Private Universities in Anambra State and Their Fees
Anambra State, located in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, is widely regarded as one of the most education-driven states in the country. Beyond its federal university (Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka) and state university (Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli), Anambra is also home to a growing cluster of private universities that have become popular alternatives for students who want to avoid the frequent academic disruptions associated with public tertiary institutions.
This article presents a detailed, course-by-course look at the six private universities currently operating in Anambra State, along with their tuition fees presented in tabular form, so you can compare options and plan your finances before applying.
Note: Private university fees are reviewed regularly — sometimes every session — and can also come with scholarships, discounts, or promotional reductions (as seen with a few schools below). Always confirm the exact current figure on the university’s official website or with its admissions office before making any payment.
Overview: Private Universities in Anambra State
University
Location
Year Established
Religious/Founding Affiliation
Madonna University
Okija (Ihiala LGA)
1999
Catholic
Paul University
Awka
2009
Anglican Communion (Church of Nigeria)
Tansian University
Umunya (Oyi LGA)
2007
Catholic
Legacy University
Okija (Ihiala LGA)
2016
Private (non-denominational)
Peter University
Achina/Onneh (Aguata & Orumba LGAs)
2020
Catholic (Dioceses of Awka & Ekwulobia)
Shanahan University
Onitsha
2023
Catholic (Archdiocese of Onitsha)
1. Madonna University, Okija
Madonna University is Nigeria’s first Catholic university and one of the oldest private universities in the country, with additional campuses in Elele (Rivers State) and Akpugo (Enugu State). It is widely known for offering some of the most affordable private-university tuition in Nigeria, especially for Arts and Education courses, while its Medicine and Health Science programmes sit at the higher end of the private-university fee spectrum.
Faculty/Programme Category
Estimated Fee Range (Full Year, ₦)
Education, Arts, Library Science, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Psychology
229,000 – 450,000
Management Sciences and Social Sciences (Accounting, Business Admin, Economics, etc.)
300,000 – 600,000
Basic and Applied Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, etc.)
350,000 – 700,000
Engineering
500,000 – 900,000
Law
400,000 – 700,000
Nursing Science
Around 1,500,000
Pharmacy
800,000 – 1,800,000
Medicine and Surgery (MBBS)
1,800,000 – 2,000,000
Acceptance Fee (new students)
~100,000
Hostel Accommodation (optional)
70,000 – 250,000
2. Paul University, Awka
Paul University is a private Christian institution owned by the Anglican Communion, offering programmes through its Faculties of Natural and Applied Sciences, Management and Social Sciences, and Arts. It has positioned itself as one of the more budget-friendly private universities in the South-East, with a standard tuition figure that applies across most departments and a separate, higher rate for Nursing.
Fee Component
Amount (₦, per session unless stated)
Tuition (regular/standard courses)
190,000 – 260,000
Nursing Science tuition
Up to 700,000
Accommodation
40,000 – 50,000
Faculty fee
10,000
Department fee
10,000
Accreditation fee
20,000
Portal fee
5,000
Library fee
5,000
Development levy
30,000
Course registration fee
10,000
Medical fee
10,000
Examination fee
10,000
Sports fee
10,000
Application fee
2,000
3. Tansian University, Umunya
Tansian University is a Catholic-founded institution located along the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway. It runs programmes across its Faculties of Health Sciences, Law, Natural and Applied Sciences, Management and Social Sciences, and Education, with tuition that scales up noticeably for its Law and Health Sciences (Nursing, Radiography, Medical Laboratory Science) programmes.
Faculty/Programme Category
Tuition (₦)
Total Session Fee incl. Accommodation & Sundries (₦)
Philosophy/Education
~250,000
~581,500
Standard Management courses (Accounting, Business Admin, etc.)
250,000 – 300,000
~671,500
Natural and Applied Sciences
250,000 – 400,000
600,000 – 800,000
Nursing and Health Sciences
450,000 – 600,000
900,000 – 1,271,500
Law
450,000 – 600,000
up to 1,271,500
Sundry Fees (all new students)
64,000
—
Accommodation Fee (new students)
50,000
—
Health Fee
6,000
—
GST Books
7,000
—
4. Legacy University, Okija
Legacy University is a fast-growing private institution on a large campus along the Onitsha–Owerri Expressway. It markets itself as one of the more accessible entry points into private university education in the East, with a general admission benchmark of UTME score 140 and above for most Arts and Science courses.
