Madonna University is a Catholic private university in Okija, Anambra State, established in 1999 as the first private university in Nigeria. It operates a multi-campus structure (Okija main campus, Elele campus in Rivers, Akpugo campus in Enugu) with around 10,000 students across a broad catalogue including medicine and pharmacy.
MADONNA's general cut-off mark for 2026/2027 is 180, with course-specific cut-offs ranging from 180 (Chemistry) to 270 (Medicine and Surgery). Located in Okija, Anambra, Madonna University is a private university with 0 faculties and was founded in 1999.
What changed in the 2026 cycle
For the 2026 cycle, Madonna University tightened its admission floor, with course-specific cut-off marks tracking the national trend.
The institution's most competitive programmes are Medicine and Surgery (270), Dentistry (260) and Pharmacy (240). Medicine and Surgery sits at the ceiling for MADONNA, with candidates scoring below 270 effectively shut out of that programme. On the other end, Statistics (180), Physics (180) and Mathematics (180) offer the most accessible entry points at the institution.
Year-on-year, the institution's overall average increased by 209 points, consistent with the national pattern of rising cut-offs at top federal universities.
2026 cut off marks at MADONNA
| Course | Category | 2026 UTME | 2025 UTME | Change | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | Management | 210 | - | 0 | - |
| Architecture | Sciences | 200 | - | 0 | - |
| Biochemistry | Sciences | 200 | - | 0 | - |
| Biotechnology | Sciences | 190 | - | 0 | - |
| Chemistry | Sciences | 180 | - | 0 | - |
| Computer Science | Sciences | 200 | - | 0 | - |
| Dentistry | Medical and Health | 260 | - | 0 | - |
| Economics | Social Sciences | 200 | - | 0 | - |
| Law | Law | 210 | - | 0 | - |
| Mass Communication | Arts | 200 | - | 0 | - |
| Mathematics | Sciences | 180 | - | 0 | - |
| Medical Laboratory Science | Medical and Health | 230 | - | 0 | - |
| Medicine and Surgery | Medical and Health | 270 | - | 0 | - |
| Microbiology | Sciences | 200 | - | 0 | - |
| Nursing Science | Medical and Health | 220 | - | 0 | - |
| Pharmacy | Medical and Health | 240 | - | 0 | - |
| Physics | Sciences | 180 | - | 0 | - |
| Physiotherapy | Medical and Health | 220 | - | 0 | - |
| Radiography | Medical and Health | 210 | - | 0 | - |
| Statistics | Sciences | 180 | - | 0 | - |
Faculties and academic structure
The academic structure at MADONNA is split into 0 faculties and colleges, giving the institution a focused academic structure built around its strongest disciplines.
The faculty is the administrative parent, but the department is the academic home. Cut-off marks, post-UTME screening and graduation requirements all sit with the department, not the wider faculty.
How admission works at MADONNA
UTME requirements. Every applicant to MADONNA must meet two UTME floors: the JAMB national minimum of 150 and the institution's own general cut-off of 180. The third floor, the course-specific cut-off, is the one that actually decides admission for competitive programmes, with Medicine and Surgery requiring 270 this cycle. UTME subject combinations must match the chosen programme.
Post-UTME or screening. As a private institution, MADONNA typically replaces the traditional post-UTME with an internal aptitude test, interview or documents check rather than a points-based ranking exam. The screening usually opens shortly after JAMB releases results and runs through the early part of the admission window. Candidates should monitor the official MADONNA admissions portal for exact dates each cycle.
The CAPS process. Once aggregates are calculated, MADONNA uploads admission recommendations to the JAMB Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). Candidates check their CAPS profile to find offers, accept or reject within the deadline and proceed to acceptance fee payment. Admission lists usually drop in waves rather than all at once, so the absence of an offer on the first list does not end your chances.
Acceptance and admission fees. After accepting on CAPS, the candidate has approximately four weeks to settle the acceptance fee through the MADONNA portal. Missing this deadline forfeits the place. Acceptance and full session fees are billed separately, and private institutions like MADONNA have distinct fee structures that you should confirm on the official portal.
Matriculation and resumption. Fresh intakes at MADONNA typically resume between late September and mid-October for the academic session, with matriculation ceremonies held a few weeks after resumption. Course registration, hostel allocation where applicable, and faculty orientation all happen in the opening weeks. Candidates should plan to be on campus from the published resumption date to avoid late registration penalties.
