Private Universities In Enugu State And Their Fees
Enugu State, popularly referred to as the “Coal City State,” is one of the leading educational hubs in southeastern Nigeria. Beyond hosting the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), the country’s first indigenous university, and the state-owned Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), the state is also home to a growing cluster of private universities. These institutions have become increasingly attractive to Nigerian students and parents because they generally offer smaller class sizes, more stable academic calendars free of the strikes that frequently disrupt public universities, and closer lecturer-student engagement.
Enugu State currently hosts six officially NUC-recognised private universities: Godfrey Okoye University (GOUNI), Caritas University, Coal City University (CCU), Renaissance University, Maduka University, and Peaceland University. This article provides a detailed breakdown of each of these institutions, including their history, the courses they offer, and their current fee structures, to help prospective students and parents plan their finances ahead of applying.
Overview of Private University Education in Enugu State
Private universities in Nigeria are established and funded by individuals, religious bodies, or corporate foundations rather than by the federal or state government. In Enugu State, most of the private universities have Catholic or Christian religious roots, reflecting the strong missionary tradition of education in the South-East. Because they are self-funded, private universities generally charge significantly higher fees than public universities, but they also tend to offer more consistent academic calendars, better staff-to-student ratios, and, in many cases, faster admission processes that do not always require a Post-UTME screening exercise.
Fees at these institutions vary considerably based on the faculty, the specific course of study, and the level of the student, with science-based, engineering, law, and health science-related programmes almost always costing more than arts, humanities, and social science programmes. Below is a school-by-school breakdown.
1. Godfrey Okoye University (GOUNI)
Godfrey Okoye University, popularly known as GOUNI or “GO University,” is a private Catholic university located at Thinkers Corner and Ugwuomu-Nike in Enugu State. It was founded in 2009 by the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, with the Very Reverend Father Professor Christian Anieke playing a leading role in its establishment. GOUNI is organised into several faculties, including the Faculty of Management and Social Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Computing and Information Technology, and the College of Medicine and Nursing Sciences.
GOUNI is known for uniquely bundling tuition and accommodation into a single fee, meaning that on-campus accommodation is included in what students pay rather than billed separately. For the 2025/2026 academic session, published fee figures for new (100-level) students are approximately as follows:
Faculty of Education / Arts: approximately ₦631,200 per session
Faculty of Management and Social Sciences: approximately ₦750,000 per session
Faculty of Natural Sciences: approximately ₦820,000 per session
Computer Science / Computing and Information Technology: approximately ₦1,220,000 per session
Faculty of Law: approximately ₦1,700,000 (100 level), reducing to around ₦1,065,000 for levels 200–500
Nursing Sciences (College of Medicine): approximately ₦1,902,000 (100 level), ₦1,854,000 for subsequent levels
Medicine and Surgery: approximately ₦4,600,000 (100 level), ₦4,050,000 for subsequent levels
Beyond tuition, freshers also pay mandatory additional charges totalling roughly ₦201,500, covering ICT/online course registration, an acceptance fee (₦30,000), a matriculation fee (₦20,000), faculty and departmental fees, and other minor levies. Postgraduate fees are considerably lower, with a master’s degree costing around ₦400,000 per session and a postgraduate diploma costing around ₦200,000 per session. GOUNI allows tuition to be paid in installments, typically 50 to 60 percent in the first semester with the balance payable within a specified period afterward.
2. Caritas University
Caritas University is a private Catholic university located in Amorji-Nike, Emene, Enugu State. It was approved by the National Universities Commission on 16 December 2004 and formally opened on 21 January 2005 by the then Federal Minister of Education. It is the second Catholic university in Nigeria, founded by the same proprietor as Madonna University, the Congregation of Sisters of Jesus the Saviour, under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Prof. Emmanuel Paul Matthew Edeh. The university occupies the former campus of OSISATECH and runs programmes across faculties including Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences, Management and Social Sciences, and Allied Medical Sciences.
