The UNN cut off mark for Zoology and Environmental Biology in 2026/2027 is 160 in the UTME, the minimum the University of Nigeria, Nsukka set in its 2026/2027 screening notice for candidates who chose UNN first. UNN has not released a departmental cut off mark for Zoology and Environmental Biology, either for this session or for 2025/2026.
2027/2028 update: UNN cut-off marks usually stay the same from one year to the next, so the figures on this page are what 2027/2028 candidates should plan with. They come from the latest official notice (2026/2027). If the 2027/2028 notice changes anything, we will update this page.
Places are not scarce here. UNN’s 2025/2026 advert list showed 124 unfilled places in the department after the main admission lists. This guide gives the official figures, UNN’s O’level rule from the JAMB brochure, how screening works with a worked aggregate example, the score I would aim for, the department’s specialisations and the steps from profile code to acceptance.
UNN cut off mark for Zoology and Environmental Biology 2027/2028
| Item | Figure or rule | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum UTME score to apply for UNN screening | 160 (UNN as first choice) | Official: UNN Registrar’s notice, 13 July 2026 |
| UNN minimum declared at the JAMB 2026 policy meeting | 200 | Reported by Vanguard and News Central, 11 May 2026 |
| JAMB national minimum for universities | 150 | JAMB policy meeting, May 2026 |
| Departmental cut off for Zoology and Environmental Biology | Not published | No official figure for 2025/2026 or 2026/2027 |
| Unfilled places in the 2025/2026 advert list | 124 (vacancies, not a score) | UNN advert list as reprinted, October 2025 |
| Duration and campus | 4 years (3 for Direct Entry), Nsukka | Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology |
| Safe target score (my advice) | 180 to 200 in the UTME | Advice, not a UNN figure |
Two UNN minimums are in circulation. At JAMB’s policy meeting in May 2026, UNN’s declared minimum was reported as 200; in July, UNN’s own screening notice invited candidates with 160 and above. Put together: UNN accepts screening applications from 160, its declared institutional benchmark was 200, and competitive courses admit far above both. Zoology is not one of the most competitive, so 160 to 200 is a live range for it.
Zoology and Environmental Biology cut off history at UNN
UNN has not published a departmental cut off for this course in recent sessions. One education blog gives an “estimated” range of 170 to 190 for UNN Zoology, based on trends; it is an unofficial estimate with no UNN source, and it does not say whether the figure is a UTME score or an aggregate. The verified record looks like this:
| Session | UNN general minimum (UTME) | Zoology and Environmental Biology | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | 160 to apply; 200 declared at the JAMB policy meeting | No departmental cut off published | UNN notice, 13 July 2026; Vanguard, 11 May 2026 |
| 2025/2026 | 160 (UTME) and 160 in screening for the advert window | No departmental cut off; 124 unfilled places in the advert list | UNN advert notice as reprinted by Myschool and Success Tonics, October 2025 |
The 124 figure is a count of seats, not a score. In October 2025, UNN offered those seats to candidates with at least 160 in the UTME and 160 in screening, through a short advert window (20 to 24 October 2025, ₦10,000 processing fee). Anyone admitted that way could not change course during that session. In the same list, Aquaculture and Marine Studies had 129 unfilled places.
JAMB subject combination and O’level for Zoology at UNN
The JAMB brochure entry for Zoology includes UNN remarks for both O’level and Direct Entry. There is no separate brochure entry for “Zoology and Environmental Biology”, so use the Zoology entry under UNN.
| Requirement | What you need | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English, Biology, and two of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics | JAMB brochure (Myschool reprint) |
| O’level (UNN remark) | Five credits at not more than two sittings, including Biology, English Language, Mathematics, and Physics or Chemistry | UNN remark in the JAMB brochure |
| O’level (faculty page) | Five credits at not more than two sittings; Biology, Chemistry, English Language, and Mathematics or Physics are compulsory | Zoology entry requirements, UNN |
| Direct Entry (UNN remark) | Two A’level passes in Chemistry and Biology, Botany or Zoology plus the UTME requirements; or a relevant degree plus the UTME requirements; HND and NCE credit passes are also acceptable | UNN remark in the JAMB brochure |
| Direct Entry (faculty page) | HSC/GCE A’level principal passes in Biology or Zoology and another science, with an O’level credit in Mathematics or Physics; or a Diploma in Applied Biology with four credits including Chemistry and Biology plus English | Zoology entry requirements, UNN |
The two O’level lines differ slightly on Chemistry. The safe plan is to write Biology, Chemistry and Physics (or Mathematics) in the UTME and hold credits in all of English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. That satisfies both versions, and the faculty page makes Chemistry compulsory. UNN did not accept awaiting results in 2026/2027, so fix any missing credit before the screening window.
