The UNN cut off mark for Crop Science for 2026/2027 is 160 in the UTME to apply for screening, as long as you chose UNN as your first choice. That minimum comes from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka screening notice of 13 July 2026. UNN has not published a departmental merit or catchment cut-off for Crop Science for 2026/2027 or 2025/2026, so any website giving you an “official” Crop Science score did not get it from the university.
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.
You will also see 200 mentioned. That was UNN’s minimum as reported from the JAMB 2026 policy meeting on 11 May 2026. UNN accepted screening applications from 160, but its declared benchmark was 200, and I would plan with 200 in mind. This guide covers the JAMB subject combination, UNN’s own O’level and Direct Entry rules, how the 2026/2027 screening ran, an aggregate example, how many places Crop Science fills, the score I would aim for and what the five-year B.Agric looks like.
UNN cut off mark for Crop Science 2027/2028 at a glance
| Item | 2026/2027 position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum UTME to apply for UNN screening | 160 | Official (UNN, 13 July 2026) |
| UNN minimum declared at the JAMB policy meeting | 200 | Reported by Vanguard, 11 May 2026 |
| Departmental cut-off for Crop Science | Not published | No UNN list for 2025/2026 or 2026/2027 |
| UTME subjects | Use of English, Chemistry, Biology or Agricultural Science, and Physics or Mathematics | JAMB brochure (Agriculture) |
| O’level | Five credits including English, Biology or Agricultural Science, Chemistry, and Mathematics or Physics | UNN Faculty of Agriculture page |
| Degree and length | B.Agric (Crop Science), five years | UNN Crop Science department |
| Options in final year | Crop Production, Crop Protection, Horticulture | UNN Crop Science department |
| Faculty and campus | Faculty of Agriculture, Nsukka | UNN |
| Screening window | 15 July to 5 August 2026 | Closed |
People use “cut-off” for two different numbers. The general cut-off (160 at UNN this session) only lets you into screening. The departmental cut-off is the lowest score UNN actually admits into Crop Science after ranking everyone, and UNN does not publish it. Every target score further down this page is my own advice, and I label it that way.
UNN Crop Science cut-off history
These are the only figures I could trace to UNN or JAMB. None of them is specific to Crop Science.
| Session | Figure | What it is | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | 160 | UTME score needed to apply for UNN screening (UNN as first choice) | Official, UNN Registrar notice of 13 July 2026 |
| 2026/2027 | 200 | Minimum UNN declared at the JAMB 2026 policy meeting | Reported by Vanguard and News Central, 11 May 2026 |
| 2026/2027 | 150 | JAMB national minimum for all universities | Official JAMB policy, May 2026 |
| 2025/2026 | 160 | UTME and screening threshold in UNN’s advert (shopping) notice | Official notice, seen through reprints |
| 2025/2026 | 150 | JAMB national minimum for universities | Official JAMB policy, July 2025 |
| 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 | Not published | Departmental cut-off for this course | UNN has released no departmental list |
I found no blog estimate for Crop Science at UNN that names a source or a method, so I have left that out. Departmental cut-offs shift every year with the number of applicants and places, so even a genuine past figure would only be a rough guide.
JAMB subject combination for Crop Science at UNN
UNN’s Faculty of Agriculture puts Crop Science under one set of entry rules shared with Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension, Animal Science and Soil Science. The JAMB brochure lists UNN among the universities offering Agriculture with options, and gives no extra UNN remark for it, so the general Agriculture rules apply.
| Requirement | What you need for Crop Science at UNN |
|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English, Chemistry, Biology or Agricultural Science, and Physics or Mathematics |
| O’level (UNN faculty page) | Five credits including English Language, Biology or Agricultural Science, Chemistry, and Mathematics or Physics |
| O’level (JAMB general) | Five credits including English Language, Biology or Agricultural Science, Chemistry, and one of Mathematics, Physics, Geography or Economics |
| Direct Entry, A’level route | Two A’level passes: Chemistry plus one of Biology, Botany, Zoology, Agricultural Science, Economics, Physics, Geography or Geology, or Mathematics |
| Direct Entry, diploma route | OND, NCE, HND or a degree in Agricultural Science, Animal Health or a related field, at lower credit or merit, plus the O’level requirements |
| Minimum UTME to apply | 160, with UNN as first choice |
The faculty page says “Mathematics or Physics”, but I would not go into this course without a credit in Mathematics. Most Nigerian universities treat a Mathematics credit as a general requirement for science-based degrees, and the faculty page was last changed in 2016. The Crop Science department’s own page asks for O’level credits in Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology or Agricultural Science on top of the general university requirements, which backs up the advice to treat Mathematics as compulsory. If you can, have both Biology and Agricultural Science; you will use both from your first year.
One more practical point. When you register for the UTME, choose the course name exactly as JAMB lists it under UNN on the registration portal. UNN’s 2023/2024 admission list placed candidates under department headings such as “CROP SCIENCE”, so check which name JAMB shows and confirm with the faculty if the two do not match.
A quick O’level check before you apply
- English Language: credit (C6 or better).
- Mathematics: credit, not a pass.
- Chemistry: credit.
- Biology or Agricultural Science: credit (having both is better).
- Fifth credit: Physics, Geography or Economics.
- Not more than two sittings, and names on WAEC or NECO must match your JAMB record.
For the UTME, our JAMB Biology syllabus and JAMB Chemistry syllabus list every topic you will be tested on.
