Every Lagos parent has asked the same question at some point: how much is school fees? The trouble is that the answer depends on who you ask and what they leave out. Two schools can quote the same figure and still send very different bills by the end of the year.
This article does not list prices. EduTimes Africa’s series already covers what schools charge, day versus boarding, and results. Our aim is simpler. We want you to read a fee quote properly, ask the right questions, and compare schools on equal terms.
What a quoted fee usually includes
Most schools quote a tuition figure per term. Tuition pays for teaching and the running of the school day. Some schools fold other charges into that figure and many do not. The only way to know is to ask, and to ask in writing.
What it often leaves out
Many parents are surprised by charges that show up after admission. SchoolRegistry’s guide to Lagos school fees in 2026 (https://schoolregistry.ng/lagos-school-fees-2026) walks through tuition, uniforms, boarding and the extras that catch families out. Check whether each of these is included, billed separately, or not applicable:
- Development levy or building fund, which may be one-off or yearly
- Registration, admission or acceptance fees
- Uniforms, sportswear, and house or club wear
- Textbooks, exercise books and workbooks
- PTA dues and class levies
- Boarding charges, including accommodation, feeding, laundry and medical
- Transport, lunch and extra lessons
- Exam registration for BECE, WAEC and NECO, plus internal mock exams
- ICT, laboratory, excursion and sports levies
First term versus annual fees
First term is usually the heaviest bill of the year, because the one-off items land together. Registration, uniforms, books and levies often arrive at once. Later terms can be lighter.
This is where unfair comparisons start. If you hold School A’s first-term invoice against School B’s second-term figure, School A will always look worse. Ask every school for the full cost of the first year, and then for what a normal year costs after that. Also ask whether fees are reviewed each year and how much notice parents get before an increase.
Do not forget exam fees
Students in JSS3 sit the BECE, and final-year students sit WAEC or NECO. Some schools include registration in their fees. Others bill it separately close to the exam date. Ask which applies, and ask whether mock exams and extra lessons carry their own charges. A parent who plans for this early is never caught out in the final year.
Questions to ask the school in writing
Send these by email or WhatsApp so you have a record of the answers.
1. What is the total payable for the first term, itemised line by line?
2. Which charges are one-off, and which repeat every term or every year?
3. What does tuition cover?
4. Are uniforms, books and exam registration included in the quote?
5. Is there a development levy, how much is it, and how often is it charged?
6. If my child boards, what exactly does the boarding fee cover?
7. Can I pay in instalments, and what happens if I pay late?
8. How are fee increases announced?
9. What is the refund or withdrawal policy?
10. Do you issue a receipt for every payment, and into which school account do I pay?
Red flags
- The school will not put fees in writing
- You are pushed to pay quickly to “secure a place” with no receipt
- You are asked to pay into a personal account instead of the school account
- The headline fee is low but answers about extras stay vague
- The amount on the invoice differs from the amount you were told on your visit
- There is no stated refund policy
One red flag does not always mean a bad school. It does mean you should slow down and ask more questions before you pay anything.
How to build a like-for-like comparison
Open a simple table. Put one school in each column and one cost in each row. The rows are tuition per term, development levy, registration, uniforms, books, PTA and class levies, transport, lunch, exam fees, boarding if relevant, and anything else the school mentions.
Fill in only what the school has given you in writing. If a school has not answered a row, write “unknown” and not zero, because a blank cell can hide real money. Then turn each column into a first-year total, and a typical-year total after that.
If you would rather not do the sums by hand, the free SchoolRegistry school fees calculator (https://schoolregistry.ng/tools/school-fees-calculator) lets you enter each charge and see the full cost for the year in one place. Run it once for every school on your list and the totals sit side by side.
Look hard at the transport row. A school with lower fees that is far from home can cost more once daily travel is counted. Fees matter, but they are one part of the decision, and EduTimes’ series on wider factors will help you weigh the rest.
Your fee comparison checklist
- Itemised first-term quote received in writing
- One-off and recurring charges separated
- Development levy and registration confirmed
- Uniforms, books and PTA dues priced
- BECE, WAEC or NECO registration and mock exam costs confirmed
- Boarding costs confirmed, if relevant
- Instalment options and late payment terms noted
- Refund policy noted
- Payment account confirmed as the school’s own, with receipts
- Every school compared on the same first-year basis
Where SchoolRegistry fits in
If you want a place to start, SchoolRegistry (https://schoolregistry.ng) is a free directory where parents can look up secondary schools across Nigeria. You can also compare schools side by side (https://schoolregistry.ng/compare) on location, type and fees where the school has published them. Schools can also publish their own fees on their SchoolRegistry page, so parents see the same information up front and spend less time chasing it. If your child’s school is not yet doing this, you can suggest it.
A fair comparison takes an afternoon and a few written replies. It is worth doing before you pay a single naira.
Frequently asked questions
How much is school fees in Lagos for secondary schools?
It varies widely between public, low-cost private and premium private schools, and the quoted tuition is rarely the full cost. Ask each school for an itemised first-year bill and compare totals, not headline figures.
Why is the first-term bill higher than the others?
One-off charges such as registration, uniforms, books and development levies usually land in the first term. Later terms are often lighter.
Are WAEC, NECO and BECE registration fees included in school fees?
Some schools include them and others bill them separately near the exam date. Ask the school in writing which applies.
How can I calculate the full cost of a school for the year?
List every charge the school gives you in writing, then add them up for the first year and for a typical year after that. The free school fees calculator (https://schoolregistry.ng/tools/school-fees-calculator) does the sums for you.
SchoolRegistry is Nigeria’s free school directory, helping parents find and compare schools across all 36 states and the FCT. schoolregistry.ng
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.