Nigeria

Find out how to apply to Sussex. Discover more about life as a student at our University and the support available to you.

Contents

Entry requirements and application information

  • Undergraduate entry requirements

    Undergraduate Foundation Year

    Senior School Certificate (SSCE) awarded by WAEC or NECO

    We would recommend applicants with the SSCE take the international foundation year.

    Additional subject-specific requirements may apply depending on the undergraduate course you are applying for. These entry requirements are intended as guidelines. If you have questions about your qualifications or if they are not listed here, please feel free to contact us.

    If you do not meet the grade requirements for direct entry into the foundation year or Year 1, please refer to the Sussex International Study Centre for the relevant foundation year entry criteria. 

    Undergraduate Year 1

    Senior School Certificate

    For Year 1 entry, we would expect to see at least one year at recognised University in Nigeria, or a foundation year, as well as SSCE with good grades.

    Higher National Diploma (HND)

    A typical offer requires a grade equivalent to a 2:2.

    Undergraduate Year 2

    Higher National Diploma (HND)

    A typical offer requires a grade equivalent to a 2:2 plus two years of study at a recognised university.

    Additional subject-specific requirements may apply depending on the undergraduate course you are applying for. These entry requirements are intended as guidelines. If you have questions about your qualifications or if they are not listed here, please feel free to contact us.

    Please note that direct entry into Year 2 is not available for our Law, Psychology or Social Work courses.

    English language entry requirements 

    C6 or above in the WAEC or the NECO Senior School Certificate would meet our English language requirements.

    Typical offers for undergraduate and foundation year courses include a standard overall IELTS score of 6.0, with a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four components.

    See the full range of English language qualifications that we accept.

  • Masters entry requirements

    Academic entry requirements

    A Bachelor’s degree is required with a minimum second-class lower division or cGPA of at least 2.8-2.99/4.0, 3.0-3.49/5.0, or 4.0-4.6/ 7.0.

    Additional subject-specific requirements may apply based on the postgraduate course you are applying for. These entry requirements are intended as guidelines. If you have questions about your qualifications or if they are not listed here, please feel free to contact us.

    English language entry requirements 

    C6 or above in the WAEC or the NECO Senior School Certificate would meet our English language requirements.

    Typical offers for a Masters course include a standard overall IELTS score of 6.0, with a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four components.

    See the full range of English language qualifications that we accept.

  • PhD entry requirements

    Academic entry requirements

    Typically, you are expected to have at least a Merit (an average of 60% overall) in a relevant Masters degree, along with an upper second-class (2.1) undergraduate degree related to your PhD course, with a second-class upper division or cGPA of at least 3.0-3.49/4.0, 3.5-4.49/5.0 or 4.6-5.9/ 7.0.

    However, if you do not meet the academic requirements, you may still be considered for the degree if you can provide evidence of extensive work experience in a related field.

    These entry requirements are intended as guidelines. If you have questions about your qualifications or if they are not listed here, please feel free to contact us.

    English language entry requirements

    CC6 or above in the WAEC or the NECO Senior School Certificate would meet our English language requirements.

    Typical offers for a PhD degree include a higher overall IELTS score of 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the four components.

    See the full range of English language qualifications that we accept.

Role models: 12 Sussex stories in Nigeria

Discover the stories of our Nigerian alumni who’ve enjoyed success after Sussex, as well as our connections with talented writers, academics and artists in Nigeria.

Read more
Three students smiling

How to apply

Undergraduate applications

As an undergraduate student, you can apply via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Find out more about how to apply for undergraduate courses.

Read our guide to undergraduate study to find out about the structure of an undergraduate degree and ways you can enhance your course.

Masters applications

As a Masters student, you can apply using our Masters application portal.

Find out more about how to apply for Masters courses.

Read our guide to Masters study to find out how you’ll learn and be assessed as part of your Masters degree, as well as how to get extra support with your study or English language skills.

PhD applications

As a PhD student, you can apply using our PhD application portal.

Find out more about how to apply for PhD courses.

Read our guide to PhD study to find out who will supervise you and the typical structure of a PhD. 

Visas and immigration

As a Nigerian student, you’ll need to apply for a visa to study at the University of Sussex.

You can find suggestions and advice for applying to the UK as a student on a visa in our guide to visas and immigration for students.

You can also find more information from the UK Home Office regarding the details and requirements for a Student visa.

Support for international students

Sussex has teams dedicated to helping you make the most of your time at university. They can provide:

  • advice on immigration and applying for your visa
  • support with finding accommodation
  • welfare support
  • help to improve your English language and writing skills
  • guidance with searching for part-time jobs
  • recognition of your extracurricular and voluntary achievements.
Find out more about support

Fees and scholarships

Fees for Nigerian students

Find specific fees for our undergraduate, Masters and PhD degrees by visiting your selected course page’s fees and scholarships section.

