The University of Ibadan, established in 1948, houses one of the oldest and most respected medical training institutions in Nigeria — the College of Medicine, founded in 1960. Students who want to study Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, or any other health-related programme at the university often need clarity on which specific courses are offered and how much each one costs. This article covers the full list of medical and health science courses available at the University of Ibadan, along with the school fees structure for each, so that prospective and current students can plan their finances with confidence.
Overview of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan
The College of Medicine at the University of Ibadan operates through several component institutions and departments, including the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, the Faculty of Dentistry, the Faculty of Pharmacy, and the Faculty of Public Health. Clinical training for many of these programmes takes place at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, which serves as the college’s teaching hospital. This arrangement gives medical students direct exposure to patient care, specialist departments such as Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Ophthalmology, and Radiology, and hands-on clinical postings from their pre-clinical years through to internship.
Because of this structure, medical education at the University of Ibadan tends to run longer than many other undergraduate programmes and carries additional costs beyond the standard tuition — laboratory levies, clinical training charges, and professional body registration fees, for instance. Understanding these components helps students budget properly for the full duration of their studies rather than only the first year.
List of Medical and Health Science Courses Offered at UI
The University of Ibadan offers the following courses under its medical and health sciences programmes:
- Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) — a six-year programme combining pre-clinical and clinical training, leading to the MB, BS degree.
- Dentistry (BDS) — a six-year programme covering oral health, dental surgery, and related clinical practice.
- Nursing Science — a five-year programme preparing students for professional nursing practice, including clinical postings in various hospital departments.
- Physiotherapy — a five-year programme focused on rehabilitation, movement science, and physical therapy techniques.
- Medical Laboratory Science — a five-year programme covering diagnostic testing, haematology, microbiology, and clinical chemistry.
- Pharmacy — a five-year programme (Pharm.D or B.Pharm depending on the curriculum in place) covering drug formulation, pharmacology, and clinical pharmacy practice.
- Physiology — an academic and pre-clinical science course that also feeds into the medical curriculum.
- Biochemistry (Medical Biochemistry track) — a foundational course for students interested in the biomedical sciences.
- Human Nutrition and Dietetics — a programme focused on the science of nutrition and its application to health and disease management.
Each of these programmes has its own admission requirements, subject combinations at the UTME and Post-UTME stages, and duration. Medicine and Surgery, along with Dentistry, are the longest and most demanding in terms of both academic workload and cost, since they combine years of theoretical coursework with extensive clinical rotations at the teaching hospital.
School Fees for Medical Courses at the University of Ibadan
As a federal government-owned institution, the University of Ibadan charges considerably lower tuition than private universities, but medical and health science students pay more than students in the arts, social sciences, or education because of the additional practical, laboratory, and clinical components attached to their training.
Based on the university’s fee categorisation, students in the College of Medicine typically pay more than their counterparts in Arts, Education, Law, and Social Sciences, and slightly more than students in Science and Technology faculties. The exact figures change from session to session, so students should always confirm the current amount from the university’s official student portal before making payment. However, the general pattern of fees is described below.
| Fee Component | Applies To | Approximate Range (per session) |
|---|---|---|
| General tuition and registration | All new undergraduate students (fresher) | ₦34,300 – ₦36,800 |
| General tuition and registration | Returning undergraduate students | ₦20,000 – ₦32,000 |
| College of Medicine fee bracket | Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Medical Laboratory Science students | Higher than the general Science and Technology bracket, with additional levies |
| Clinical Training Levy | Medical and Nursing students specifically | Charged in addition to base tuition |
| Acceptance fee | All newly admitted students, once, at the point of admission | ₦20,000 – ₦35,000 |
| Postgraduate medical programmes | Master’s, M.Phil., Ph.D., and Fellowship candidates in medicine-related fields | ₦75,000 – ₦120,000 for freshers; ₦50,000 – ₦100,000 for returning students |
| Hostel accommodation (Alexander Brown Hall) | Medical students who secure hostel space | ₦80,000 per session |
| Standard hostel accommodation (other halls) | Non-medical students, subject to availability | Around ₦30,000 per session |
It is important to note that these figures represent the general fee structure and are subject to periodic review by the university management. Students in the College of Medicine should also expect to pay for professional accreditation charges and field trip levies where applicable, since programmes like Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, and Pharmacy are tied to professional regulatory bodies that require periodic accreditation visits and assessments.