Campus facilities
Students at MADONNA have access to the standard set of Nigerian university facilities, plus institution-specific infrastructure tied to its strongest faculties.
MADONNA's teaching hospital is the institution's most distinctive infrastructure, used for clinical postings by Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy students and for community medical service.
Student accommodation
Student accommodation at MADONNA runs across three options that candidates and parents should plan for early: on-campus halls, off-campus lodges and short-stay places for visits.
On-campus housing
MADONNA requires most undergraduates to live in on-campus accommodation, with capacity built to cover the published intake. Bed allocation typically follows a annual lottery so fresh students settle into specific halls before the first semester.
Accommodation costs at MADONNA are typically bundled into the published fees rather than billed separately. The fee includes feeding plans, utilities and basic upkeep, which is part of the reason private-university fee structures sit materially higher than federal equivalents.
Because hostel demand exceeds supply at most federal universities, many students treat the application as a backup plan rather than the default option, with off-campus arrangements organised in parallel.
Off-campus housing
As a private institution that requires on-campus residency for most undergraduates, MADONNA does not have a substantial off-campus student rental market. The few exceptions are postgraduate students and final-year undergraduates with explicit approval to live outside.
Visiting families looking for short-stay accommodation near MADONNA typically choose hotels in the surrounding town. Prices vary by season, and a major travel app gives the current options at a glance.
For visiting parents
Visiting parents typically book hotels near the main campus gate. Federal university towns generally have a mix of basic and mid-range hotels at ₦15,000 to ₦40,000 per night, with higher options in the major cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
Travel apps such as Booking.com and Hotels.ng list current options and rates, which we deliberately do not republish here because they change frequently.
School fees and cost of attendance
Private-university fees at MADONNA typically range from ₦0 - ₦0 per session. The figure usually bundles accommodation, feeding and faculty dues, which is part of the reason private session costs sit materially higher than federal equivalents.
Additional one-off costs
Beyond the headline session fee, fresh-intake students typically pay an acceptance fee, an ID card and matriculation fee, faculty and departmental dues, and (for science and engineering programmes) laboratory or studio fees billed by the department.
Add a budget for course materials, transport, lodging deposit if going off-campus, and miscellaneous administrative payments through the first semester. Year-one costs are almost always the highest in a four-year cycle because so much of the spend is one-off.
Funding options
Eligible Nigerian undergraduates can apply to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which provides interest-free loans repayable after graduation and a grace period. MADONNA also publishes its own scholarship schemes from time to time for high-performing intakes, and several state governments offer indigene-specific scholarships through the state scholarship board.
Watch the institution's scholarship page and your state's ministry of education portal during the admission window for current funding announcements - new schemes appear cycle to cycle.
About the campus
Located in Okija, Anambra State, MADONNA is one of the established private universities in the region. The institution serves Anambra State and the surrounding region as the principal university option. It was founded in 1999 and has built a steady reputation for the programmes covered in this guide.
Like most Nigerian universities, MADONNA groups its programmes into faculties or colleges, each with its own dean and academic structure. Candidates apply to a specific programme within a faculty rather than to the university at large, which is why the course-specific cut-off matters more than any single institutional figure.
Students at MADONNA typically budget for accommodation, food, transport and academic materials as the four main categories. Accommodation is the biggest variable: hostel allocations are competitive and the off-campus market in Okija ranges widely. Prospective candidates should investigate accommodation options as early as the acceptance fee stage.
MADONNA is a private Christian institution; chapel attendance is part of campus life.
Location and getting there
- 8-10 hours from Lagos and 6-8 hours from Abuja by road
- Inter-state coach services such as ABC Transport, GUO and the Young Shall Grow Motors operate routes to most state capitals. Flights are available to Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and a handful of state airports.
MADONNA's main campus is in Okija, Anambra State, in South-East Nigeria.
For inter-state travel, most students rely on a mix of buses and shared taxis, with occasional flights for the bigger inter-zone moves.
Application calendar
The 2026 admission window roughly follows the pattern below at MADONNA. Treat these as planning ranges; the institution's official portal publishes the exact dates as the cycle progresses.
- JAMB UTMEApril to May 2026National examination window for the 2026 admission cycle.
- Post-UTME / screeningRolling, July to SeptemberMADONNA runs internal screening on a rolling basis.