UNN screening for Zoology: how it works and a worked example
UNN’s 2026/2027 screening was an online registration with uploaded documents. The notice gave no written test or test date.
| Item | UNN 2026/2027 screening (official notice, 13 July 2026) |
|---|---|
| Who could apply | Candidates who chose UNN as first choice in the 2026 UTME and scored 160 or more; Direct Entry candidates who chose UNN first |
| Fees | ₦2,000 application plus ₦3,300 processing (₦5,300 in total), paid through Remita |
| Window | Opened Wednesday 15 July 2026, closed midnight Wednesday 5 August 2026 |
| O’level upload | To JAMB CAPS and the UNN portal by 5 August 2026 |
| Awaiting results | Not eligible: results had to be available |
| Age | Candidates under 16 by 30 September 2026 were told not to apply |
| Written test | None described in the notice; it was an online screening registration |
| Uploads | Birth certificate, LGA identification, testimonial, First School Leaving Certificate, JAMB result slip, O’level result(s), each under 100KB |
UNN has not published how it ranks candidates. Education blogs commonly report 60% UTME plus 40% O’level, scoring four relevant subjects as A1 = 100, B2 = 90, B3 = 80, C4 = 70, C5 = 60 and C6 = 50. Treat this as a commonly used blog method, not an official UNN formula.
Example: a Zoology candidate scores 194 in the UTME, with B2 in Biology, C4 in Chemistry, B3 in English and C5 in Mathematics.
- O’level points: 90 + 70 + 80 + 60 = 300 out of 400
- UTME part: 194 × 0.6 = 116.4
- O’level part: 300 × 0.4 = 120
- Estimated aggregate: 116.4 + 120 = 236.4 out of 400
If that candidate had B3 instead of C5 in Mathematics, the O’level part would rise by 8 points. For candidates near the bottom of the list, better WAEC grades often do more than a few extra UTME marks.
Admission odds: what score to aim for in UNN Zoology
With 124 seats still open after the main 2025/2026 lists, Zoology and Environmental Biology is one of the more reachable science courses at UNN. Most Biology and Chemistry candidates aim for health courses first, and the department benefits when they miss out.
My advice, not a UNN figure: aim for 180 to 200 in the UTME with credits in all five sciences. At 200 or above with decent grades, you should be well placed. Between 160 and 180, you can still be screened, and catchment, ELDS and the advert window give you extra routes.
- Merit: the federal guideline usually quoted for federal universities is 45% of places on merit, filled from the top scorers in each course regardless of state. UNN has not published its own split.
- Catchment: about 35% under the same guideline. UNN’s catchment is generally understood to be the South-East states, but UNN has not published a list online, so confirm on JAMB CAPS or with the admissions office before you count on it.
- ELDS: about 20% for educationally less developed states. This is a federal designation and UNN does not publish its own list, so I will not name states here.
- State of origin: what counts is the state on your JAMB profile, backed by the LGA identification letter you upload during screening.
How to apply for Zoology and Environmental Biology at UNN
Deadline
JAMB told public universities to finish 2026 admissions on or before 31 October 2026, and candidates have four weeks to accept or reject an offer on CAPS. If UNN has offered you a place, respond now.
- Get your JAMB profile code: text NIN, a space and your 11-digit NIN (for example, NIN 12345678901) to 55019 or 66019 from the phone line linked to your NIN. JAMB replies with the profile code you use to register.
- Register for the UTME with the right subjects: pick Zoology and Environmental Biology at the University of Nigeria as your first choice. UNN only screens first-choice candidates, so a second-choice listing will not get you onto its portal.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: do it at a JAMB-accredited CBT centre as soon as your WAEC or NECO result is out. In 2026 UNN wanted results on CAPS and on its own portal by the screening deadline.
- Register for UNN screening: go to unn.edu.ng, click UNN Portal, then Prospective Students and the screening form. Enter your JAMB registration number, generate and pay the Remita invoice, come back and enter the number again, fill in your personal and O’level details (centre and exam numbers), upload your documents, review, submit and print the acknowledgement slip. You cannot change your date of birth afterwards.