Why Medical Courses Cost More Than Other Programmes
Several factors explain why tuition for medical and health science courses at the University of Ibadan sits above the general university average:
- Clinical training requirements. Programmes like Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, and Nursing Science require access to hospital facilities, patient contact hours, and supervision by clinical instructors at the University College Hospital, all of which carry operational costs that are passed on through specific levies.
- Laboratory and equipment use. Courses such as Medical Laboratory Science and Physiotherapy depend heavily on practical sessions using diagnostic equipment, reagents, and rehabilitation tools, which are more expensive to maintain than a typical lecture-based course.
- Professional body accreditation. Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, and Pharmacy are regulated by external professional bodies (such as the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria) that require the college to meet specific standards, and the cost of maintaining accreditation is factored into student charges.
- Extended programme duration. Because these courses run for five or six years rather than the standard four, students accumulate more sessional payments across their academic journey compared to students in shorter programmes.
Other Costs Medical Students Should Budget For
Beyond the official school fees paid through the university portal, students admitted into medical and health science programmes at the University of Ibadan should plan for a number of additional expenses that are not always captured in the basic tuition figure:
- Textbooks and clinical instruments. Medical, dental, and nursing students need specific equipment such as stethoscopes, dissection kits, lab coats, and reference textbooks, which are purchased separately from tuition.
- Hostel accommodation. While the university provides on-campus housing, spaces are limited and allocated competitively, so some students may need to budget for off-campus accommodation, which typically costs more.
- Feeding and transportation. Daily living costs, especially for students undergoing clinical postings that require early hospital resumption, should be factored into a realistic budget.
- Examination and professional registration fees. As students progress toward the final years of Medicine and Surgery or Dentistry, they will eventually need to register with professional licensing bodies, which carries its own separate cost outside university tuition.
How to Pay School Fees at the University of Ibadan
Fee payment at the University of Ibadan follows a standard online process. Students log in to the university’s student portal using their matriculation number and password, select the appropriate session and level, generate a payment invoice, and complete payment either online through the approved payment gateway or at a designated bank. Once payment is confirmed, the portal issues a receipt, after which students can proceed to register their courses for the session.
Students should note that unregistered courses are not eligible for examinations, and any delay in fee payment can affect course registration deadlines. This is particularly consequential for medical students, since missing a clinical posting or an accreditation-linked course due to a registration delay can lead to a setback in the structured, sequential nature of the medical curriculum. For this reason, it is advisable for medical and health science students to complete their fee payment as early as possible after resumption, rather than waiting until the official deadline approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to study Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ibadan?
Fresh medical students fall within the College of Medicine fee bracket, which is higher than the general university fee range due to clinical training levies and laboratory charges. The exact figure is published by the university at the start of each session and should be confirmed on the official student portal.
Is Nursing Science more affordable than Medicine and Surgery at UI?
Nursing Science falls under the same College of Medicine fee bracket as Medicine and Surgery, since both programmes involve clinical postings at the University College Hospital, though the specific levies attached to each course may differ slightly.
Does the University of Ibadan offer scholarships for medical students?
The university, along with external bodies and state governments, periodically offers scholarships and bursaries that medical students can apply for. These are announced separately from the standard fee schedule and require students to meet specific eligibility criteria.
How long does it take to complete Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ibadan?
The programme runs for six years, covering pre-clinical sciences in the earlier years and clinical rotations in the later years, followed by a mandatory housemanship (internship) after graduation.
Where can students confirm the current school fees for medical courses?
The most accurate and up-to-date figures are always available on the University of Ibadan’s official student portal, since fees are subject to periodic review by the university management and may differ from estimates published elsewhere.