- First CAPS admission listAugust to September 2026Initial admission recommendations appear on CAPS after screening.
- Acceptance fee deadline4 weeks from offerConfirmed window for the 2026 cycle. Missing it forfeits the place.
- Resumption for fresh intakeLate September to mid-October 2026Matriculation follows resumption by a few weeks.
How MADONNA compares to similar universities
Among private universities of similar size and region, MADONNA's 2026 average cut-off of 209 sits between RUN (average 191.1) and LMU (average 228.6). This places MADONNA in the accessible tier of universities for the 2026 cycle.
Across the 20 programmes covered, MADONNA maps to 20/146 of the courses tracked in this guide. Candidates choosing between MADONNA and a peer institution should compare the specific course cut-off, not just the institutional average, because course-level differences often outweigh institution-level ones.
Frequently asked questions
Has MADONNA's cut-off gone up or down since 2025?
Compared with 2025, MADONNA's average cut-off rose by about 209 points, moving from 0 to 209. A rising average usually reflects a stronger pool of high-scoring candidates. Course-level figures still move independently of the institutional average.
What is MADONNA's cut-off mark for 2026?
MADONNA's general institutional cut-off for 2026 is 180, with course-specific cut-offs ranging from 180 for Statistics to 270 for Medicine and Surgery. The figure that decides admission is always the course-specific cut-off, not the institutional general cut-off.
When does MADONNA admission for 2026/2027 close?
MADONNA does not publish a single fixed closing date far in advance; the admission window follows the national JAMB cycle, running from the release of UTME results through to the final admission list months later. Post-UTME registration closes much earlier, often within two to three weeks of opening. Treat the post-UTME deadline as the real cut-off and monitor the official MADONNA portal for exact dates.
What courses does MADONNA offer?
MADONNA runs 20 of the 146 undergraduate programmes tracked in this guide, including Medicine and Surgery and Dentistry and Statistics. The institution's full programme list also includes diploma, postgraduate and certificate programmes not covered here.
How many undergraduate programmes does MADONNA run?
This guide tracks 20 undergraduate programmes at MADONNA, out of 146 courses covered nationally. The institution's official prospectus typically lists more, including programmes outside this guide's cut-off dataset. Use the course list on this page to see every MADONNA programme with a 2026 cut-off.
Does MADONNA offer scholarships or financial support?
Scholarship availability at MADONNA changes from year to year and should not be assumed. Private universities like MADONNA commonly run merit and need-based scholarships, and students may also access NELFUND loans. Check the official MADONNA site for current scholarship calls.
What O'level credits does MADONNA require?
The baseline O'level requirement at MADONNA, as at Nigerian universities generally, is five credit passes at no more than two sittings, including English Language and usually Mathematics. The specific subjects depend on the course — science programmes require science credits, arts and social-science programmes their own subject sets. Confirm the exact combination for your course before registering.
Which courses are easiest to get into at MADONNA?
The most accessible programmes at MADONNA for 2026 are Statistics (180), Physics (180) and Mathematics (180), which carry the institution's lowest cut-off marks. They are a realistic target for candidates whose UTME score clears the general cut-off of 180 but falls short of competitive courses such as Medicine and Surgery.
Is MADONNA a Christian, Islamic or secular campus?
Madonna University is a private Christian institution. Chapel attendance and Christian-tradition observances are part of campus life, and the campus does not host an on-site mosque. Candidates of any faith are admitted, but should expect the Christian campus character.
Does MADONNA have a teaching hospital?
Yes. Madonna University runs an affiliated teaching hospital used for clinical postings by Medicine, Nursing and allied-health students, and for community medical service. The teaching hospital is the largest single piece of infrastructure at the institution and a core part of its medical-school accreditation.
Does MADONNA run a foundation or pre-degree programme?
Many Nigerian universities run a foundation, pre-degree or JUPEB programme that offers a route into 100 or 200 level, and MADONNA may operate one depending on the cycle. These programmes are separate from the UTME route and have their own application and fees. If your UTME score falls short of the cut-off, check the official MADONNA site for a current pre-degree or foundation intake before settling for a deferral.
What is MADONNA most competitive course?
Medicine and Surgery carries the highest 2026 cut-off at MADONNA at 270. It sits at the competitive ceiling for the institution; candidates scoring below that mark are effectively shut out of the programme and should plan a realistic second choice.