Visit our tuition fees page to find out what your fees cover and ways to pay.

Scholarships for Nigerian students

For the 2026-27 academic year, Nigerian students are eligible for awards from our faculties and can also apply for the Chancellor’s International Scholarship.

Find out more about:

Life at Sussex

Sussex has long enjoyed being a popular destination for Nigerian students.

We are home to SPRU – Science Policy Research Unit and the Institute for Development Studies (IDS).

Situated on the edge of a national park and located just a few minutes away from one of the most vibrant cities in the UK, Sussex has it all.

Sussex in Africa

Sussex enjoys a long and rich history with Africa and has produced eminent alumni, including former African Presidents and Vice-Presidents such as Thabo Mbeki (South Africa), Festus Mogae (Botswana), Guy Scott (Zambia), and George Saitoti (Kenya).

Our graduates go on to engage with global issues, make a positive impact in the world and achieve success after Sussex. Some of our young trailblazers include:

  • Burna Boy
  • Tom Kenyatta
  • Bogolo Kenwendo
  • Joana Mamombe.

We develop future leaders, game changers and industry captains to make a positive impact in the world.

We have a well-established alumni network based in Kenya who can chat to you about their experiences of studying at Sussex. Get in contact.

University preparation courses

Find out more about International Foundation Year, International Year One and Pre-Masters courses.

Goke Adeboye, a Sussex student from Nigeria
“Sussex is a prestigious institution which continually strives for improvement and greatness.” Goke Adeboye
Law LLB graduate

Spirit of Sussex Award

Feel involved in life at the University, make friends and enrich your experience with us – the Spirit of Sussex Award is our way of recognising your extracurricular and voluntary achievements.

Find out more about the Spirit of Sussex Award.

  • Video transcript

    Hi everyone! As I'm sure you've all heard by now, the Spirit of Sussex Award is now live.

    Students across the Sussex community are already earning their points

    What will you do to earn yours?

    There's so many ways to get involved.

    Head over to the website to start your Spirit of Sussex journey.

    Text: The Spirit of Sussex Award is an exciting new programme designed to recognise and celebrate the things you do outside your course.

    Participating in the Award makes it easy and fun for you to get involved and make the most of university life.

Safety on campus

We offer a safe campus community for our students, supported by our 24/7 on-site security team, who are contactable 24-hours a day if you have any concerns. The Security Centre is equipped 24/7 to respond to emergency situations and includes CCTV and other crime prevention equipment. Find out more about our campus safety.

Food 

Brighton has various international supermarkets which sell African products, and you can buy international products from our weekly on-campus market or food markets in Brighton.

Religion

We have a Muslim Student Centre and a Muslim prayer facility on campus, and there is a Coptic church and two mosques in Brighton.

There are numerous Orthodox and Protestant churches in Brighton, including a Catholic Church at the Meeting House and various student fellowships on campus. 

Clubs, groups and societies

Choose from a range of student societies and groups at Sussex including:

Alumni network

We also have an alumni network based in Nigeria who can discuss with you their experiences of studying at Sussex. Find out more about our alumni.

Thabo Mbeki speaking on a platform in front of a small microphone
“Sussex said inquire all the time, get to know more, learn more, don’t be afraid to say I was wrong. And I think that's an enormous asset.” Thabo Mbeki
Former President of South Africa
Image copyright, World Economic Forum/Eric Miller, CC BY-SA 2.0

Get in touch

Ask a student

Want to find out more about student life? Chat with our students online via Unibuddy.

Ask a question
Two students talking whilst walking down stairs.

Meet us in Nigeria

Contact our Regional Office in Nigeria for free support, including help with your application and support with your visa.

west.africa@sussex.ac.uk

Contact a Sussex representative in Nigeria

Sussex is represented by a number of professional agencies in Nigeria.

They can support you through the process of applying to university, providing advice and helping you with the preparation and submission of your documents.

We work closely with agents to ensure you receive detailed and accurate advice about coming to study at Sussex. Find out more about our work with agent partners and how you can provide feedback about an agent.

See our list of representatives in Nigeria below:

Partnerships

We work closely with many Nigerian institutions, including academic colleagues at the University of Lagos.

Our collaboration with the University of Lagos involves staff/student mobility, and research and knowledge transfer.

We work closely with AIESEC Nigeria on youth empowerment initiatives, and collaborate with the National Universities Commission and the National Youth Service Corps on capacity building.

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