Top 10 Best Private Universities in Nigeria that Are Cheap (2024)

Following its evolution, education has been divided into levels which aids easy understanding due to differences in complexity of each level. After primary and secondary education, a student can then go ahead to begin his university education.

Introduction

Universities are further classified into Federal Universities which are owned by the federal government, state universities owned by the state, and private universities owned by an individual or an independent group. Since private universities are owned by independent groups or individuals, their tuition and other fees are quite high, reaching a large sum of hundreds of thousands to millions of naira. However, in this article, we’ll be treating the top 10 cheapest private universities.

Top 10 Best Private Universities in Nigeria

Ajayi Crowther University (ACU)
Obong University
Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu (OUI)
Renaissance University
Wellspring University
Caritas University
Tansian University
Claretian University of Nigeria
Paul University, Awka
Rhema University

Best Private Universities in Nigeria

Ajayi Crowther University (ACU)

Ajayi Crowther University was formed in 2005 by the Anglican Church. It was initially located in Lagos state after its initial formation in 1853 but was later relocated to Oyo State where it was named after Bishop Ajayi Crowther, a Nigerian missionary who translated the Bible from the English language to Yoruba and some other African languages. Although the university was formed in 1853 under a different name, it was in 2005 that it received its license as a standard university. Ajayi Crowther University currently requires a tuition fee of about 390,000 – 686,000 naira depending on the course of study.

Obong University

Obong University is located in Obong Ntak, Akwa Ibom State. The university is another university affiliated with the Church and it is sponsored by the River Gate Church of Christ. It was founded in 1997 with the initial name of African College of Management. Dr Moses Akpanudo along with his African and American associates struggled to gain university status for the school in 2007 and can be considered as its founder. The tuition fee of Obong University ranges from 90,000 to 200,000 naira depending on the course of study.

Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu (OUI)

Oduduwa University was founded in 2009 and it is located in Ipetumodu, Ile Ife, Osun State. The name of the university was coined by Oduduwa, one of the founding fathers of Yoruba in Nigeria.

The University was founded by Rahmon Adegoke Adedoyin who was sentenced to death sometime during the middle of last year. University fees of the Oduduwa University is about 250,000 naira although this price varies depending on the course of study. Courses offered at the university include Economics, Accounting, Mass Communication, Business Admin, International Relations, Microbiology, Computer Science, Biochemistry, and many more.

Renaissance University

Renaissance University is located in Ugbawka in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State. It was licensed by the federal government to act as a private university in 2005. This university is one among many in the eastern region of Nigeria. Tuition fee ranges from 650,000 to 1.2 million naira depending on the course of study. Renaissance University offers a variety of courses including law, medical laboratory science, nursing, banking and finance, psychology, and many more.

Wellspring University

Wellspring University is a private University situated in Benin City of Edo State. It was licensed by the federal government in November 2009. Wellspring University was founded by the Management Science Centre, a professional educational training and consulting institution formed in 1983. Tuition fees at Wellspring University are about 400,000 – 800,000 naira. Courses offered include medical laboratory science, criminology, public health, nursing, accounting, business admin, mass communication, and many more.

Caritas University

Caritas University is a church-affiliated university under the Catholic church. It was founded by Rev. Dr. Professor E.M.P Edeh in 2004. The Caritas University is located in Amorji-Nike, Enugu State. Caritas University school fees range from 132,000 naira to 390,000 naira. Courses offered at this university include accounting, biochemistry, banking and finance, chemical engineering, architecture, and many others.

Tansian University

Tansian University is located in Anambra state. The university is situated in Umunya, Oyi local government area. It was founded by Rev Msgr Prof John Bosco Akam who died in 2021. The university was first located in Oba, Idemili South local government area before it moved to Umunya. Although it was founded as a private university, it received lots of support from the government. Courses offered include medical laboratory science, nursing science, architecture, microbiology, statistics, economics, business admin, and many more. Tuition fees are about 160,000 to 600,000 naira depending on the course.

Claretian University of Nigeria

The Claretian University is a relatively new university founded in 2021. The university is privately owned in Nekede, Imo State. The Claretians (Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) are an international, Roman Catholic religious congregation of priests, brothers, and seminarians.

The Claretian University of Nigeria was founded by the Claretian Missionaries in Nigeria. Claretian University Nigeria has been officially accredited and recognized by the National Universities Commission (NUC), Nigeria. Courses offered include cyber security, physiotherapy, physics, taxation, software engineering, and many more. Tuition fees are 250,000 for art courses and 300,000 for science courses.

Paul University, Awka

Paul University Awka is located in Awka, Anambra State Nigeria. It was founded by the Bishops of the five ecclesiastical provinces of the Anglican church East of the Niger in 2009. Its main aim is to provide undergraduate training in different fields of learning. Courses offered include microbiology, biochemistry, chemistry, pure Mathematics, and many more. School fees are 342,000 naira.

Rhema University

Rhema University is a Christian private university which has been accredited. It is based in the city of Aba in Abia state and is one of the few private universities in the state. It was founded by the Living Word Ministries International in 2009.

There are plans to move the university to a permanent site as their current location is a temporary one. Courses offered include nursing science, mass communication, biochemistry, accounting, medical laboratory science, and many more. Tuition fees are a little over 450,000 naira.

Conclusion

The above universities are among the cheapest in Nigeria. Some private universities have fees crossing the 1.5 million naira mark. These schools have a good education system and they strive to impart knowledge to their students. Do you know of cheaper private schools in Nigeria? Let us know in the comment section.