Plateau State University, Bokkos (PLASU), runs its Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) programme under its newly established College of Medicine and Health Sciences. This article explains what candidates should expect to pay in school fees for the programme, how PLASU’s fee structure compares to other courses at the university, and the additional charges tied to studying medicine at a state-owned institution.
About the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at PLASU
Plateau State University established its College of Medicine and Health Sciences following Senate approval of the college’s governing statute, marking a major expansion of the university’s health-related offerings. The College now runs alongside the existing Faculty of Health Sciences, which houses Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, and Public Health, and the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, which offers Pharmacy as a standalone professional programme. Medicine and Surgery admits its students through JAMB UTME and Post-UTME screening, following the same general admission pathway as every other undergraduate programme at PLASU, though with a considerably higher departmental cut-off mark reflecting the competitive and specialized nature of medical training.
As a state government-owned university, PLASU benefits from subvention support from the Plateau State Government, which keeps tuition across nearly all its programmes, including Medicine and Surgery, considerably lower than what private universities charge for the same course. University management has publicly reaffirmed that PLASU’s fee structure remains broadly uniform across faculties, meaning Medicine and Surgery students pay within the same general fee bracket as students in other departments, rather than facing a separately inflated tuition schedule the way private medical programmes typically do.
PLASU General School Fees Structure
PLASU’s approved school fees schedule breaks tuition and levies down by faculty, indigene or non-indigene status, and whether the student is a fresher or returning student. The table below reflects the official structure the university applies across its health-related faculties, which gives a useful benchmark for what Medicine and Surgery students should expect, since the university maintains that fees for Medicine and Surgery fall within the same general range as other courses at PLASU.
| Fee Category | Indigene (New) | Indigene (Returning) | Non-Indigene (New) | Non-Indigene (Returning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | ₦30,000 | ₦30,000 | ₦70,000 | ₦70,000 |
| Clinicals | ₦20,000 | ₦20,000 | ₦20,000 | ₦20,000 |
| Practicals/Workshops | ₦10,000 | ₦10,000 | ₦10,000 | ₦10,000 |
| Laboratory fees | ₦10,000 | ₦10,000 | ₦10,000 | ₦10,000 |
| Examination fee | ₦10,000 | ₦10,000 | ₦10,000 | ₦10,000 |
| Library fee | ₦10,000 | ₦10,000 | ₦10,000 | ₦10,000 |
These figures reflect the fee categories PLASU applies to its clinically-oriented health programmes, which give a reasonable indication of the fee components a Medicine and Surgery student should expect to see on their invoice, alongside a series of smaller administrative charges covering items such as ID card, insurance, ICT facility use, matriculation gown, student records, and campus security. When these individual line items are added together, the total session fee for health-related programmes at PLASU typically falls within a few hundred thousand naira, a figure that remains dramatically lower than what private universities in Nigeria charge for Medicine and Surgery, where session fees frequently run into several million naira.
Why Medicine and Surgery Fees at PLASU Stay Comparatively Low
Candidates researching medical school costs in Nigeria often assume that Medicine and Surgery automatically carries a premium tuition bracket, since this holds true at most private universities offering the course. At PLASU, however, the picture differs because the university operates as a state-subsidized institution rather than a self-funded private one. University management has stated clearly that PLASU has not increased its base tuition fee, which has remained largely unchanged for several sessions, and that there are no immediate plans to raise it. This position applies broadly across the university’s course offerings, including Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy, and every other faculty.
That said, Medicine and Surgery, by nature of its extensive laboratory work, clinical rotations, and specimen-based practical training, typically carries higher clinical, laboratory, and practical fee components than non-clinical courses such as Arts or Social Sciences, even within PLASU’s generally uniform fee framework. Candidates should therefore expect their total session fee for Medicine and Surgery to sit toward the higher end of PLASU’s overall fee range, even though the base tuition figure itself remains modest compared to what private medical schools charge.
Acceptance Fee and Other Compulsory Charges
Beyond tuition and departmental levies, every fresh student admitted into PLASU, including those admitted into Medicine and Surgery, must pay a non-refundable acceptance fee before proceeding with registration. This acceptance fee currently stands at ₦25,000, alongside a separate medical screening fee of ₦3,000 required of all newly admitted students as part of the registration process. These charges apply once, at the point of first admission, and do not recur for returning students.
