Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) School Fees for Medicine and Surgery
About Obafemi Awolowo University
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), fondly called “Great Ife,” is one of Nigeria’s oldest and most prestigious federal universities. Founded in 1961 as the University of Ife and renamed in 1987 after the revered Nigerian statesman Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the university is located in the historic city of Ile-Ife, Osun State. With a student population of over 30,000–35,000, OAU is consistently ranked among the top universities in Nigeria and Africa, known for academic rigour, strong research output, and one of the most aesthetically celebrated campuses on the continent.
OAU’s Medicine and Surgery programme is run under the College of Health Sciences, which comprises the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, and the Faculty of Dentistry. It is one of the most sought-after and competitive programmes at the university, drawing applicants from across Nigeria every admission cycle.
Overview of the Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) Programme at OAU
Duration: Six (6) years
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB;ChB)
Structure:
Pre-clinical years (100–300 Level): Conducted under the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, covering Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, and related foundational sciences.
Clinical years (400–600 Level): Conducted under the Faculty of Clinical Sciences (established in 1992), which houses 11 clinical departments — Anaesthesia, Community Health, Dermatology & Venereology, Medicine, Mental Health, Obstetrics/Gynaecology & Perinatology, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Paediatrics & Child Health, Radiology, and Surgery. Clinical training and rotations take place at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC) in Ile-Ife.
After graduation, students proceed to a mandatory one-year housemanship before becoming fully licensed to practise medicine.
Admission cut-off: Medicine and Surgery is one of OAU’s most competitive programmes, typically requiring a UTME score of 250 and above, combined with a strong Post-UTME screening performance, given that the general university cut-off is 200.
OAU Medicine and Surgery School Fees Breakdown
OAU structures its undergraduate school fees by faculty group rather than by individual course, and Medicine and Surgery falls into the highest-charged bracket, alongside the rest of the College of Health Sciences (Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Nursing, Dentistry) and the Faculty of Pharmacy. This is due to the extra practical, laboratory, clinical, and teaching-hospital-linked costs associated with training medical professionals.
Following the university’s Senate-approved fee adjustment (effective from the 2023/2024 session onward and largely maintained into 2025/2026 and 2026/2027), the fees are as follows:
Student Category
Amount (College of Health Sciences / Medicine & Surgery / Pharmacy)
Fresh (New) Students — 100 Level / Direct Entry
₦190,200 per session
Returning Students — 200 Level and above
₦128,200 per session
For comparison, here’s how Medicine and Surgery compares with OAU’s other faculty fee brackets:
Faculty Group
Freshers
Returning Students
Arts, Law, Humanities, Social Sciences, Administration, Education (Arts option)
₦151,200
₦89,200
Science, Environmental Design & Management (EDM), Education (Science option), Technology, Agriculture
₦163,200
₦101,200
College of Health Sciences (incl. Medicine & Surgery), Faculty of Pharmacy
₦190,200
₦128,200
As shown, Medicine and Surgery students pay the highest tuition band at OAU throughout the six-year programme, consistent with the pattern at most Nigerian medical schools where clinical training, laboratory consumables, and teaching hospital access add significant cost.
What the Fees Cover
OAU’s published fee structure states that the amounts above are all-inclusive, covering:
Tuition
Registration
Library access
Medical/health services
Examination charges
Additional Compulsory Charges (Beyond the Core Fee)
On top of the core tuition figure, Medicine and Surgery students (like all OAU undergraduates) should budget for several other mandatory charges:
Charge
Typical Amount
Notes
Acceptance Fee
~₦35,000
Paid once by new students to confirm admission
General/Service Fees
₦16,000
Covers general university services
Development Levy
₦18,000
One-time charge for freshers
TISHIP (Tertiary Institutions Students Health Insurance Programme)
₦2,000
Mandatory for all students
Hall Maintenance Fee
~₦5,000
For hostel-resident students
Utility Fee
~₦3,000
Per session
ICT Fee
~₦3,000
Per session
Caution Fee
Refundable
Paid once, returned upon graduation/withdrawal
Sports Fee
Mandatory
Paid per session
Departmental/Faculty Dues
₦5,000 – ₦10,000
Varies; often higher for clinical-year medical students due to ward/clinical materials
Course/Practical Materials (dissection kits, lab coats, clinical equipment, etc.)