Caritas is widely regarded as one of the more affordable private universities in the South-East. For the 2026/2027 academic session, fees are tiered by faculty, roughly as follows:
Arts, Humanities, and select Environmental Sciences programmes: approximately ₦220,000 per session
Management, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences programmes: approximately ₦322,000 per session
Engineering, Architecture, and Allied Medical Sciences programmes: approximately ₦325,000 to ₦450,000 per session
Nursing (Department of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences): approximately ₦372,000 for fresh students in the first year (inclusive of acceptance fee), with returning students paying between roughly ₦269,500 and ₦280,000 per session
The Caritas University acceptance fee is ₦50,000, payable once by every newly admitted student before registration begins. Caritas does not conduct a Post-UTME screening exercise and applies a fairly low universal JAMB cut-off mark, making admission comparatively accessible once a candidate can meet the tuition requirement. The university allows tuition to be split across installments per semester for students who cannot pay in full at once.
3. Coal City University (CCU)
Coal City University is a private, non-profit university located along the Enugu/Abakaliki Expressway in Emene, Enugu, with a second campus at Independence Layout. It was established in 2016 and operates across faculties including Natural and Applied Sciences, Education, Arts, Social and Management Sciences, and an expanding Faculty of Allied Health and Applied Sciences (FAHAS), which includes Nursing, Physiotherapy, Radiography, and Medical Laboratory Science.
CCU has built a reputation for relatively affordable, accommodation-inclusive tuition. Based on its 2025/2026 fee schedule:
“BEMAPS” group (Biochemistry, Economics, Mass Communication, Microbiology, Accountancy, Political Science, Sociology): approximately ₦585,900 for fresh 100-level students
All other standard 100-level programmes: approximately ₦884,250 for fresh students
Allied Health programmes (FAHAS), excluding Nursing: approximately ₦1,112,750
Nursing: approximately ₦1,212,750 for fresh students
These figures are generally inclusive of accommodation. Most returning and continuing students pay a reduced figure, typically ranging between roughly ₦198,350 and ₦346,450 per session depending on the faculty and level, plus a modest service charge. Every prospective student also pays a non-refundable registration/screening fee of ₦2,000 and an acceptance fee of approximately ₦28,900 upon admission. CCU allows fees to be paid in installments; for example, a fee of ₦585,900 might be split into a first installment of roughly ₦385,900 and a second installment of ₦200,000.
4. Renaissance University
Renaissance University, commonly abbreviated as RNU or RUE, is a private university located in Ugbawka, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, about 30 minutes’ drive from Enugu city. It was licensed by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2005 and is closely associated with a former governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani. Renaissance is particularly well known for its Faculty of Law, and it also runs programmes in Natural and Applied Sciences, Management and Social Sciences, Health Sciences, and Computing.
Renaissance University publishes its school fees to cover tuition, daily feeding, and hostel accommodation for the year, all bundled into a single sessional charge. The university applies different rates by department, with Law and Nursing/Health Sciences programmes attracting distinctly higher acceptance fees and tuition than programmes in the Sciences or Management and Social Sciences faculties. Students are permitted to pay their fees in up to three installments across the session, which offers some flexibility for families budgeting over time. Because Renaissance revises its fee schedule from session to session, applicants should confirm the exact current figure for their specific department directly from the university before making payment.
5. Maduka University
Maduka University is one of the newest private universities in Enugu State, located at Ekwegbe in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area, along the Enugu-Nsukka New Road. It was founded by Dr. Samuel Maduka Onyishi, the founder and CEO of Peace Mass Transit, and officially commenced academic activities in November 2023 after receiving its operating licence from the National Universities Commission. The university runs programmes across the School of Business and Social Sciences, School of Computing and Engineering, School of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy, School of Law, and, more recently, a College of Medicine.
Maduka University’s fees for the 2025/2026 academic session range broadly from ₦650,000 to ₦3,100,000 for undergraduate students, depending on the specific programme. As an illustration, published rates for the School of Business and Social Sciences place courses such as Accounting, Economics, Mass Communication, and International Relations at around ₦650,000 per session, while more resource-intensive professional programmes such as Pharmacy, Law, Engineering, and Medicine sit considerably higher, up to the ₦3,100,000 mark for the most demanding programmes. These fees generally cover tuition, examination, library, and ICT/administrative charges but exclude accommodation and healthcare fees, which are billed separately.
The Maduka University acceptance fee is ₦50,000, non-refundable, and payable as soon as a candidate’s name appears on the admission list. Students are typically allowed to pay in two installments of 60 percent and 40 percent respectively, although IJMB and JUPEB students are required to pay their fees in full at once. The university also runs a Pre-Degree Programme for candidates who did not sit the JAMB UTME, priced at approximately ₦300,000 per session.
