Lagos State University (LASU) runs its Medicine and Surgery programme through the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), based within the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja. Anyone applying for this six-year programme, or already admitted and preparing for a new session, needs a clear picture of what the fees involve, how the cost compares to other courses at LASU, and how the payment structure works for freshers versus returning students. This article addresses that directly.
Overview of LASUCOM and the Medicine and Surgery Programme
The College of Medicine of Lagos State University, popularly known as LASUCOM, ranks among the leading colleges of medicine in Nigeria and sits within the structure of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital. The college offers distinctive academic programmes covering medicine, dentistry, nursing, physiology, and therapeutics and toxicology, alongside postgraduate programmes, and it remains the only state university in Nigeria with an accredited dental programme.
Medicine and Surgery at LASU runs for six years and carries accreditation from the National Universities Commission. Entry requires a minimum of five credits at O’Level, obtainable from WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB. The JAMB cut-off mark for the course sits at 195 and above, which is considerably higher than the general cut-off applied to most other courses at the university, reflecting the competitive nature of medical admission nationwide.
How LASU Structures Its School Fees
LASU applies its fees through a stream system that determines the amount a student pays regardless of faculty, alongside course-specific charges that apply on top of the base tuition. The general LASU tuition fee structure places Stream 1 students at a base tuition around ₦58,030, while Stream 2 students, who take an additional entrepreneurship training component, pay around ₦151,030. These figures represent the baseline tuition charged broadly across the university and are reviewed periodically, so a Medicine and Surgery student should expect to pay this baseline plus additional charges specific to the College of Medicine, since clinical training, laboratory use, and practical sessions in medical education typically carry extra costs not applied to non-clinical courses.
Across all courses at LASU, freshers generally pay between ₦100,000 and ₦300,000 depending on the course, while returning students pay between ₦70,000 and ₦250,000 depending on the course. Medicine and Surgery, because of its practical and clinical demands, tends to sit toward the higher end of this range rather than the lower end, particularly from the clinical years onward when students begin ward postings and hospital-based training at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
Charges That Apply Specifically to Fresh Students
Newly admitted Medicine and Surgery students at LASU pay a combination of charges beyond the base tuition. Every fresh student who gains admission into LASU must pay an acceptance fee of ₦30,000, plus an additional ₦30,000 for medical fees, and this applies to the 2026/2027 academic session. Together, these two charges add an extra ₦60,000 to whatever tuition amount a fresher is required to pay, depending on their assigned stream.
Beyond acceptance and medical fees, fresh Medicine and Surgery students should also expect:
- Departmental and faculty charges specific to the College of Medicine, covering laboratory materials, dissection resources, and basic clinical equipment
- Library fee, applied university-wide to all new students
- ID card and matriculation charges, tied to formal registration into the university
- Hostel accommodation fee, for students who secure a room in university-provided housing rather than lodging privately
- Development levy, which differs between indigenes and non-indigenes, with non-indigene students paying around ₦40,000 while indigene students pay around ₦10,000
This combination means a fresher’s total first-session bill for Medicine and Surgery runs noticeably higher than the base tuition figure alone, once acceptance, medical, development, and departmental charges are added together.
Charges That Apply to Returning Students
From the second year onward, a Medicine and Surgery student at LASU no longer pays the acceptance fee or the one-time medical screening charge, since these apply only at the point of first admission. A returning student’s session bill typically narrows down to:
- Tuition fee for the current stream and level of study
- Departmental/practical fee, which tends to increase in the clinical years as students move into hospital-based rotations
- Library fee
- Hostel fee, if accommodation continues
- Examination and result-processing charges
Because Medicine and Surgery extends across six years, students in the clinical phase (typically from the fourth year through the sixth year) generally see a rise in departmental and practical charges compared to what they paid during the pre-clinical years, since ward attachment, clinical supervision, and specialised laboratory work all carry additional cost.