Fee Component
Amount (₦, per session)
Standard tuition (Arts/Science courses)
380,000 – 450,000
Hostel accommodation (on-campus, subsidized)
70,000 (per session) / ~35,000 (per semester)
Legacy University’s published figures are less granular by individual course than some peer institutions; prospective students should confirm the exact figure for their specific department with the admissions office, since fees can shift from one admission cycle to the next.
5. Peter University, Achina/Onneh
Peter University is a Catholic institution jointly owned by the Dioceses of Awka and Ekwulobia, and is one of the newer private universities in the state, having matriculated its first set of students in 2024. Its official tuition schedule (published on the university’s own portal) is broken down by faculty, covering both new and returning students.
Faculty/Programme
New Students (₦, per session)
Returning Students (₦, per session)
Arts, Social & Management Sciences (all programmes)
748,000
628,000
Science & Computing (all programmes)
798,000
708,000
Public Health (all programmes)
898,000
808,000
Nursing Science (all programmes)
998,000
928,000
Law (all programmes)
1,338,000
1,193,000
6. Shanahan University, Onitsha
Shanahan University is the newest private university on this list, established under the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha and supported by the Shanahan Educational Foundation, which subsidizes tuition for all admitted students. The table below shows the university’s official standard tuition rates alongside the Foundation-subsidized rates that actually apply to current students.
Programme
Standard Fee (₦)
1st-Year Students Pay (10% Scholarship, ₦)
2nd-Year Students Pay (50% Scholarship, ₦)
B.A. English Language
150,000
135,000
75,000
B.Sc Entrepreneurship
150,000
135,000
75,000
B.Sc Taxation
150,000
135,000
75,000
B.Sc Physics with Electronics
200,000
180,000
100,000
B.Sc Biochemistry
200,000
180,000
100,000
B.Sc Microbiology
200,000
180,000
100,000
B.Sc Environmental Health
200,000
180,000
100,000
B.Sc Anatomy
305,000
274,500
152,500
B.Sc Physiology
305,000
274,500
152,500
B.Sc Information Technology
400,000
360,000
200,000
B.Sc Mass Communication
400,000
360,000
200,000
B.Sc International Relations
400,000
360,000
200,000
B.Sc Business Administration
400,000
360,000
200,000
B.Sc Accounting
400,000
360,000
200,000
B.Sc Radiography
400,000
360,000
200,000
B.Sc Artificial Intelligence
400,000
360,000
200,000
B.Sc Computer Science
450,000
405,000
200,000
B.Sc ICT
450,000
405,000
200,000
B.Sc Cyber Security
450,000
405,000
200,000
B.Sc Software Engineering
450,000
405,000
200,000
B.Sc Economics
450,000
405,000
200,000
Doctor of Physiotherapy
500,000
450,000
200,000
B.Sc Medical Laboratory Science
600,000
540,000
300,000
B.N. Nursing Science
800,000
720,000
350,000
LL.B Law
1,200,000
1,080,000
600,000
Doctor of Pharmacy
1,200,000
1,080,000
600,000
MBBS Medicine & Surgery
3,000,000
2,700,000
1,500,000
Note: The scholarship applies to tuition only — it does not cover accommodation, feeding, medical, ICT, laboratory, or other sundry charges, which are billed separately for all fresh students. Payment can be made in full, in two 50% instalments, or in three instalments (40%, 30%, 30%) across the two semesters.
