Best CLE-Approved Law Universities in Nigeria and Their Fees
Choosing where to study Law in Nigeria isn’t just about prestige or location — it’s about accreditation. The Council of Legal Education (CLE), the body that oversees the Nigerian Law School and regulates legal education nationwide, maintains an official list of universities approved to run the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) programme. Studying at a university that is not on this list — or one currently under a CLE moratorium — can mean a law degree that does not qualify its holder for admission into the Nigerian Law School, effectively blocking the path to being called to the Nigerian Bar.
In June 2026, the CLE published an updated public notice reaffirming its list of approved institutions, warning prospective students, parents, and guardians to verify a university’s accreditation status before enrolling into any LL.B programme. This article rounds up some of the best-regarded CLE-approved law universities across Nigeria’s federal, state, and private categories, along with a detailed look at what each currently charges.
Important: Always cross-check a university’s current CLE approval status — including whether it is under a moratorium — directly against the Council’s most recent published list before applying, since the list is updated periodically and some previously approved institutions have had admissions temporarily suspended.
Understanding CLE Approval and Moratoriums
As of the Council’s most recent 2026 notice, well over 110 Nigerian universities are approved to admit LL.B students. However, a handful of these are currently under a moratorium — meaning they are technically on the approved list historically but are barred from admitting new law students for a specified period. Notable examples include:
Baze University, Abuja — moratorium from 2023/2024 to 2025/2026 session
Lead City University, Ibadan — moratorium from 2023/2024 to 2027/2028 session
Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil — moratorium from 2024/2025 to 2025/2026 session
Prospective students should treat “on the list” and “currently admitting” as two different questions, since a university can appear on the historical approved list while still being barred from taking in new law students for the moratorium period.
Best CLE-Approved Federal Universities for Law and Their Fees
Federal universities remain the most affordable route into legal education in Nigeria, since tuition is heavily subsidized by government funding. The trade-off is intense competition for admission, as these are consistently among the most sought-after law faculties in the country.
University
Location
Approx. Law Tuition (₦/session, Nigerian students)
University of Lagos (UNILAG)
Lagos State
100,000 – 280,000
University of Ibadan (UI)
Oyo State
34,300 – 40,000 (undergraduate); higher departmental levies may apply
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU)
Kaduna State
70,000 – 96,000 (broadly in line with other professional courses)
University of Benin (UNIBEN)
Edo State
Comparable federal range, typically 50,000 – 150,000
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)
Enugu State
Comparable federal range, typically 50,000 – 150,000
University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)
Kwara State
Comparable federal range, typically 50,000 – 150,000
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)
Osun State
Comparable federal range, typically 50,000 – 150,000
Federal university fees for Law generally sit close to what other professional-adjacent faculties charge at the same institution — a fraction of what private universities charge — though these figures exclude acceptance fees, hostel accommodation, and departmental sundries, which can add ₦50,000–₦150,000 to a fresher’s total first-session cost.
Best CLE-Approved State Universities for Law and Their Fees
State universities offer a middle ground: often more accessible than federal universities in terms of admission competitiveness, with tuition still considerably lower than private institutions, though usually higher than federal universities — especially for non-indigenes of the owning state.
University
Location
Approx. Law Tuition (₦/session)
Lagos State University (LASU)
Lagos State
80,000 – 180,000 (lower for Lagos State indigenes)
Osun State University (UNIOSUN)
Osun State
75,000 – 95,000
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU)
Anambra State
Comparable state-university range
Ekiti State University (EKSU)
Ekiti State
Comparable state-university range
State universities frequently operate a two-tier fee structure — a lower rate for indigenes of the owning state and a higher rate for non-indigenes — so the exact figure a candidate pays can vary significantly depending on their state of origin.
Best CLE-Approved Private Universities for Law and Their Fees
Private universities charge substantially more but are often chosen for smaller class sizes, more consistent academic calendars (no strike disruptions), and, in some cases, closer mentorship. Fees below are full-session tuition figures and can rise or fall slightly by level.
University
Location
Approx. Law Tuition (₦/session)
Babcock University
Ogun State
~1,655,000 – 2,002,000 (varies by level, 100L highest)
Bowen University
Osun State
~1,599,000 – 2,200,000
Redeemer’s University
Osun State
~1,140,000 – 2,090,000
Afe Babalola University (ABUAD)
Ekiti State
~2,725,000 – 3,795,000 (accommodation and utilities included; NO instalment payment allowed for Law)
Shanahan University
Anambra State
1,200,000 (subsidized to 1,080,000 for first-year students)
Tansian University
Anambra State
~450,000 – 600,000 (tuition only; total session cost up to ~1,271,500 with accommodation and sundries)
American University of Nigeria
Adamawa State
~1,755,000 per semester (semester-based US-style billing)
Note: as covered earlier, Covenant University does not currently offer a Law programme, despite being a well-known private university, so it is not included in the tuition comparison above even where it appears on general “top private universities” lists.
