Federal and State University in Cross River State Nigeria; Which is Better?

August 25, 2023

People often do not know the difference between a federal university and a state university. It causes a lot of misconception as to which is which and why they are federal or state schools. As such, this post is about Federal Universities vs State Universities in Cross River State Nigeria.

You will find a lot of useful information in this post regarding what federal universities are and also regarding what state universities are. Keep reading to know more about the state and federal universities in Cross River State.

What are They?

It is important that you first understand what these two kinds of institutions are about. Firstly, a university is an educational institution designed for instruction or examination or both of students in many branches of advanced learning. At the end of a stipulated period of study, it confers degrees in various faculties to students.

What are Federal Universities?

Federal Universities simply put, are tertiary educational institutions that the Federal Government of a country runs and manages. In the case of Nigeria, the federal government of Nigeria is in charge of the federal universities.

They are not as expensive as State and private universities. The admission list is also open to individuals from all states in the country and it is usually larger than private or state universities.

Name of Federal University in Cross River State: University of Calabar (UNICAL)

What are State Universities?

State Universities are educational institutions that are established basically for the educational needs of students from the said state. In simple terms, state universities welcome 90 per cent of their population from indigenous people of their state.

The establishment of the university is not for the general country but for the educational needs of students from the state. Another name for a state university is a Public University

Name of State University in Cross River State: Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH), Calabar

Federal vs State University; What’s the Difference

Although both universities are for the education values of people, they have clear-cut differences. Some of the differences are;

While the Federal government manages Federal Universities, State Universities are owned and managed by the State Government.
A state university is usually smaller in comparison to a federal university.
A federal university has more population in terms of students, staff as well as non-staff bodies.
Federal universities are prone to numerous strikes, unlike state universities.
Federal universities have a national outlook in terms of the student body but state universities are mostly for indigenous people of the states.
While federal universities are cheap, most state universities are not.

NUC Ranking of Cross River Federal vs State University

Before giving out the NUC Ranking, there are four universities in Cross River States. While two are private universities, the other two are not. The federal university in Cross River State is the University of Calabar (UNICAL) while the state-owned school is Cross River State University of Technology, Calabar (CRUTECH).

The NUC Ranking is a list of accredited as well as top-notch universities awarded by the National Universities Commission. The ranking helps to know the leading universities in terms of teachings, educational facilities as well and other factors that will enable the university to stand out.

NUC Ranking of the Federal University in Cross River State

The University of Calabar (UNICAL) is not among the top ten in the NUC list that was released in January 2023. It came out as number 41 out of the 111 schools that were ranked by the NUC this year.

NUC Ranking of the State University in Cross River State

The Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH) did not also emerge in the top ten of this year’s NUC ranking list. The university was ranked the 76 best out of 111 universities that were ranked in Nigeria this year.

Which has a Better NUC Ranking

Both schools are good places to study as they both have state-of-the-art educational facilities. However, if you are to watch out for NUC rankings, then the University of Calabar comes first.

Admission Requirements of Cross River Federal vs State University

If you have an interest in studying in any of these schools, then you should be aware of certain criteria that will guarantee your admission.

Jamb Cut-Off Mark of the Federal University in Cross River State

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) announced that the jamb cut-off mark for this year is 140. However, as a federal university, it is advisable to score 200 and above in order to have a higher chance of gaining admission.

Jamb Cut-Off Mark of the State University in Cross River State;

The Cross River University of Technology cut-off mark for the 2023/2024 academic session for Jamb is set at 140.

Which has a Higher Jamb Cut-Off Mark

While the cut-off mark for both schools is slated by JAMB to be 140, it is not particularly so. As a state university, you can get into CRUTECH easily with a JAMB score of 140. But as a federal university, you will need to have scored 200 and above in JAMB to gain admission into UNICAL. As such, UNICAL has the highest JAMB cut-off mark.

Diversity of Cross River Federal vs State University

Both universities are culturally diverse based on the different ethnicity that floods the school. There are students from all cultural backgrounds and ethnic groups in these schools.

What Tribe Majorly Attends the Federal University in Cross River State;

The University of Calabar is a federal institution which means it has a national outlook. As a consequence of this, different tribes of students are admitted into the school. While the majority of them are from Cross River State, there is also a very high population of students from various tribes across the country.

What Tribe Majorly Attends the State University in Cross River State

The Cross River State University of Technology is a state-owned school which means it is basically built for indigenous students of Cross River States. As such, over 70 per cent of the student population is from Cross River State.

Which has a Better Ethnic Group Mixture

In comparison to the Cross River State University of Technology, the University of Calabar is more ethnically diverse. There are more students from around the country in UNICAL than in CRUTECH.

School Fees of Cross River Federal vs State University

In order to apply to any of these schools, it is pertinent to know what their school fees are like to see if you can afford it.

The School Fees of the Federal University in Cross River State

The University of Calabar is a federal university and that makes it a lot cheaper than private as well as public universities. While fresh students pay a bigger amount, returning students pay a smaller amount. In total, none of the students pay up to 80,0000 per session.

The School Fees of the State University in Cross River State

As a state university, the school fees are in two categories. They are the Indigene payment as well as the non-Indigene payment. While non-indigenes are to pay a school fee of 128,000 for fresh students, indigenes are to pay 105,000. The same goes for returning students who are to pay 85,380 for indigenes and 73,380 for non-indigenes.

Which is More Expensive in Cross River Federal vs State University;

From the look of things, the state university in Cross River State is more expensive. While UNICAL students are not to pay over 80,000, the students of CRUTECH are to pay over 100,000 as their school fees, sometimes charges excluded.

Conclusion

These facts will help you to understand the differences between the federal and state schools in Cross River State. While both schools are educationally inept, understanding their differences will make you choose the best one for you.