The institution widely referred to online as “Federal University of Health Sciences Katsina” is officially known as the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Funtua (FUMHSF). It sits in Funtua, within Katsina State, and was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2023 as a specialised university dedicated entirely to medical and health-related training. Because the university’s full name includes “Medical and Health Sciences” and its host state is Katsina, many prospective applicants search for it using shorter, state-based phrasing. This article uses the university’s correct name throughout while addressing the medical courses it runs and what is currently known about its school fees for the 2026/2027 academic session.
About Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Funtua
FUMHSF positions itself as a specialist medical university rather than a conventional multi-discipline institution. Its academic focus sits entirely within medicine, nursing, and the wider allied health sciences, distinguishing it from general federal universities that run a medical faculty alongside arts, engineering, and social science departments. The university sits along the Funtua–Birnin Gwari Road and is being developed with a 200-bed teaching hospital to support clinical training for its medical and allied health students.
One notable feature of FUMHSF’s academic direction is its stated emphasis on Applied Neuroscience and Neuro-rehabilitation, an area the university has identified as a specialised strength within its wider health sciences training. This focus is reflected in the presence of programmes such as Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Therapy, both of which tie closely into neurological rehabilitation and recovery, alongside its core Medicine and Nursing programmes.
The Katsina State Government has supported the university’s establishment through land allocation for its permanent campus and teaching hospital site, reflecting the collaborative federal-state arrangement common to several of Nigeria’s newer specialised health science universities.
Medical and Allied Health Courses Offered at FUMHSF
FUMHSF currently runs its flagship Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) programme alongside Nursing Science and a set of allied health science degrees. The table below sets out the programmes currently available at the university.
| Course | Qualification Awarded | Field of Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery | MBBS | Clinical medicine |
| Nursing Science | B.NSc. | Clinical nursing care |
| Public Health | B.Sc. | Community and preventive health |
| Human Nutrition and Dietetics | B.Sc. | Clinical and community nutrition |
| Environmental Health Sciences | B.Sc. | Environmental and public sanitation health |
| Occupational Therapy | B.Sc. | Rehabilitation and functional recovery |
| Speech-Language Therapy | B.Sc. | Communication and swallowing disorders |
| Medical Physics | B.Sc. | Diagnostic and therapeutic physics applications |
| Biotechnology | B.Sc. | Biomedical and health-related biotechnology |
Medicine and Surgery remains the university’s most prominent and most competitive programme, culminating in the MBBS qualification required for medical practice in Nigeria under the regulation of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. Nursing Science follows a similar clinical training path, regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, while the remaining programmes fall under the broader allied health sciences category, each tied to its own specific professional or regulatory body once the graduate enters practice.
Students drawn to direct patient care and rehabilitation typically consider Nursing Science, Occupational Therapy, or Speech-Language Therapy, while those more interested in the technical or scientific side of healthcare often lean toward Medical Physics, Biotechnology, or Environmental Health Sciences. Public Health and Human Nutrition and Dietetics suit students interested in preventive care, community health interventions, and nutrition-based healthcare delivery.
Admission Requirements for FUMHSF Medical Courses
Admission into any of FUMHSF’s programmes follows the standard federal university process, combining the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with the university’s own Post-UTME screening exercise.
Candidates must register for and sit the JAMB UTME, selecting FUMHSF as their first choice institution during registration, since federal universities generally give priority to candidates who list them as first choice. Applicants must meet the required subject combination for their intended course, which for Medicine and Surgery typically means English Language, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics at both O’Level and UTME level, while allied health courses such as Environmental Health Sciences or Medical Physics may accept slightly different combinations depending on the specific programme’s scientific requirements. A minimum of five O’Level credit passes, including English Language and Mathematics, obtained from WAEC, NECO, or an equivalent examination body in not more than two sittings, is required across all programmes.
Once JAMB registration and subject requirements are confirmed, candidates who meet the university’s minimum cut-off proceed to the Post-UTME screening stage, which generally verifies academic documents and may include an aptitude assessment. Given that Medicine and Surgery is typically the most oversubscribed programme at any Nigerian medical university, applicants aiming for MBBS admission at FUMHSF should expect a considerably higher cut-off mark than candidates applying to the allied health science programmes.
