North West College of Nursing Sciences is a privately owned health training institution located along Batsari Road, behind Global School, in the Shagari Low-Cost area of Katsina, Katsina State. The college trains nursing and midwifery personnel under the regulatory oversight of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), and its programmes are also recognized by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for the technical education component of the training. The institution focuses its academic environment specifically on producing disciplined, well-trained nurses and midwives who can practice competently within Katsina State and across Nigeria.
For candidates planning to apply for the 2026/2027 intake, this article lays out exactly what the college offers, what it costs, and what an applicant needs to gain admission.
Programmes Offered at North West College of Nursing Sciences, Katsina
The college runs a cluster of nursing and midwifery training programmes rather than a single course, and applicants should identify which specific programme fits their existing qualification before applying, since eligibility differs from one programme to another.
- National Diploma (ND) Nursing — the entry-level nursing programme for candidates coming in with senior secondary school qualifications, admitted through a Post-UTME screening process.
- Midwifery — professional training for candidates who already hold a nursing qualification and wish to add midwifery competence and licensure.
- Post-Basic Nursing — an advanced programme for candidates who already hold a basic nursing certificate and want to specialize further or upgrade their qualification.
- Post-Basic Midwifery — a similar upgrading track for candidates who already hold a basic midwifery qualification.
- Internship — a supervised clinical placement period for candidates who have completed their theoretical and practical coursework and now need to fulfill the internship requirement before full registration and licensing.
Each of these tracks has its own admission window, its own duration, and its own fee structure, so an applicant researching “how much does it cost to study at North West College of Nursing Sciences” needs to specify which of the five programmes above applies to them before a fee figure becomes meaningful.
Admission Requirements for the ND Nursing Programme
The ND Nursing programme is the standard entry route for candidates coming straight from secondary school or with equivalent basic qualifications. To qualify for consideration, an applicant must meet the following conditions:
An applicant must hold at least five credit passes in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), the General Certificate of Education (GCE), or the National Examinations Council (NECO) result, obtained in not more than two sittings. The five credit subjects must include English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, since these five subjects form the core science foundation that nursing training builds on. A result that is missing a credit pass in any one of these five subjects does not meet the minimum requirement, regardless of how strong the candidate’s performance is in other subjects.
Beyond the O’level requirement, the college also screens candidates through its own Post-UTME process. This means a candidate typically needs to have registered and sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with Nursing-related subject combinations (usually English Language, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics) before being eligible for the college’s internal screening exercise. Age, medical fitness, and moral character references may also form part of the overall screening criteria, as is standard practice for professional health-training admissions across Nigeria.
Admission Requirements for Midwifery and Post-Basic Programmes
Midwifery, Post-Basic Nursing, and Post-Basic Midwifery are not entry-level programmes; they are designed for candidates who already hold a relevant prior qualification. A candidate applying for the standalone Midwifery programme is generally expected to already hold a Registered Nurse (RN) qualification, since midwifery training at this level builds directly on nursing competencies already acquired. Similarly, the Post-Basic Nursing and Post-Basic Midwifery tracks are open only to candidates who already hold a basic certificate in nursing or midwifery respectively, along with evidence of current practicing registration where applicable.
Because these programmes serve working professionals looking to upgrade, they typically run on a different academic calendar from the ND Nursing programme. Nursing applications at the college generally open between June and September for an October intake, while Midwifery applications generally open between December and February for a March intake. Candidates interested in the post-basic tracks should confirm the current application window directly with the college’s admission office, since post-basic intakes are not always announced on the same fixed schedule as the basic programmes.
How to Apply
Application into any of the college’s programmes begins with the purchase of an application form, which the college currently issues both in printed format and through direct registration coordinated by the admissions office. An applicant pays a non-refundable application processing fee, submits the required credentials — O’level results, birth certificate or age declaration, local government identification, passport photographs, and (for post-basic and midwifery applicants) evidence of prior nursing or midwifery qualification — and then waits to be scheduled for the college’s internal screening exercise, which for ND Nursing candidates includes the Post-UTME component described above.
