Study and find schools in Cote D'Ivoire

Studying in Cote D'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire is a French-speaking country in West Africa whose higher-education system is overseen by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS). The ministry lists nine public universities: Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Université Nangui Abrogoua, Université Alassane Ouattara in Bouaké, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé in Daloa, Université Peleforo Gon Coulibaly in Korhogo, the universities of Man, San-Pédro and Bondoukou, and the Université Virtuelle de Côte d'Ivoire for online study. It also publishes a list of authorised private higher-education institutions, and its national orientation platform reports more than 600 institutions and more than 200 programmes.

For the 2026-27 academic year the national start of the university year was held at the Université Alassane Ouattara in Bouaké on 14 September 2026. According to the university, the ministry has harmonised the start of the academic year across the country and ended the shortened ("truncated") academic years that disrupted studies for a long time.

The education system

Higher education is offered by public and private universities, grandes écoles and specialised schools. The ministry's higher-education department runs an action plan for the Licence-Master-Doctorat (LMD) system, and degrees are awarded as licence, master and doctorate. Higher technician's certificates (BTS) are also part of the system and are being reformed. The ministry has announced new public universities, including a university in Odienné and a technological university project in Adiaké, and in September 2026 a new branch of the École Normale Supérieure, which trains teachers, opened on the UAO campus in Bouaké with 1,500 student teachers.

Admission and recognition

Students who pass the baccalauréat apply through the ministry's orientation platform. They pay a pre-registration fee, then make four choices of institution and programme (three compulsory and one optional), in order of preference. Some programmes, such as medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and architecture, are accessed by competitive exam, and the platform publishes the lists of admitted candidates. There is a separate procedure for holders of a baccalauréat who live abroad.

Universities set their own criteria. At the Université Alassane Ouattara, for example, admission depends on the type of baccalauréat, minimum marks in specific subjects and, for some programmes, a maximum age: 23 for law and 22 for medicine. Non-nationals register with a consular card or proof of identity and nationality and a copy of their baccalauréat.

The ministry handles the equivalence and recognition of diplomas through a dedicated commission, which matters both for foreign qualifications used in Côte d'Ivoire and for Ivorian qualifications used abroad.

Visa and entry

A visa is required, except for nationals of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). According to the UK FCDO, you apply and pay for an e-visa online at least 10 working days before travel and collect the visa on arrival at Abidjan airport. The Spanish Foreign Ministry notes that short-stay visas (one to three months) can be requested online or at the embassy, while long-stay visas, which students normally need, are processed only through the embassy of Côte d'Ivoire. Other requirements, checked on 7 October 2026:

• a passport valid for at least 6 months
• a yellow fever vaccination certificate
• health screening for travellers arriving from countries affected by the Ebola outbreak
• a limit of 500,000 CFA francs in cash on entry

Costs and funding

Public universities charge registration fees set in CFA francs. At the Université Alassane Ouattara, registration costs 30,000 CFA francs for baccalauréat holders assigned through national orientation, 100,000 for holders from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU/UEMOA) and 300,000 for holders from outside the WAEMU. Private institutions set their own fees, which the ministry's list of authorised private universities shows for many of them. The ministry manages scholarships for study in Côte d'Ivoire and abroad, and publishes the criteria for places in university residences.

Where to study

Bouaké, in the centre of the country, is home to the Université Alassane Ouattara (UAO), the only school in our directory for Côte d'Ivoire. It was created in 1992 as the Centre universitaire de Bouaké and became the autonomous Université de Bouaké by decree in November 1995. After the political and military crisis it was relocated to Abidjan in October 2002 and returned to its campus in Bouaké in January 2012, when it took its current name. Its faculties (UFR) cover communication and society, languages and literature, law and political science, economics and management, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and science and technology. The university hosts UNESCO chairs, an American Corner and a Campus France office.

Abidjan, the economic capital, has the largest concentration of institutions, including most of the authorised private universities on the ministry's list.

Practical life

The Spanish Foreign Ministry advises travelling with caution. Because of the terrorist threat near the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali, both Spain and the UK advise against travel to the north of the Zanzan and Savanes regions and to Comoé National Park; Spain also includes the north of Denguélé and the border area with Liberia. Crime in Abidjan is described as similar to other large capitals. Road accidents are frequent and emergency services are limited in some areas, and international travel insurance is recommended.

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply to a public university in Côte d'Ivoire?

New baccalauréat holders apply through the ministry's online orientation platform, making four choices of institution and programme. Holders of a baccalauréat living abroad follow a separate procedure on the same platform.

How much does it cost to study at a public university?

At the Université Alassane Ouattara, registration costs 30,000 CFA francs for students assigned through national orientation, 100,000 for WAEMU nationals and 300,000 for students from outside the WAEMU.

Do I need a visa to study in Côte d'Ivoire?

Yes, unless you are an ECOWAS national. Long-stay visas are processed through the embassy of Côte d'Ivoire.

Can I get my foreign diploma recognised?

Yes. The Ministry of Higher Education has a recognition and equivalence commission and publishes the procedures for the equivalence and recognition of diplomas.