Abia State, in South-East Nigeria, hosts three universities offering or newly approved to offer Medicine and Surgery, spanning a well-established state university and two private institutions at different stages of building out their medical programmes. This article explains what each institution offers, how their fee structures compare for the 2026/2027 academic session, and what shapes the sizeable cost gap between them.
Medical Schools Located in Abia State
Three institutions in Abia State currently run, or have recently received approval to run, Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) programmes:
- Abia State University (ABSU) College of Medicine and Health Sciences – a state university based in Uturu, with a long-running medicine programme and full MDCN accreditation.
- Gregory University, Uturu – a private Catholic university, also located in Uturu, offering an established Medicine and Surgery programme with full NUC and MDCN recognition.
- Amadeus University, Amizi – a newer private university in Ikwuano Local Government Area, which received National Universities Commission approval to run Medicine and Surgery, alongside Law and Pharmacy, beginning with the 2025/2026 academic session.
ABSU’s clinical training is delivered through the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), which regained MDCN accreditation in December 2023 after a period of suspension tied to equipment and welfare shortfalls, following renovation work carried out by the state government. Gregory University runs its clinical rotations through its own affiliated teaching hospital, a large facility built specifically to support the university’s health science programmes. Amadeus University’s clinical training arrangements are still developing alongside its newly approved College of Medicine, since its medicine programme only began admitting students in the 2025/2026 session.
Why Fees Differ Across the Three Schools
The fee gap in Abia State follows the same pattern found across most Nigerian states with a mix of state and private medical schools.
- State university (ABSU): Receives subvention from the Abia State Government, and maintains a fee structure that distinguishes Abia State indigenes from non-indigenes, with medicine, law, and other professional programmes charged at a higher rate than general courses, though the university requires full, rather than instalment, payment for these professional programmes.
- Established private university (Gregory University): Operates without government subvention, and as a long-running private medical programme, its fees are priced in the millions of naira per session, applied uniformly regardless of a student’s state of origin.
- Newer private university (Amadeus University): Also privately funded, with tuition that varies significantly by programme; as a newly approved medical college, its fee structure and clinical training arrangements are still being finalized as the programme completes its first sessions.
Fee Comparison Table for Medical Schools in Abia State (2026/2027)
| Institution | Ownership | Location | Approx. Fee per Session (₦) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abia State University (ABSU) College of Medicine and Health Sciences | State | Uturu, Abia State | 180,000 – 260,000 | Full payment required (no instalments) for medicine; indigene/non-indigene distinction applies across most ABSU programmes |
| Gregory University, Uturu | Private | Uturu, Abia State | 2,000,000 – 4,000,000 | Uniform rate for all students; among the more established private medical programmes in the South-East |
| Amadeus University, Amizi | Private | Amizi, Ikwuano LGA, Abia State | 800,000 – 3,500,000 (general tuition range; medicine typically at the higher end) | Newly approved programme; separate acceptance, utility, and mandatory accommodation charges apply |
These figures cover tuition and standard obligatory charges. They exclude textbooks, clinical supplies, and, for the private institutions, accommodation, which is billed separately and in some cases mandatory. Because Amadeus University’s medical programme is newly established, its fee schedule is more likely to be adjusted from session to session than the other two institutions, so students should confirm the exact current figure directly with each university before making any payment.
Abia State University (ABSU) College of Medicine and Health Sciences
ABSU, established in 1981 in Uturu, runs one of the longer-standing state medical training programmes in the South-East, with its College of Medicine and Health Sciences producing generations of doctors trained through clinical rotations at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital. The teaching hospital’s brief loss of MDCN accreditation in prior years, followed by its restoration in December 2023 after renovation and equipment upgrades, is a detail worth knowing for prospective applicants, since consistent teaching hospital accreditation is essential for a smooth clinical training experience.
ABSU’s fee structure distinguishes Abia State indigenes from non-indigenes across most of its programmes, a standard practice among Nigerian state universities, though published fee schedules for medicine specifically show closely comparable figures across both categories in some sessions, so applicants should confirm the current breakdown for their specific status. Fresh medicine students pay tuition alongside acceptance, accreditation, and development charges in their first year, bringing total first-year costs to a higher figure than what returning students pay in subsequent sessions. Notably, ABSU requires full, upfront payment rather than instalments for its Faculty of Law, Faculty of Engineering, College of Medicine, and School of Nursing, unlike some other faculties where instalment payment is permitted.
Admission into ABSU’s medicine programme is highly competitive, requiring a UTME score well above the university’s general baseline cut-off, five credit passes in relevant O’Level subjects including English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, and a strong outcome in the university’s post-UTME screening exercise.