Fee Comparison: Freshers vs Returning Students in Medicine and Surgery
| Fee Category | Fresh Students | Returning Students |
|---|---|---|
| Base tuition (Stream 1/2) | Charged in full | Charged in full |
| Acceptance fee | ₦30,000, charged once | Not applicable |
| Medical fee | ₦30,000, charged once | Not applicable |
| Development levy | Charged (varies by indigene status) | Usually reduced or not repeated |
| Departmental/practical fee | Charged from year one | Charged every session, rising in clinical years |
| Library fee | Charged | Charged |
| Hostel fee | Charged if resident | Charged if resident |
| ID card/matriculation | Charged | Not applicable |
| Examination fee | Charged before first exams | Charged every session |
This table illustrates why the first year of the Medicine and Surgery programme is the costliest single year, while the overall trend for later years depends heavily on whether the student has entered the clinical phase, where practical charges tend to climb again even as the one-time admission charges disappear.
Indigene and Non-Indigene Fee Differences
LASU applies almost no difference in tuition between indigenes and non-indigenes, with the main distinction appearing in the development fee, where non-indigenes pay a higher amount than indigenes. This means a Medicine and Surgery student’s core tuition cost does not change significantly based on state of origin, but the cumulative total across all charges will be slightly higher for a non-indigene student once the development levy difference is factored in.
Admission Requirements That Affect Fee Eligibility
To be considered for admission at LASU generally, a candidate must choose Lagos State University as the first choice institution in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and must score at least 195 in UTME. For Medicine and Surgery specifically, this cut-off of 195 functions as the minimum entry point rather than a guaranteed admission score, since competition for available slots in the programme is high. Indigene candidates are required to verify their identity through the Lagos State University Independent Indigeneship Verification Committee, while direct entry candidates must submit their online admission screening report along with a Notification of Diploma. Candidates generally need five O’Level credits relevant to their intended course within two sittings, though Medicine and Dentistry are treated as exceptions to some of the standard sitting allowances applied to other courses.
Payment Procedure
The general process for settling Medicine and Surgery fees at LASU follows this pattern:
- The university publishes the approved fee schedule for the session, along with resumption dates, through its official student portal.
- Fresh students pay the acceptance fee first, followed by the medical fee, before proceeding to full tuition payment.
- Payment is made through the designated online portal or bank channel listed by the university’s finance unit, not through any unofficial third party.
- The system generates a payment receipt, which the student needs for course registration.
- Returning students clear any outstanding balance from the previous session before registering for a new session or receiving an examination card.
Why Fee Confirmation Directly from LASUCOM Matters
Because fee amounts are reviewed periodically, anyone budgeting for LASU should always verify the exact current figure directly through the official university portal before making payment. Medicine and Surgery fees, in particular, are influenced by additional departmental and clinical charges that a general university-wide fee notice does not always capture in full. A prospective or continuing student should also check directly with the College of Medicine’s finance office for any programme-specific levies tied to laboratory use, dissection materials, or hospital-based clinical training, since these can differ from the standard charges applied to non-medical faculties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medicine and Surgery more expensive than other courses at LASU?
Generally yes. Because of laboratory, dissection, and clinical training costs, Medicine and Surgery tends to sit toward the higher end of the university’s overall fee range compared to non-clinical courses.
Do returning Medicine and Surgery students pay less than freshers?
Yes. Returning students no longer pay the one-time acceptance and medical fees that apply only at first admission, though departmental and practical charges may rise once a student enters the clinical years.
What is the JAMB cut-off mark for Medicine and Surgery at LASU?
The cut-off mark is 195 and above, higher than the general cut-off applied to most other courses at the university.
Do indigenes and non-indigenes pay different tuition?
Tuition itself is largely the same, but the development levy differs, with non-indigenes paying more than indigenes in that specific category.
How long does the Medicine and Surgery programme run at LASU?
It runs for six years, covering both pre-clinical and clinical phases of training.
Conclusion
Medicine and Surgery school fees at Lagos State University combine a base tuition tied to the student’s stream with additional charges specific to acceptance, medical screening, development levy, and departmental/clinical costs that apply throughout the programme. Freshers carry the highest first-year cost due to one-time admission charges, while returning students face a lighter but still substantial bill that can rise again once clinical training begins in later years. Given that fee figures are subject to periodic review, any applicant or continuing student preparing for the 2026/2027 academic session should confirm the current, exact amount directly through the official LASU or LASUCOM student portal before making payment.