Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), located in Bauchi State, is one of Nigeria’s long-standing federal universities of technology. Beyond its strong engineering and science programmes, the university runs a College of Medical Sciences that trains students for careers in clinical medicine and allied health practice. This article explains the medical courses currently offered at ATBU, the admission route into each, and what is known about the school fees structure heading into the 2026/2027 academic session.
Overview of ATBU’s College of Medical Sciences
ATBU’s College of Medical Sciences operates across two locations. The pre-clinical arm, where students handle foundational subjects such as anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry, sits at the university’s Gubi Campus. The clinical arm, where students move into hospital-based training and direct patient contact, is domiciled at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi metropolis. This split structure is standard for Nigerian medical colleges, allowing students to build theoretical grounding before transitioning into supervised clinical practice.
The college holds accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC), and its Medicine and Surgery programme is also subject to review by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), the professional body responsible for licensing doctors in the country. Students in the other medical-related programmes graduate into professions regulated by their respective bodies, such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria for nursing graduates and the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria for laboratory science graduates.
Medical Courses Offered at ATBU
The College of Medical Sciences currently runs five undergraduate programmes classified as medical or medical-related courses. Each leads to a professional qualification recognised by the relevant regulatory body in Nigeria.
| Course | Field of Practice | Regulatory Body |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) | Clinical medicine | Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) |
| Nursing Science | Clinical nursing care | Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) |
| Medical Laboratory Science | Diagnostic laboratory practice | Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) |
| Radiography | Diagnostic and therapeutic imaging | Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN) |
| Physiotherapy | Rehabilitation and physical therapy | Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria (MRTBN) |
Beyond these five, students interested in the scientific foundation behind medical practice, without necessarily pursuing a clinical licence, sometimes choose Biochemistry or Microbiology under the Faculty of Science, since both disciplines feed directly into research, diagnostics, and laboratory-based health careers. These two are not run by the College of Medical Sciences itself but remain closely tied to the medical field and are worth mentioning to any candidate weighing a health-related career path at ATBU.
Medicine and Surgery is the longest of these programmes, running for six years and combining pre-clinical study with an extended clinical training period at the teaching hospital. Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography, and Physiotherapy typically run for five years, with the later years built around supervised clinical postings and hospital attachment.
Admission Requirements for ATBU Medical Courses
Gaining admission into any of ATBU’s medical courses follows the standard federal university process, combining UTME performance with the university’s own screening exercise, though the entry bar for medical courses tends to sit higher than for other faculties because of strong competition for limited slots.
For UTME candidates, ATBU generally requires a minimum UTME score to qualify for the screening exercise, though medical courses such as Medicine and Surgery typically demand a higher score than the university-wide minimum because of how competitive the programme is. Candidates must select ATBU as their first choice institution during JAMB registration, hold a minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects (including English Language and Mathematics) from WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB, obtained in not more than two sittings, and be at least 16 years old at the point of admission. For the College of Medical Sciences specifically, the O’Level subject combination must include Physics, Chemistry, and Biology alongside English Language, since these form the core science foundation for any medical or allied health programme.
Direct Entry candidates apply with a minimum of a Second Class Honours degree in Basic Medical Sciences, or strong A-Level passes in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (or Zoology) through IJMB or JUPEB, in addition to meeting the same O’Level credit requirement. Direct Entry applicants complete their application through both the JAMB Direct Entry portal and the ATBU admission portal.
Because Medicine and Surgery, in particular, receives far more applications than available spaces, candidates aiming for this course should expect a considerably higher cut-off mark than other programmes in the college, along with a rigorous post-UTME screening process that may include an aptitude test, interview, or both.
School Fees for Medical Courses at ATBU
As a federal university, ATBU benefits from government subsidy, which keeps its tuition considerably lower than what obtains at private universities or some of the newer specialised federal health science universities established solely for medical training. This puts ATBU’s medical courses within a moderate, comparatively accessible fee range for Nigerian students, though medical and allied health programmes still tend to cost more than the university’s non-technical courses because of the laboratory work, clinical materials, and hospital-based training involved.