Side-by-Side Snapshot: Cheapest to Most Expensive for Law
Tier
Cheapest Example
Approx. Tuition (₦/session)
Most Expensive Example
Approx. Tuition (₦/session)
Federal
University of Ibadan
~34,300 – 40,000
University of Lagos
~280,000
State
Osun State University
~75,000 – 95,000
Lagos State University (non-indigene)
~180,000
Private
Tansian University
~450,000 – 600,000
Afe Babalola University (ABUAD)
~3,795,000
The gap between the cheapest federal law faculty and the most expensive private one is enormous — well over 100 times in tuition alone — which is why so many prospective law students weigh admission competitiveness at federal universities against the guaranteed, faster-paced, strike-free experience that private universities advertise.
What Drives the Fee Differences
Government subsidy: Federal universities receive government funding that covers most of the actual cost of running a Law faculty, which is why their tuition remains a fraction of what private universities charge.
Indigene vs. non-indigene status: State universities frequently charge less for indigenes of the state that owns the university, so the same LL.B programme can cost noticeably different amounts for two students at the same school.
Bundled vs. unbundled fees: Some private universities (like ABUAD) fold accommodation and feeding into one headline tuition figure since boarding is compulsory, while others (like Tansian) publish tuition separately from accommodation and sundry charges — meaning headline comparisons should always be read carefully.
Payment structure for Law specifically: At some private universities (again, ABUAD is a clear example), Law and Medicine are singled out as programmes that do not qualify for instalment payment plans available to other courses, requiring fuller upfront payment.
Newness of the programme: Very recently CLE-approved law faculties (at newer private universities) sometimes price competitively to attract their first cohorts, while older, more established private law faculties price closer to what the market has shown families are willing to pay.
How to Verify a University’s CLE Status Before Applying
Check the CLE’s most recently published public notice (issued periodically, most recently in June 2026) for the full, current list of approved universities.
Confirm whether your target university appears on the list without a moratorium notice attached to it for your intended admission year.
Cross-check directly with the university’s Faculty/College of Law admissions office, since CLE status can change between publications.
Be wary of any university claiming “law programme accreditation is in process” — CLE approval must be confirmed before admission, not promised for later, since students admitted into unapproved programmes risk being unable to proceed to Law School regardless of how well they perform academically.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What does CLE approval actually mean for a law student?
CLE (Council of Legal Education) approval means the Council recognizes a university’s LL.B programme as meeting the standards required for its graduates to proceed to the Nigerian Law School — the compulsory final stage of legal training before being called to the Nigerian Bar. Graduates of universities not on the CLE’s approved list, or those admitted during a moratorium period, are not eligible for Law School admission regardless of their academic performance.
2. Which is the cheapest CLE-approved university to study Law in Nigeria?
Among federal universities, the University of Ibadan currently has some of the lowest published tuition figures for undergraduates (in the ₦34,300–₦40,000 range, excluding hostel and acceptance fees), while Osun State University offers one of the most affordable state-university options. These remain dramatically cheaper than any private law faculty in the country.
3. Which CLE-approved private university has the highest Law school fees?
Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) currently has the highest published Law tuition among mainstream private universities, with 100 Level fees reported in the range of ₦3,170,000–₦3,795,000 (inclusive of compulsory accommodation and utilities), and subsequent levels settling around ₦2,725,000–₦2,826,500. Law students at ABUAD are also required to pay in full rather than in instalments, unlike students in most other ABUAD programmes.
4. Are law faculties at state universities cheaper for everyone, or only for indigenes?
Only indigenes typically get the lower rate. Most state universities, including Lagos State University, operate a dual pricing structure where indigenes of the owning state pay significantly less than non-indigenes for the same LL.B programme. A non-indigene should budget closer to the upper end of any published range for a state university.
5. Is a university still safe to attend for Law if it’s on the CLE list but under a moratorium?
No — not for new admissions during the moratorium period. A moratorium means the CLE has explicitly suspended a university’s ability to admit new law students for a defined window (for example, Baze University’s moratorium covers 2023/2024 through 2025/2026, and Lead City University’s covers 2023/2024 through 2027/2028). Students already admitted before a moratorium began are typically unaffected, but new applicants should not enrol into the Law programme of a university currently under moratorium, and should instead confirm current-year admission eligibility directly with the CLE or the institution before applying.