Top 5 Best Private Universities in Nigeria

The quality of tertiary education is a mixed bag in Nigeria, but I can tell you that private universities in Nigeria improve that perception.

They generally have better academic ratings and are more recognized internationally. Are you wondering what the best private university in Nigeria is?

I have compiled the Top five best private universities in Nigeria that sit at the top.

Covenant University

Perhaps the most social private university of them all, Covenant University is one of the best private universities you can find in Nigeria right now.

Their country rank stands at second, which means that they are the second-best university in Nigeria overall.

In the world, they sit fairly high up as well, coming in at 1728^th position – that’s not a position to scoff at.

It was established in 2002 as a non-profit making university in the town of Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Their admission range is within 6000-7000, making them a mid-sized university. They are fully recognized by the NUC (National Universities Commission).

However, it comes at a price (literally). Their tuition is on an average of $3,750 (that’s roughly N1.5 million), and when you factor in external costs, it goes even higher than that.

Also, their admission rate hovers around 40-50%; the institution is very selective and their admission is competitive in effect.

Landmark University

Landmark University is located in Omu-Aran, Kwara State. It ranks pretty well in the country (placing 17^th) and it’s as good a private university as you can get in Nigeria.

Globally, it ranks 5292^nd – not very bad at least. It was only established in 2011, meaning it’s a young institution. Its admission range is also small, as it only takes 2,000 to 2,999 students yearly.

On the upside, their admission rate is within 60% to 70% and is only fairly selective. Admission isn’t all that competitive.

Tuition is unsurprisingly around N1.5 million (on average, for both local and international students).

Afe Babalola University

Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) is a pretty excellent private university in Nigeria that can be considered. It started out life in 2009 in the city of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State Nigeria.

For one thing, it currently ranks 12^th on the Country University rating and 4876^th in the world. It is essentially not a profit-making tertiary institution and is duly recognized by the NUC.

A small university, based on its admission range. It only admits within the 5,000-5,999 range every year.

On the flip side, its admission rate is nearly 100%, making them very open and only ever so slightly selective.

Local students should expect to pay around N1.5 million (or more) for tuition alone; international students would pay more, starting from N2 million.

Babcock University

This is one university you’re likely to see appear on social media often. It is in fact a nice private university in Nigeria to enroll in.

ranking 32^nd in the country, and 6927^th in the world. It shows its academic dynamism in the vast areas of study it awards degrees in.

It is also a small-sized institution, judging by the fact that it only admits up to 5,999 students annually.

The admission rate is very low, however, only at around 10%; it is extremely selective and only the fittest gets to be picked.

What do you have to pay for tuition at Babcock University? N700,000 on average, which means it is relatively cheaper than most of the other private universities in the country.

AL-Hikmah University

The institution has the peculiarity of being an Islamic private university and is actually a fine private university outside that fact.

started in 2005 in the city of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. It currently has branches around the environs of Ilorin. It would only take no more than 4,999 students yearly, which means it’s a small school.

Their admission rate compensates for that, standing at around 90%. AL-Hikmah University is not selective, and is very open to applicants.

Their tuition is surprisingly on the low side as well (if we’re looking at private university standards of course).

Local students would generally pay no more than N400,000 for tuition and International students would only pay slightly higher than that.

Conclusion on Top 5 Best Private Universities in Nigeria

If you want a comparatively better education in Nigeria, private universities are a good choice to consider.

They have more academic structure and superior personnel. However, all of this can only be had if you’ve got the money.

As it can be observed, most private universities charge high sums for tuition, making them a no-go area for the masses (they’ve been panned for that).

Maybe the tuition isn’t very high when you look at it from an ideal point of view, but it’s definitely not within the range of the common man in Nigeria, judging by the current cost of living.

One other peculiar feature of private universities in Nigeria is that they are relatively small in size.

The reason for that lies in the fact that not many people can afford them, and their low acceptance rate in some cases.

In all, if you’ve got the funds, private universities in Nigeria are a good way to get quality tertiary education in Nigeria, and above is a list of the best ones you can find currently.

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