Side-by-Side Comparison of Entry-Level Tuition
For a quick sense of affordability, here is how the cheapest available programme at each university compares:
University
Cheapest Programme Category
Approx. Cheapest Tuition (₦/session)
Most Expensive Programme
Approx. Highest Tuition (₦/session)
Madonna University
Education/Arts
229,000
Medicine & Surgery
2,000,000
Paul University
Standard/Arts courses
190,000
Nursing Science
700,000
Tansian University
Philosophy/Education
250,000
Law / Nursing
600,000
Legacy University
Standard Arts/Science
380,000
— (limited published variance)
450,000
Peter University
Arts, Social & Mgt Sciences
748,000 (all-inclusive)
Law
1,338,000 (all-inclusive)
Shanahan University
English/Entrepreneurship/Taxation
135,000 (subsidized)
MBBS Medicine & Surgery
3,000,000 (2,700,000 subsidized)
A few patterns stand out from this comparison:
Madonna, Paul, and Tansian remain the most budget-friendly entry points for non-professional courses (Arts, Education, Social Sciences), with tuition well under ₦300,000 in many departments.
Peter University’s figures are quoted as all-inclusive session fees (tuition plus accommodation and sundries bundled together), which is why they look higher than the tuition-only figures at older universities — this is not necessarily more expensive once you add up the separate charges at other schools.
Shanahan University has the widest spread, from one of the cheapest tuitions on this list (subsidized Arts/Entrepreneurship courses) to the single highest figure of any private university in the state for Medicine and Surgery.
Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Law are consistently the most expensive programmes across every institution, reflecting the cost of clinical training, laboratories, and specialized accreditation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Which is the cheapest private university in Anambra State?
For non-professional courses (Arts, Education, Social Sciences), Paul University and Madonna University tend to offer the lowest entry-level tuition, both dropping to below ₦230,000 per session in their most affordable departments. Shanahan University’s Foundation-subsidized rate for courses like English Language, Entrepreneurship, and Taxation (₦135,000 for first-year students) is currently the single lowest tuition figure among all six institutions, though this depends on the scholarship arrangement continuing.
2. Which private university in Anambra State has the highest fees?
Shanahan University’s MBBS Medicine & Surgery programme, at ₦3,000,000 per session (or ₦2,700,000 with the first-year subsidy), is currently the most expensive single programme among Anambra’s private universities. Madonna University’s Medicine and Pharmacy programmes (up to ₦2,000,000 and ₦1,800,000 respectively) and Peter University’s Law programme (₦1,338,000 all-inclusive) also sit near the top of the range.
3. Do these universities allow payment of fees in instalments?
Most do. Tansian University allows returning students to pay 50% to resume before completing the balance, Shanahan University explicitly permits full payment, 50/50 instalments, or a 40/30/30 split across the two semesters, and Paul University’s fee guidance indicates a minimum of 60% of total fees can be paid upfront. However, new/fresh students are frequently required to pay a larger share (often 100%) at the point of registration, so it’s important to confirm each university’s specific policy for new versus returning students.
4. Are there scholarships available at these universities?
Yes, though the structure varies. Shanahan University’s most distinctive feature is its Foundation-backed tuition subsidy that applies to all students (not a competitive scholarship), plus a full one-year tuition scholarship for the best-performing student in each department starting from 2026/2027. Other universities on this list may offer merit-based, need-based, or denominational scholarships administered through their financial aid offices; interested applicants should contact each school’s admissions or student affairs office directly, since these are not always advertised on the main fees page.
5. Why do fees vary so much for the same type of course across these universities?
Several factors drive the differences: how new the university is (newer institutions like Shanahan and Peter University are still building out facilities and often bundle accommodation and sundry charges into one headline figure), whether a course requires laboratories, clinical placements, or specialized accreditation (Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Law), whether the sponsoring religious body or foundation subsidizes tuition, and simply differing institutional cost structures and revenue models. Because of this, comparing “tuition only” figures across universities can be misleading unless you also check what each figure includes — some list tuition alone, while others (like Peter University) publish one combined session total.
All figures in this article are drawn from official university tuition pages where available (Peter University, Shanahan University, Paul University) and from consistent, multi-source reporting for the remaining institutions (Madonna, Tansian, Legacy). Private university fees change frequently and can also depend on new-vs-returning student status, scholarships, and annual reviews, so always verify the exact current amount directly on each university’s official website or with its admissions office before making any payment, and pay only through the official bank accounts or portals each university publishes.