ABU School Fees 2026/2027: New Charges Run From ₦143,000 to ₦298,000

ABU school fees for the 2026/2027 session now range from ₦143,000 to ₦298,000, depending on the programme and level, after Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria published its approved new registration charges for undergraduates on Monday, 5 October 2026. Under the old schedule, ABU students paid roughly ₦62,000 to ₦84,000, so many students will now pay two to three times what they paid last session.

The university posted the schedule as a set of fee tables in a notice titled Approved New Registration Charges for Undergraduates on its official website. The charges were reportedly approved by the university’s Governing Council at a special meeting on 29 September, after the Senate considered them on 24 September. ABU has said the full breakdown will appear on the student portal.

ABU school fees 2026/2027 by course, and how big the jump is

Medicine and Dentistry carry the highest 100-level charge, at ₦242,000 each. Medicine was ₦82,000 last session. Nursing Science, along with Medical Laboratory Science and Radiography, comes in at ₦212,000. Law is ₦182,000, while engineering courses and Computer Science both cost ₦172,000.

Returning students aren’t spared either, because the new charges apply across levels. In the Faculty of Administration, the published figures run from ₦143,000 to ₦158,000 between 200 and 400 level. Agriculture students will pay between ₦158,000 and ₦178,000, depending on their level, while Nursing Science students pay between ₦203,000 and ₦238,000 as they move through the programme. Non-resident Nigerians and international students pay much more. In Nursing, for example, non-Nigerian students pay ₦4.1 million.

Why the new ABU charges have angered students

The size of the jump has drawn strong reactions from students and their union. Akinteye Afeez, president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, said “The VC should just resign if he can’t run the school again successfully.” A student, Bisallah Abuhaneefah, described the increases as “not just surprising but outrageous”.

The schedule describes the money as registration charges and not tuition, since federal universities don’t charge undergraduate tuition as a matter of policy. For families paying the bill, though, the difference is mostly one of wording, and the new figures will matter most to parents with more than one child in school and to students who fund themselves.

How NELFUND can pay your ABU charges for you

If you’re an ABU student worried about finding the money, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund is the first place to look. NELFUND pays institutional charges directly to your school and can also pay an upkeep allowance into your bank account. It’s open to students of public tertiary institutions, and ABU, as a federal university, qualifies. The fund has already paid out more than ₦372 billion, as we reported in our NELFUND disbursement update.

The 2026/2027 application window closes on 31 December 2026. Our guide to the NELFUND 2026/2027 application explains which records to fix before you apply, because a mismatch between your NIN, JAMB profile and school record is the most common cause of delays. Apply only through the official NELFUND website, and don’t pay anyone to process your loan, because applying is free.

If you’re a fresh student who hasn’t yet completed admission, you’ll need to accept your offer on JAMB CAPS before ABU can register you or verify a loan application. Our explainer on the 2026 JAMB CAPS admission deadlines sets out the dates for public and private universities, so check where you stand before the window closes. Check the ABU student portal for the exact amount for your course and level before paying, and pay only through the channels the university lists there.