6. Peaceland University
Peaceland University, often referred to as “PeaceLand Uni,” is located in Independence Layout and Emene, Enugu, and evolved from the earlier Peaceland College of Education, which was established through the support of the Pia and Alfred Meier-Knüsel Foundation in Switzerland and its Nigerian partner, the FREDYPIA Developmental and Education Foundation. The university received its NUC licence in 2023 and has since expanded into a full university offering programmes across arts, sciences, management, education, technology, and health.
Peaceland University’s undergraduate programmes, including its Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.N.Sc.) degree, have been reported with per-session fees in the range of approximately ₦200,000 to ₦280,000 for its non-clinical and general programmes, broadly in line with other mid-tier private universities in the state, though this can vary depending on the specific department. Because Peaceland is a relatively young university still expanding its programme offerings and fee structure, prospective students are strongly advised to confirm exact, current fees directly from the university’s admissions office or official portal before making any payment.
Comparing Fees Across Enugu State’s Private Universities
Taken together, the six private universities in Enugu State span a fairly wide fee range depending on programme and faculty:
Most affordable entry point: Caritas University, with Arts and Humanities programmes starting around ₦220,000 per session
Mid-range institutions: Coal City University and Peaceland University, where standard undergraduate programmes generally fall between roughly ₦200,000 and ₦900,000 per session depending on faculty
Higher-cost institutions: Godfrey Okoye University and Maduka University, where professional and health science programmes such as Law, Nursing, Pharmacy, Engineering, and Medicine can range from around ₦650,000 up to several million naira per session
Law-focused premium option: Renaissance University, particularly for its well-regarded Faculty of Law
In nearly all cases, Medicine and Surgery, Nursing, Law, Pharmacy, and Engineering-related programmes attract the highest fees across every institution, while Arts, Education, and general Social Science programmes remain comparatively the most affordable.
Payment Structures Common Across These Universities
While each university sets its own specific figures, several common patterns apply across Enugu State’s private universities:
Acceptance fees are charged once, upon confirmation of admission, and are non-refundable. These typically range from ₦28,900 to ₦50,000 depending on the institution.
Installment payments are widely permitted, usually split 50/50 or 60/40 between the first and second semester, easing the burden of paying a full session’s fees at once.
Bundled accommodation is a feature at some institutions (notably GOUNI, CCU, and Renaissance), where hostel costs are folded into the overall tuition figure rather than billed as a completely separate charge.
Additional charges, including ICT/online registration fees, matriculation fees, departmental fees, and health insurance fees, are typically billed on top of tuition and payable in full before course registration is completed.
Payments are made online through each university’s ERP or student portal, usually via a Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) number generated on the portal and paid through a bank, card, or bank transfer.
Because private university fees are reviewed almost every academic session in Nigeria, and because several of these institutions (particularly Maduka and Peaceland) are relatively young and still adjusting their fee structures as they expand their programme offerings, all figures in this article should be treated as a planning guide rather than a final figure. Prospective students and parents are strongly encouraged to confirm the exact, current fee for their specific department directly from each university’s official admissions portal before making any payment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How many private universities are there in Enugu State?
Enugu State currently has six NUC-recognised private universities: Godfrey Okoye University (GOUNI), Caritas University, Coal City University (CCU), Renaissance University, Maduka University, and Peaceland University.
2. Which private university in Enugu State has the most affordable fees?
Caritas University is generally regarded as one of the most affordable, with Arts and Humanities programmes starting at around ₦220,000 per session, though Coal City University and Peaceland University also offer relatively accessible entry-level fees for non-clinical programmes.
3. Do private universities in Enugu State allow tuition to be paid in installments?
Yes. Nearly all private universities in Enugu State, including GOUNI, Caritas, CCU, Renaissance, and Maduka, allow tuition to be paid in installments, typically split 50/50 or 60/40 between the first and second semester of the session.
4. Which courses attract the highest fees at private universities in Enugu State?
Medicine and Surgery, Nursing, Law, Pharmacy, and Engineering-related programmes consistently attract the highest fees across all six universities, while Arts, Education, and general Social Science programmes remain the most affordable.
5. Is accommodation included in the tuition fees at these universities?
It depends on the institution. Godfrey Okoye University, Coal City University, and Renaissance University generally bundle accommodation into their sessional tuition fee, while Caritas University and some other institutions bill accommodation as a separate charge from tuition.