How much higher education costs in Cameroon
At a Cameroonian state university, registration costs 50,000 CFA francs a year, an amount unchanged since 1993. But the real cost of a year of study depends mostly on everything else: entrance exam fees for the grandes écoles and medicine, private institute tuition, the rent for a room in a hall of residence or a private mini-cité. Here are the published amounts, with their dates.
Information checked on
University fees: 50,000 CFA since 1993
The university reform of January 1993 abolished general grants and set university fees by Decree No. 93/033 of 19 January 1993: they rose from about 3,300 or 3,600 CFA depending on the source (Osidimbea, CODESRIA) to 50,000 CFA a year for Cameroonian students. Foreign students pay more. In January 2023 the Ministry of Higher Education denied a rumour of an increase to 300,000 CFA, stating that the 1993 decree was still in force; payment of these fees had sparked student strikes in 2004-2005.
| Item | Amount | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-registration | 10,000 CFA | Société Générale Cameroun, Express Union |
| University fees (Cameroonian student) | 50,000 CFA a year | University partner banks |
Entrance exam fees: grandes écoles and medicine
Schools and faculties with capped intakes recruit by competitive exam, with a separate application fee. Once admitted, students in principle pay the same university fees as everyone else. Civil service entrance exams are covered on the page about administrative competitive exams.
| Exam | Fee | Places and conditions |
|---|---|---|
| National Advanced School of Engineering, Yaoundé (first year) | 20,000 CFA | 200 places; science baccalauréat (C, D, E, F) or science GCE A/L; 25 or under |
| Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Garoua (2024-2025) | 20,000 CFA | 85 places; baccalauréat C or D or GCE A/L with biology and chemistry; 23 or under |
| ENS Yaoundé, special science classes (2025-2026) | 20,000 CFA | 35 places in mathematics, 35 in sciences |
| ENAM, cycle B (2025-2026) | 25,000 CFA | Baccalauréat or GCE A/L; 32 or under on 1 January 2025 |
Private higher education
Private higher education institutions (IPES) set their own fees. In September 2026 Le360 Afrique reported fees of 500,000 to 800,000 CFA a year at private institutions in Yaoundé for programmes equivalent to those costing 50,000 CFA in the public sector. A comparison published in 2026 by the Simoon CV website gives ranges of 200,000 to 500,000 CFA for a standard bachelor's (management, law, computing), 800,000 to 1.5 million for engineering and 1.3 to 2.5 million for medicine, pharmacy or dentistry. These figures do not come from an official survey.
Housing: halls of residence and mini-cités
State halls of residence are cheap but far too few. In 2016 the University of Ngaoundéré had 516 rooms for some 28,000 students. Most students live in “mini-cités”, blocks of rooms built by private landlords around the campuses, where the press regularly reports overcharging for water and electricity and one-sided contracts.
| Housing | Rent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| University of Yaoundé I hall, single room | 55,000 CFA for the year (November to July) | 2022-2023 |
| University of Yaoundé I hall, shared room | 46,000 CFA for the year | 2022-2023 |
| Ngaoundéré hall (Dang) | 10,000 CFA a month (15,000 for doctoral students) | 2016 |
| Private housing in Ngaoundéré | 12,000 to 60,000 CFA a month | 2016 |
| Mini-cités in Ngoa-Ekellé and Soa (Yaoundé) | 250,000 to 450,000 CFA a year | 2018 |
Grants and financial aid
- Academic excellence award: created by the head of state and paid since 2010-2011 to the best students at state universities, it amounts to 50,000 CFA. The ministry announced 90,000 recipients for 2013-2014; the press has repeatedly reported late payments.
- Excellence grant for successful national exam candidates (BTS, HND): the Ministry of Higher Education publishes payment notices, for example for the 2020-2021 session.
- Cooperation scholarships: partner countries (China, Russia, Algeria, Turkey, India, Romania and others) offer scholarships managed by MINESUP and announced on minesup.gov.cm. For 2025-2026, China awarded 13 scholarships to Cameroonians according to Infos Pratiques.
- Corporate prizes: companies such as Orange Cameroon and Afriland First Bank reward the top baccalauréat and GCE A Level candidates every year (2025 ceremonies).
No reliable source putting a figure on the total cost of a year of study abroad for a Cameroonian student could be found, so that question is not covered here.
Frequently asked questions
How much does university registration cost in Cameroon?
At state universities, fees are 50,000 CFA a year for a Cameroonian, set by a decree of 19 January 1993, plus a pre-registration fee (10,000 CFA at Yaoundé I).
Are university fees rising to 300,000 CFA?
No. In January 2023 MINESUP denied the rumour and stated that the 1993 decree setting fees at 50,000 CFA remained in force.
How much is the Yaoundé Polytechnic entrance exam fee?
The exam fee is 20,000 CFA, payable through Express Union, for 200 places in the first year of the engineering programme.
How much is a room in a Yaoundé hall of residence?
At the University of Yaoundé I, a room cost 55,000 CFA (single) or 46,000 CFA (shared) for 2022-2023. In private mini-cités, the press cited 250,000 to 450,000 CFA a year in 2018.
How much is the academic excellence award in Cameroon?
The academic excellence award paid to the best students at state universities is 50,000 CFA.
Handle with care
The grade threshold for the excellence award varies between sources (12/20, or above 13/20) and has not been checked against an official text. Published student rents date from 2016 to 2022; in 2025 the press reported sharp rent rises in Yaoundé, with no student-specific figures. Private sector ranges are not based on any official survey. The 200 Polytechnic places come from a notice reproduced by Kamerpower, of uncertain date (2024 dates, 2025-2026 heading).