School Fees at FUMHSF
As a federal university, FUMHSF benefits from government subsidy, which generally keeps its fees lower than what similar programmes cost at private medical universities in Nigeria, though medical and health science tuition still runs higher than what students pay in non-technical faculties because of the laboratory work, clinical materials, and specialised equipment involved in health sciences training.
Based on the most recent available figures, Nursing Science and the university’s allied health science programmes are billed at around ₦263,000 per session. This figure represents the tuition-related charge for these programmes and gives a useful reference point for students applying into Nursing Science, Public Health, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Environmental Health Sciences, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Therapy, Medical Physics, or Biotechnology.
A confirmed figure specifically for Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) is not consistently published across available sources. Given that MBBS programmes generally cost more than allied health programmes at comparable federal health science universities, due to the extended six-year duration and heavier clinical training component, prospective Medicine and Surgery applicants should expect a somewhat higher tuition figure than the ₦263,000 reference for allied health courses, and should confirm the exact current amount directly through the university’s admissions office or student portal once admission is offered.
What Typically Makes Up the Total Fee
Beyond the core tuition amount, students admitted into any FUMHSF programme should budget for several additional charges that are standard across Nigerian federal health science universities:
- Acceptance fee — a one-off payment confirming the admission offer after checking JAMB CAPS.
- Registration fee — covers formal enrolment into the university’s academic system for the session.
- ICT/library fee — covers access to the student portal, digital learning resources, and library facilities.
- Laboratory and practical fee — applies across all the medical and allied health courses listed above, covering consumables and equipment use for practical sessions.
- Medical/health services fee — covers basic health services provided to students on campus.
- Examination fee — charged per semester to cover the administration of examinations.
- Clinical/hospital attachment fee — applies mainly in the later years of Medicine and Surgery, Nursing Science, and other clinically oriented programmes, once students begin supervised training at the university’s teaching hospital.
Fresh students generally pay a higher total in their first year because of the one-off acceptance and registration charges, while returning students pay a lighter total made up mainly of tuition, laboratory fees, and examination charges.
Why Medical Courses Cost More Than General Programmes
Because FUMHSF is a specialist medical and health sciences university, all of its programmes carry some degree of laboratory or clinical cost, unlike general universities where non-technical courses such as arts or social sciences typically cost less than science-based ones. Within FUMHSF itself, Medicine and Surgery is expected to carry the highest overall cost among the university’s offerings, given its extended six-year duration and the intensity of its clinical training component once students move into hospital-based rotations. Nursing Science and the allied health programmes, while still laboratory and practical-intensive, generally involve a shorter duration of four to five years and a somewhat lighter clinical training load compared to Medicine and Surgery, which keeps them within the ₦263,000 reference range currently available.
Payment Process
FUMHSF, in line with standard practice across Nigerian federal universities, processes school fees payment through its official student portal. A student logs in using their registration details, generates a payment invoice or Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR), and completes payment through the listed bank channels or an integrated online payment platform. After payment, the receipt should be retained, since it is typically required during course registration and subsequent academic clearance. Students should avoid making payments through unofficial third parties or personal accounts, since legitimate fee payment for a federal university runs strictly through the institution’s approved portal and bank channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “Federal University of Health Sciences Katsina” a real, separate university?
No. This is a commonly used informal name for the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Funtua (FUMHSF), which is located in Funtua, Katsina State, and was established in 2023.
Does FUMHSF offer Medicine and Surgery (MBBS)?
Yes. Medicine and Surgery is the university’s flagship programme, alongside Nursing Science and several allied health science degrees.
How much is tuition for Nursing and allied health courses at FUMHSF?
Based on the most recent available figures, Nursing Science and allied health science programmes are billed at around ₦263,000 per session, though this should be confirmed directly with the university for the exact 2026/2027 figure.
Is the MBBS programme more expensive than the allied health courses?
It is generally expected to cost more, given its longer six-year duration and heavier clinical training component, though an exact confirmed figure should be obtained from the university’s admissions office.
What subjects are required for admission into Medicine and Surgery at FUMHSF?
English Language, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics are typically required at both O’Level and UTME level, alongside the standard five-credit O’Level requirement.