MUST Joins UNIMA, MUBAS, MZUNI, LUANAR and KUHeS in Doubling Tuition Fees
Published on July 1, 2026 at 11:57 AM by Evance Kapito
The Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) has become the latest public university to increase tuition fees, joining several other institutions that have announced major fee adjustments for the 2026/2027 academic year.
According to a notice issued by the university, annual tuition fees for generic students have increased from K650,000 to K1.3 million, representing a 100 percent increase. Fees for Open, Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) students have also been raised from K550,000 to K1.3 million per year.
MUST said the adjustment is aimed at enabling the university to continue delivering quality teaching and learning. The institution also announced that it will introduce an annual 10 percent tuition fee adjustment going forward to ensure future fee reviews remain gradual and aligned with the rising cost of providing higher education.
The latest announcement follows similar fee increases by other public universities.
The University of Malawi (UNIMA), Mzuzu University (MZUNI), Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) and the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) have all announced higher tuition fees for the upcoming academic year.
UNIMA, MZUNI, LUANAR and MUBAS have each doubled annual tuition fees for generic students from K650,000 to K1.3 million, while KUHeS has increased its fees from K1 million to K2 million.
MUBAS has also introduced an annual medical cover fee of K60,000, while MZUNI and MUST have announced plans to implement 10 percent annual tuition fee adjustments in future.
The fee increases have sparked widespread debate on social media, with many Malawians expressing concern that the sharp rise in tuition costs will make higher education less affordable for many students and their families.
The universities, however, maintain that the adjustments are necessary to cope with inflation and the rising cost of delivering quality higher education.