Additional charges candidates should budget for as they progress through the programme include a change of course fee, late registration penalties for students who miss the payment deadline, hostel accommodation charges for students who require university housing, and result verification or transcript application fees at various points during and after the programme. Medicine and Surgery students, given the extended six-year duration of the MBBS programme compared to most other undergraduate courses at PLASU, should plan their financial budgeting across a longer timeline than students in four or five-year programmes.
Admission Requirements for Medicine and Surgery at PLASU
Candidates seeking admission into Medicine and Surgery at PLASU must clear a considerably higher JAMB UTME threshold than most other programmes at the university. While PLASU’s general cut-off mark for most courses sits at 160, Medicine and Surgery, along with other competitive programmes in the Faculties of Health Sciences, Law, and Pharmacy, carries a differentiated and significantly higher cut-off point. Candidates aiming for Medicine and Surgery should target a score well above 200, since medical programmes at PLASU demand very strong performance in both the JAMB UTME and the university’s Post-UTME screening exercise to stand a realistic chance of admission, given the limited number of admission slots typically approved for medical training.
Beyond the JAMB score, candidates need a minimum of five O’Level credit passes, including English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, in not more than two sittings. Candidates must also select Plateau State University, Bokkos as their first choice institution during JAMB registration and participate in the university’s online Post-UTME and Direct Entry screening exercise, which runs annually through the dedicated PLASU Post-UTME portal.
How Admission and Registration Works
Once a candidate’s name appears on the PLASU admission list, whether through the main admission list or a supplementary list, which the university has previously used specifically to admit students into the College of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Faculty of Pharmacy, the candidate must complete the following steps:
- Accept the admission offer on the official JAMB CAPS portal, since PLASU only recognizes admission offers processed through this system.
- Confirm the admission status directly on the PLASU official website or student portal.
- Pay the non-refundable acceptance fee of ₦25,000 alongside the ₦3,000 medical screening fee through the university’s approved payment channels.
- Print the admission letter and JAMB matriculation confirmation for use during physical screening.
- Proceed with registration within the university’s stipulated window, since late registration attracts additional penalty charges.
- Gather required documents for physical screening, including the original JAMB result slip, PLASU Post-UTME registration slip, birth certificate or age declaration, certificate of origin, and any required attestation or reference letters.
- Secure hostel accommodation or arrange off-campus housing ahead of resumption, since demand for university hostel space is often high, particularly among first-year medical students.
Indigene Versus Non-Indigene Fee Differences
PLASU applies a differentiated fee structure between Plateau State indigenes and candidates from outside the state, a common practice among state-owned universities in Nigeria. Indigene students typically pay a lower tuition rate than non-indigene students across every faculty, including Medicine and Surgery. Non-indigene candidates should factor this fee difference into their financial planning from the outset, since the gap between indigene and non-indigene tuition can be substantial, even though the overall fee structure at PLASU remains considerably more affordable than most private medical schools regardless of a candidate’s state of origin.
FAQs
How much does Medicine and Surgery cost at Plateau State University?
PLASU maintains that its fee structure applies broadly across all courses, including Medicine and Surgery, keeping tuition considerably lower than private universities. Exact current figures for the College of Medicine and Health Sciences should be confirmed directly through the official PLASU fees portal, since the programme is newly established.
What JAMB score do I need for Medicine and Surgery at PLASU?
Medicine and Surgery requires a significantly higher score than PLASU’s general 160 cut-off mark. Candidates should aim for 200 or above, given the competitive nature of medical admissions and the limited slots available.
Does PLASU charge different fees for indigenes and non-indigenes studying medicine?
Yes. PLASU applies a lower tuition rate to Plateau State indigenes compared to non-indigene students, a pattern that holds across the university’s faculties, including Medicine and Surgery.
Is the acceptance fee the same for Medicine and Surgery as other courses?
Yes. The non-refundable acceptance fee of ₦25,000, plus a ₦3,000 medical screening fee, applies uniformly to all newly admitted PLASU students regardless of course.
How long does the Medicine and Surgery programme take at PLASU?
Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) typically runs for six years, followed by a mandatory one-year housemanship, making it considerably longer than most other undergraduate programmes at the university.