12 Best universities to study Nursing in Nigeria 2023

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There are a lot of universities in Nigeria where you can study Nursing science, but in this article, you will find out the best universities to study Nursing in Nigeria.

Nursing science is one of the most sought-after professions in Nigeria even though there are scarcity of Nurses in the country which may be due to low pay (you can check out the hilarious salary of registered nurses in Nigeria) and lack of respect to the nurses in the country. A lot of Nigerian nurses are migrating to other countries for what the countries can’t offer. Feel free to read our article on how to become a UKRN.

Before you study Nursing in the country you need to know the best university to study Nursing in Nigeria so that you can have the best Nursing training.

What are the best universities to study Nursing in Nigeria?

Below are the best universities to study Nursing in Nigeria:

University of Lagos (UNILAG).
University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).
University of Ibadan (UI).
University of Nigeria, NSUKKA (UNN).
University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
University of Benin (UNIBEN).
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK).
University of Jos (UNIJOS).
Lagos State University (LASU).
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH).
University of Calabar (UNICAL).

Also check out: Best universities to study Medicine and Surgery in Nigeria

1. University of Lagos (UNILAG)

UNILAG is one of the best universities to study nursing in Nigeria. The department of Nursing Science, College of Medicine, University of Lagos was established in the year 2009 but took of functionality in the year 2010. The department’s vision is to pursue excellence in knowledge through Innovative learning and research as well as character and service to humanity.

Their present curriculum offers two types of admission to students, which are:

a 5-year B.N.Sc curriculum for those students with no prior registered Nurse certificate.
a 4-year program for those registered Nurses wishing to pursue a baccalaureate.

After successful completion of the nursing program Bachelor of Nursing Science, B.N.Sc degree is awarded.

2. University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)

UNILORIN is one of the top universities to study nursing in Nigeria. The University of Ilorin was established in 1975 at Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. UNILORIN department of Nursing, College of Health Science is one of the most competitive departments in the school and to gain admission as a student in this department you have to beat the departmental cutoff mark.

3. University of Ibadan (UI)

UI is known to be the first university and one of the best universities to study Nursing in Nigeria. The Faculty of Medicine was one of the first Faculties created when the University College, Ibadan came into being in 1948. The Department of Nursing, Faculty of Clinical Science, College of Medicine in UI is a highly competitive department, to become a student of this department you must have excellent grades and beat their cut-off marks.

4. University of Nigeria, NSUKKA (UNN)

UNN is part of the best universities to study nursing in Nigeria. The department of Nursing Science, University of Nigeria, NSUKKA offers a five-year BNSc. degree Nursing program for UTME Students and a four-year degree programs for Direct Entry candidates which after successful completion of the programme, Direct Entry candidates will earn a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree.

5. University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT)

UNIPORT is one of the best universities to study nursing in Nigeria. The University of PortHarcourt was established in 1975 at PortHarcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

6. University of Benin (UNIBEN)

The University of Benin (UNIBEN) is one of the best universities to study nursing in Nigeria. Candidates are awarded Bchelor of Nursing Science degrees after successful completion of their program.

7. Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)

Obafemi Awolowo University, popularly known as OAU was established in 1961. It is one of the best universities in Nigeria, which makes Nursing Science a highly competitive course in the university. To stand out and gain admission into the Department of Nursing Science in the Obafemi Awolowo University, you must have excellent grades. No doubt OAU is one of the top universities to study nursing in Nigeria.

8. Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK)

Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) is part of our list of the best universities to study nursing in Nigeria. UNIZIK offers a five-year undergraduate program leading to Bachelor’s degree in Nursing Science (BNSc). Candidates must have a high UTME score and at least 5 credit passes in
their ‘O’ level certificate to stand a chance of gaining admission into the department of Nursing science.

9. University of Jos (UNIJOS)

The University of Jos also known as UNIJOS is a very good university to study nursing in Nigeria. Although, UNIJOS is not as competitive as other top universities to study Nursing in Nigeria. UNIJOS however, has good educational infrastructures which aid and promote learning among students. This is one of the universities you can try and, you will definitely stand a chance to study nursing science in the country.

10. Lagos State University (LASU)

Lagos State University (LASU) is a state-owned university in Lagos, and definitely, one of the best state universities to study nursing in Nigeria. LASU is a bit competitive, so for you to gain admission you must have an excellent UTME and Post Jamb score.

11. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH)

LAUTECH is also a state-owned university in Oyo. LAUTECH is not just part of the best universities to study Nursing in Nigeria but also one of the best states university to study nursing in Nigeria. To gain admission to the department of Nursing in LAUTECH you need to beat their cut-off marks.

12. University of Calabar (UNICAL)

University of Calabar also known as UNICAL is one of the top universities to study Nursing in Nigeria. UNICAL may not be as competitive as the other mentioned universities, but the university has a well equipped facilities. To gain admission into UNICAL, you need to beat their cut-off marks.

What is the duration to study Nursing in Nigeria?

It takes 5 years to study Nursing in Nigerian universities and 3 years to study Nursing in School of Nursing in Nigeria. However, in Federal and State Universities these 5 years sometimes turn into 6 to 7 years due to the action of strike while Private universities aren’t affected by strike.

What are the requirements to study Nursing in Nigeria?

There are specific requirements you must have before you can study Nursing in any university that offers nursing as a course in Nigeria, these requirements include:

a minimum of 5 credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics in WAEC, NECO, or any other equivalent certificate before you can stand a chance to study nursing.

you also need a UTME score of at least 250 with English, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as subjects combination.

Finally, you need to have an excellent score in Post UTME.

For Direct Entry (DE) students, you will need:

Your Registered Nurse (RN) Certificate
At least Two A-Level passes chosen from Biology, Chemistry, and Physics in addition to UTME requirements.

DE students are students who went to School of Nursing and which to have the BNSc. degree without using 5 years but 4 years in the University.

What is the Cutoff Mark for Nursing science in Nigeria?

Cutoff marks for Nursing are not constant, it changes yearly as new ones are fixed based on the performance of the students in the exam. The cutoff Mark for Nursing science differs in each university. Nursing is a highly sought-after profession as mentioned before, as a result, securing admission to the university to study nursing will require you to exceed the JAMB and Post UTME cut-off mark.

Nursing is a highly competitive course in Nigerian universities. It is also a highly respected profession in the country because it involves saving and caring for lives.

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12 Best universities to study Nursing in Nigeria 2023