The thrust of this study was to articulate the base of knowledge and empirically test the relationship between the component of educational costs and the demand for private secondary education in Akwa Ibom State. Three null hypotheses were formulated to direct the study. Six hundred students and thirty principals were drawn, through proportionate stratified random sampling technique from three senatorial districts in the study area were used. Data collection was through structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Statistics and population t-test analysis at .05 level of significance. The findings showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between educational costs and the demand for private secondary education in Akwa Ibom. Based on the findings, recommendations were made including that government should award scholarship to students in private secondary schools as this would reduce the effect of high cost of private schools on the youths of low socio-economic status.
Keywords: Demand, Educational Cost, Indirect Cost, Opportunity Cost