The clearest, most verifiable fee figure available is the acceptance fee, which the university charges immediately after a candidate is offered admission and before any other payment is processed. ATBU currently charges an acceptance fee of ₦40,000 for candidates admitted into Medicine and Surgery, while candidates admitted into other courses, including the remaining medical and allied health programmes, pay ₦33,000. This acceptance fee is separate from tuition and other charges, and it must be paid promptly to confirm the admission slot; failure to pay within the university’s stipulated deadline can result in forfeiture of the offer.
Beyond the acceptance fee, the exact tuition and total school fees for each medical course vary by session and are reviewed periodically by the university management. A prospective or newly admitted student should not rely on a fixed naira figure quoted from an unofficial source, since fee schedules for federal universities are adjusted from time to time and can differ from one session to the next. The most reliable way to get the exact figure for the 2026/2027 session is to check the ATBU student portal directly after receiving an admission offer, since the fee invoice generated there reflects the current, approved amount for the specific course and level.
What Makes Up the Total Fee
Regardless of which medical course a student is admitted into, the total amount payable at registration typically includes more than tuition alone. The following components generally apply across ATBU’s medical and allied health programmes:
- Acceptance fee — a one-off payment confirming the admission offer, currently ₦40,000 for Medicine and Surgery and ₦33,000 for other courses.
- Tuition fee — the core academic charge for lectures, seminars, and academic supervision.
- Registration fee — covers formal enrolment into the university’s academic system each session.
- Laboratory and practical fee — covers consumables, specimens, and equipment use, applicable to all five medical courses given their laboratory-heavy curricula.
- ICT/library fee — covers access to the student portal, e-library, and digital academic resources.
- Medical/health services fee — covers basic health services provided to students on campus.
- Examination fee — charged per semester to cover the conduct of examinations.
- Clinical/hospital attachment fee — applies mainly in the later years of Medicine and Surgery, Nursing, Radiography, and Physiotherapy, once students begin supervised clinical postings at ATBUTH.
Fresh students carry a heavier total in their first year because of the one-off acceptance fee and initial registration charges, while returning students typically pay a lighter total made up of tuition, laboratory, and examination fees, since the entry-level charges do not repeat in subsequent sessions.
Payment Process
ATBU processes fee payments through its official student portal. A student logs in using their JAMB registration number as username, with the default password provided by the university, then proceeds to generate a Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) for the applicable fee. Payment can then be completed electronically through a bank card or at any commercial bank using the generated RRR. It is important that the RRR is generated directly through the university’s website, since payments made outside this process may not reflect on the student’s record. After payment, the receipt should be retained and, where necessary, submitted during physical registration or clearance.
Why Medical Courses Cost More Than Other Programmes
Medical and allied health courses at ATBU generally attract higher charges than the university’s engineering, science, or management programmes, largely because of the extended duration of these courses, the cost of laboratory consumables and specimens, and the added expense of clinical training at the teaching hospital in the later years. Medicine and Surgery, being the longest programme at six years and involving the most extensive hospital-based training, sits at the higher end of this cost range among ATBU’s medical offerings, followed by Nursing Science, Radiography, and Physiotherapy, which also involve substantial clinical exposure. Medical Laboratory Science, while laboratory-intensive, typically involves less hospital ward-based training compared to the clinical courses, which can place it slightly lower in overall cost within the medical category.
Frequently Asked Questions
What medical courses does ATBU offer?
ATBU’s College of Medical Sciences offers Medicine and Surgery, Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography, and Physiotherapy. Biochemistry and Microbiology, though run under the Faculty of Science, are also closely linked to medical and laboratory careers.
How much is the ATBU acceptance fee for medical courses?
The acceptance fee is ₦40,000 for Medicine and Surgery and ₦33,000 for the other medical and allied health courses.
What is the minimum UTME score for Medicine and Surgery at ATBU?
Medicine and Surgery typically requires a higher UTME score than the university-wide minimum because of strong competition for available slots. Candidates should confirm the specific cut-off for the 2026/2027 session once released, since it can change from year to year.
Can a student gain admission into ATBU medical courses through Direct Entry?
Yes. Direct Entry candidates need a minimum of a Second Class Honours degree in Basic Medical Sciences, or strong A-Level passes in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology through IJMB or JUPEB, alongside the standard O’Level credit requirement.
Where can a student confirm the exact tuition fee for a specific medical course?
The ATBU student portal is the most reliable source, since it generates the current, approved fee invoice for the student’s specific course and level once admission is confirmed.