₦10,000 – ₦20,000+
Especially relevant in pre-clinical and clinical years
Identity Card Fee
One-time
For the permanent OAU ID card
Taking all of this into account, a fresh Medicine and Surgery student at OAU should realistically budget between ₦230,000 and ₦280,000+ for the first session, once tuition, acceptance fee, development levy, and other one-time freshers’ charges are added together. Returning students, having already cleared the one-time charges, typically budget closer to ₦150,000 – ₦180,000 per session.
Where the Programme Is Run: Ile-Ife Campus
Some older sources suggest OAU’s medical training takes place at a separate “Ede campus.” This is inaccurate for the Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) programme specifically — the College of Health Sciences and its clinical training are based at the main Ile-Ife campus, with clinical rotations conducted at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), also in Ile-Ife.
How to Pay OAU School Fees
Visit the OAU e-portal: eportal.oauife.edu.ng
Log in with your Matriculation Number (returning students) or JAMB Registration Number (freshers).
Click “Pay School Fees.”
Generate a Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR).
Pay using your ATM card, bank transfer, or at any commercial bank.
Return to the portal to confirm payment and print your receipt — you will need this for departmental and faculty clearance.
Why Medicine and Surgery Costs More at OAU
Clinical training costs: Access to teaching hospital facilities, wards, and specialist clinical departments (Surgery, Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Radiology, etc.) carries costs not incurred by non-medical faculties.
Laboratory-intensive pre-clinical years: Anatomy (including dissection), Physiology, and Biochemistry require constant laboratory consumables.
Longer duration: At six years, Medicine and Surgery is one of the longest undergraduate programmes at OAU, meaning cumulative costs across the full programme are naturally higher than a four-year course, even at similar or slightly higher per-session rates.
Accreditation and equipment standards: Medical programmes must meet Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) accreditation requirements, which mandate certain staffing, equipment, and facility standards that add to running costs.
How OAU Compares to Other Nigerian Universities for Medicine
OAU is frequently cited as one of the more affordable options for studying Medicine and Surgery in Nigeria, especially compared to private universities. For context:
OAU (federal): ~₦190,200 (fresher) / ₦128,200 (returning) per session
University of Ilorin (federal): ~₦254,640 (fresher) / ₦103,560 (returning) per session
Bowen University (private): ~₦220,000 (fresher, UTME) / up to ₦480,000 (Direct Entry) per session
This makes OAU one of the more budget-friendly federal universities for aspiring doctors, without compromising on the quality and reputation of its medical training, which draws on decades of partnership with the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How much is OAU Medicine and Surgery school fees for freshers?
Fresh (100 Level/Direct Entry) students in Medicine and Surgery pay ₦190,200 per session as core tuition, though total first-session costs (including acceptance fee, development levy, and other one-time charges) typically come to around ₦230,000–₦280,000+.
2. How much do returning Medicine and Surgery students pay at OAU?
Returning students (200 Level and above) pay ₦128,200 per session, since they are not required to pay the one-time acceptance fee and development levy that freshers pay.
3. Is Medicine and Surgery the most expensive course at OAU?
Medicine and Surgery is part of the College of Health Sciences fee bracket, which — alongside Pharmacy — is OAU’s highest-charged faculty group, at ₦190,200 (fresher) and ₦128,200 (returning). It shares this top bracket with other Health Sciences programmes like Nursing and Dentistry.
4. What is the JAMB cut-off mark for Medicine and Surgery at OAU?
While OAU’s general cut-off mark is 200, Medicine and Surgery is one of the most competitive courses at the university and typically requires a UTME score of 250 and above, along with a strong Post-UTME screening performance, to stand a realistic chance of admission.
5. How do I pay my OAU Medicine and Surgery school fees?
Payment is done entirely online via the OAU e-portal (eportal.oauife.edu.ng). Log in with your Matric Number or JAMB Number, generate a Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR), pay via card, transfer, or at a bank, then return to the portal to confirm payment and print your receipt for clearance.