Successful candidates receive an admission offer indicating the programme, the resumption date, and the fee breakdown they are expected to pay to secure their place. As with virtually every professional health-training institution in Nigeria, an applicant should never make any tuition or acceptance payment before receiving a formal, verifiable admission offer from the college, since paying in advance of an official offer carries the risk of loss without any guarantee of placement.
School Fees at North West College of Nursing Sciences, Katsina
As a privately owned institution, North West College of Nursing Sciences charges tuition and programme fees that are higher than what a state-government-owned school of nursing typically charges, since the college does not receive the same level of government subvention that public nursing colleges receive. Fees also differ from one programme to another because of differences in programme duration, clinical placement requirements, and practical/laboratory demands.
The table below outlines the fee categories a candidate should expect to plan for, based on how private nursing and midwifery colleges of this type in northern Nigeria typically structure their charges. Because private institutions review and adjust their fee schedules from one admission cycle to the next, and the college communicates its current figures directly to candidates at the point of admission, applicants should treat the ranges below as a budgeting guide and confirm the exact, current amount for their specific programme directly with the college’s admission office before making any payment.
| Fee Category | Applies To | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Application/screening fee | All applicants, all programmes | Form processing and Post-UTME/internal screening |
| Acceptance fee | Newly admitted candidates only | Confirms and secures the offered admission slot |
| Tuition and training fee (ND Nursing) | ND Nursing students, per session | Classroom instruction, clinical supervision, basic practicals |
| Tuition and training fee (Midwifery / Post-Basic tracks) | Midwifery, Post-Basic Nursing, Post-Basic Midwifery students | Advanced/specialized instruction and supervised clinical placement |
| Clinical/practical levy | Students in all programmes with hospital-based clinical postings | Uniform, clinical materials, and hospital posting coordination |
| Internship coordination fee | Students in the internship track | Placement supervision and documentation for licensing |
| Accommodation (where applicable) | Students who require hostel lodging | Optional charge separate from tuition |
Candidates should budget realistically for both the one-off charges (application fee and acceptance fee, paid once) and the recurring charges (tuition, training, and clinical levies, paid per session or per programme phase), since the total cost of completing a programme is the sum of these charges across the full duration of study rather than a single one-time payment.
Duration of Study
Programme duration at the college follows the standard structure recognized by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria for this category of training. The ND Nursing programme typically runs across multiple years of combined classroom and clinical instruction before a candidate becomes eligible for the licensing examination. Midwifery, run as a standalone programme for already-qualified nurses, and the post-basic tracks generally run over a shorter, more intensive period, since candidates in these tracks are building on an existing professional foundation rather than starting from zero. Because exact session lengths and semester structures can be adjusted by the college in line with NMCN curriculum requirements, applicants should confirm the current duration for their specific programme at the point of application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is North West College of Nursing Sciences, Katsina accredited?
Yes. The college’s nursing and midwifery programmes run under the regulatory framework of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, with recognition from the National Board for Technical Education for the technical education component of training.
Can a candidate apply for Midwifery directly from secondary school?
No. The standalone Midwifery programme is designed for candidates who already hold a nursing qualification. Candidates coming straight from secondary school should apply for the ND Nursing programme instead.
Does the college require UTME registration for ND Nursing admission?
Yes. ND Nursing applicants generally need to have registered and sat for UTME with the relevant science subject combination before being eligible for the college’s Post-UTME screening exercise.
When does the college open applications for Nursing and for Midwifery?
Nursing applications typically open between June and September for an October intake, while Midwifery applications typically open between December and February for a March intake.
Should a candidate pay tuition before receiving an admission offer?
No. Tuition and acceptance fees should only be paid after a candidate receives a formal admission offer from the college, since payment made before an official offer carries no guarantee of placement.