Gregory University, Uturu
Gregory University, a private Catholic institution established in 2012, runs one of the more established private Medicine and Surgery programmes in South-East Nigeria, alongside a range of other health and academic disciplines. Its clinical training is anchored by its own large affiliated teaching hospital, which the university has developed specifically to support hands-on training for its medical, nursing, and allied health science students.
As a private university without government subvention, Gregory University’s Medicine and Surgery fees sit well above ABSU’s, generally falling in the range of several million naira per session, a figure that reflects the cost of maintaining independent clinical infrastructure, faculty, and accreditation compliance without state support. This rate applies uniformly to all students, regardless of state of origin, consistent with standard private university practice in Nigeria. Students should also budget separately for accommodation, clinical kits, textbooks, and other personal expenses beyond the core tuition figure, since medical training in the clinical years typically requires additional purchases not included in the base school fee.
Admission into Gregory University’s medicine programme requires five credit passes in relevant O’Level subjects, a UTME score meeting the university’s minimum threshold for the course, and successful completion of the institution’s screening process.
Amadeus University, Amizi
Amadeus University, located in Amizi within Ikwuano Local Government Area, is the newest of the three institutions to enter medical education in Abia State. It received National Universities Commission approval to run Medicine and Surgery, alongside Law and Pharmacy, with these programmes commencing in the 2025/2026 academic session, making it a genuinely new entrant compared to ABSU and Gregory University.
Amadeus operates a residential model, requiring mandatory on-campus accommodation for its students, with room options ranging from shared four-person rooms to more private two-person rooms, each billed separately from tuition. Its overall tuition figures vary considerably by programme, and medicine, as one of the university’s premium offerings alongside Pharmacy, is expected to sit toward the higher end of the university’s published fee range. Fresh students also pay a substantial acceptance fee and a separate utility or service fee on top of tuition and accommodation, meaning the full first-year cost for a new medical student is considerably higher than the base tuition figure alone suggests.
Because Amadeus University’s College of Medicine is still in its early sessions, prospective applicants should treat any fee figures as provisional and confirm the current schedule directly with the university’s admissions office, along with verifying the current accreditation status of the specific level or class they intend to join.
What Drives the Cost of Medicine Regardless of School
Certain cost factors apply to any Nigerian university running a medicine programme, in Abia State or elsewhere:
- Six-year programme length – MBBS training runs longer than most undergraduate degrees, extending the total number of sessions a student pays tuition for.
- Laboratory and clinical infrastructure – anatomy dissection facilities, simulation equipment, and specialized teaching materials require continuous investment, particularly for newer medical colleges like Amadeus University still building out full clinical capacity.
- Teaching hospital partnerships – access to a functioning, accredited teaching hospital is central to medical training; ABSU’s and Gregory University’s long-standing hospital affiliations provide more established training pathways than a newly launched programme.
- Accreditation compliance – meeting MDCN and NUC standards for facilities, staffing ratios, and curriculum quality carries an ongoing cost, reflected more heavily in tuition during a programme’s early years.
Admission Requirements Common to All Three Schools
While specific cut-off marks and screening processes differ, medicine admission in Abia State generally follows this pattern:
- Five credit passes at O’Level, including English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, obtained in the number of sittings each institution specifies.
- A UTME score that clears the specific cut-off mark set for medicine, which sits well above the general baseline cut-off applied to non-competitive courses at each institution.
- Successful completion of the institution’s post-UTME or entrance screening exercise.
- For ABSU specifically, verification of indigene status where applicable, since this affects the fee category a student is billed under for most programmes.
How to Pay Fees at These Institutions
All three universities process payments electronically through their respective student portals. The general process follows this pattern:
- Log in to the university’s student portal using the matriculation number or JAMB registration number and assigned password.
- Select the current session (2026/2027) and generate an invoice for the applicable fee category.
- Retrieve the payment reference number generated by the portal.
- Complete payment through a debit card, bank transfer, USSD, or a designated bank branch linked to the payment platform.
- Print or save the payment receipt for registration and clearance purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which medical school in Abia State is the most affordable?
Abia State University is significantly more affordable, since it is a state institution with government subvention keeping its overall tuition, including for medicine, well below what either private university charges.
Is Amadeus University’s medicine programme fully accredited?
Amadeus University received National Universities Commission approval to run Medicine and Surgery beginning with the 2025/2026 session. As with any newly approved programme, prospective applicants should confirm its current accreditation status, including MDCN recognition for clinical training, directly with the university before applying.
Does Gregory University offer any fee reduction for Abia State indigenes?
No. Gregory University is a private institution and applies its fee structure uniformly to all students, regardless of state of origin.
Why did ABSU’s teaching hospital lose and later regain its accreditation?
The Abia State University Teaching Hospital was suspended from MDCN accreditation for a period due to equipment and welfare shortfalls, and regained accreditation in December 2023 following renovation and upgrades. Prospective students can confirm the hospital’s current accreditation status directly with ABSU or the MDCN.