The exact figure should be confirmed with the college’s bursary office at the point of admission.
What is the minimum JAMB score needed for ND Nursing admission?
Recent admission cycles have applied a cut-off mark of around 160 out of 400 for candidates who select the college as their first choice, though this can vary slightly by session.
Can a candidate apply without science subjects in their O’Level result?
No. Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, alongside English Language and Mathematics, are compulsory subjects for admission into the Basic Nursing and Midwifery programmes.
Does the college offer accommodation to students?
Yes, though hostel accommodation is billed separately from tuition and is subject to availability at each campus.