- Check CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, click Check Admission Status, then Access my CAPS and Admission Status. If UNN has offered you a place, read the course name carefully before you click Accept.
- Finish with UNN: print your JAMB admission letter, then pay the UNN acceptance fee on the university portal and follow the clearance instructions. The fee has been reported as ₦25,000 by an education blog, but I could not find it in an official UNN notice, so confirm the figure on the portal before paying.
Our JAMB CAPS guide explains each CAPS status, and our change of institution guide covers what to do if you did not choose UNN first.
What you study in Zoology and Environmental Biology at UNN
The Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology was established in 1961, after the University of Nigeria Senate and a Michigan State University technical committee approved it. It was called Zoology until March 2011, when the Senate approved the new name, and the NUC approved the name change and a revised curriculum in August 2015. It sits in the Faculty of Biological Sciences at Nsukka.
- Degree: B.Sc. (Hons) Zoology and Environmental Biology, four years through UTME and three through Direct Entry.
- Core subjects: general biology, plant biology and biotechnology, invertebrate and vertebrate zoology, developmental biology, histology, genetics and cytogenetics, animal ecology, systematics and evolution, animal behaviour and general physiology.
- Final-year specialisations: entomology, environmental biology, fisheries biology, genetics and animal biotechnology, parasitology, and physiology.
- Combined honours: Zoology and Environmental Biology with Biochemistry, Chemistry, or Plant Science and Biotechnology.
- Accreditation: beyond the 2015 NUC approval of the curriculum, I did not find a published accreditation result; ask the department if you need it.
Careers and related courses at UNN
The specialisations point to the jobs. Parasitology and entomology lead to public health, malaria and vector-control programmes and research institutes. Fisheries biology leads to aquaculture and fisheries management. Environmental biology leads to environmental impact assessment, pollution monitoring and conservation work. Graduates also teach biology, work in wildlife and zoo management, and go on to postgraduate study.
- Plant Science and Biotechnology: the plant-side counterpart, with 118 unfilled places in 2025/2026.
- Combined Biological Sciences: Zoology with Biochemistry, Chemistry or Plant Science.
- Microbiology: more competitive, with a medical and industrial focus.
- Animal Science: the Faculty of Agriculture route into livestock production.
Revise with the JAMB Biology syllabus; ecology, genetics and the animal kingdom sections overlap heavily with first-year Zoology.
UNN cut off mark for Zoology and Environmental Biology: frequently asked questions
Is 180 enough for Zoology in UNN? It clears the 160 screening minimum, and with 124 unfilled places in 2025/2026 it is a workable score if your O’level grades are good. UNN has not published a Zoology cut off, so 200 is the safer target.
Is Zoology and Environmental Biology the same as Zoology at UNN? Yes. The department was called Zoology until the Senate approved the new name in March 2011, and the NUC approved it in 2015. JAMB’s brochure still lists the course under Zoology.
Does UNN accept two sittings for Zoology? Yes. UNN asks for five O’level credits obtained at not more than two sittings.
Can I use awaiting result for UNN Zoology screening? No. UNN’s 2026/2027 notice excluded candidates awaiting results, and O’level results had to be on CAPS and the UNN portal by 5 August 2026.
Sources and updates
The 160 minimum, fees, dates, eligibility rules and portal steps come from UNN’s 2026/2027 screening notice signed by the Registrar on 13 July 2026. The 200 figure comes from Vanguard’s report of the JAMB 2026 policy meeting (11 May 2026), and the national 150 minimum, 31 October 2026 deadline and four-week acceptance window from the News Agency of Nigeria. The 124 and 129 vacancies, advert window dates, ₦10,000 fee and no-change-of-course rule come from UNN’s 2025/2026 advert notice as reprinted by Myschool and Success Tonics (October 2025). UTME subjects and UNN remarks come from the JAMB brochure entry for Zoology as reprinted by Myschool. History, specialisations, core subjects and the faculty’s entry requirements come from the department’s website, and the combined honours from the Faculty of Biological Sciences website. The 170 to 190 range is an unofficial estimate from Campus Cybercafe. The aggregate method is a blog method (Studentship) and the ₦25,000 acceptance fee comes from O3schools; neither is official. Target scores and career examples are my own advice. Checked on 29 October 2026; this page will be updated if UNN publishes departmental cut off marks.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