Direct Entry candidates should note the department’s wording: principal passes at HSC or GCE A’level in Chemistry and Biology (or Botany, Zoology or Agricultural Science). The department also says holders of relevant diplomas may be admitted into the second year. A Direct Entry candidate who chose UNN first must still register for UNN’s screening, and A’level results have to be verified by NIPEDS.
UNN screening for 2027/2028: what Crop Science candidates had to do
UNN did not run a written post-UTME test for 2026/2027. The Registrar’s notice of 13 July 2026 described an online screening registration only, with no test date and no exam format. If a website is selling you “UNN post-UTME past questions for 2026/2027” as preparation for Crop Science, know that the official notice did not mention any paper.
| Detail | 2026/2027 screening |
|---|---|
| Who could apply | Candidates who chose UNN as first choice in the 2026 UTME and scored 160 or more |
| Opened | Wednesday 15 July 2026 |
| Closed | Midnight, Wednesday 5 August 2026 |
| Fees | ₦2,000 application fee plus ₦3,300 processing fee (₦5,300 in total), paid through Remita |
| O’level upload | To JAMB CAPS and the UNN portal by 5 August 2026 |
| Awaiting results | Not eligible; results had to be out |
| Age | Candidates under 16 by 30 September 2026 were told not to apply |
| Names | Names on WAEC or NECO results must match the names on the JAMB record |
| Uploads | Birth certificate, LGA identification, testimonial, First School Leaving Certificate, JAMB result slip and O’level result(s), each under 100KB |
The portal route was unn.edu.ng, then UNN Portal at the top right (unnportal.unn.edu.ng), then Prospective Students and the 2026/2027 screening form. You entered your JAMB registration number, generated and paid the invoice, came back to fill personal and O’level details (including centre and exam numbers), uploaded your documents, reviewed, submitted and printed the acknowledgement slip. The notice warned that date of birth cannot be changed after submission.
The window is closed. If you did not register by 5 August 2026, UNN cannot consider you for 2026/2027, whatever your score.
How UNN ranks Crop Science candidates (aggregate example)
UNN has not published its aggregate formula. Neither the 2026/2027 screening notice nor the 2025/2026 advert notice gives weights or grade points. The 2025/2026 advert notice did refer to a separate screening score with a 160 threshold, but it did not say how that score is worked out.
Several Nigerian education blogs describe the same method, and it is the one you will see most often: 60% of your UTME score plus 40% of an O’level score built from four relevant subjects, where A1 = 100, B2 = 90, B3 = 80, C4 = 70, C5 = 60 and C6 = 50. Treat the example below as an illustration of that blog method. It is not an official UNN formula.
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| UTME score | 205 |
| O’level: English Language | C5 = 60 |
| O’level: Mathematics | C4 = 70 |
| O’level: Chemistry | B3 = 80 |
| O’level: Agricultural Science | B2 = 90 |
| O’level total (out of 400) | 300 |
| 60% of UTME | 205 × 0.6 = 123 |
| 40% of O’level | 300 × 0.4 = 120 |
| Aggregate (out of 400) | 123 + 120 = 243 |
That candidate reaches 243 out of 400 on the blog method. Notice how much the O’level side carries. Lifting English from C5 to B3 adds 20 points before weighting, or 8 aggregate points, which is roughly what 13 extra UTME marks would give you. UNN has not said which four subjects it counts for Crop Science, so use this to see how your grades move your position, not to predict a cut-off.
Merit, catchment and ELDS for Crop Science at UNN
UNN is a federal university, so it works under the federal admission guideline that is widely reported as 45% merit, 35% catchment and 20% educationally less developed states (ELDS). UNN has not published its own split for any course, so read that as the national policy rather than a UNN figure.
- Merit: the top scorers in the course, from any state, fill this list first. It is where the highest cut-off sits.
- Catchment: UNN has not published its catchment list. It is generally understood to be the South-East states; confirm on JAMB CAPS or with the UNN admissions office before you count on it.
- ELDS: this is a federal designation. UNN does not publish its own ELDS list, and I would not rely on any blog that names states “for UNN”.
- State of origin: the state on your JAMB profile is what counts, and UNN asks for an LGA identification letter as proof during screening.
Crop Science is one of the smaller intakes in the Faculty of Agriculture, so a few places on either list can decide who gets in. A South-East candidate who misses the merit list may still be picked on catchment. UNN has not said how many Crop Science places it has for 2026/2027.
How competitive is Crop Science at UNN?
UNN does not publish applicant numbers per course, but its admission lists give a rough idea of intake size. On the 2023/2024 primary admission list, the Faculty of Agriculture section had about 207 names, and Crop Science had about 11 of them, level with Soil Science. Supplementary lists added more names later, so read this as a snapshot of the first round, not a quota.
| Department (as headed in the list) | Names on UNN’s 2023/2024 primary list |
|---|---|
| Nutrition and Dietetics | about 62 |
| Food Science and Technology | about 56 |
| Animal Science | about 31 |
| Home Science | about 16 |
| Agricultural Economics | about 13 |
| Crop Science | about 11 |
| Soil Science | about 11 |
| Agricultural Extension | about 7 |
Crop Science is less crowded than Nutrition and Dietetics or Food Science, and many candidates land in it after missing a more popular science course. That is good news if your score is modest. The catch is that a small primary intake leaves little room, so a candidate with weak O’level grades can still be pushed down the ranking by someone who scored a little less in the UTME but has better credits.
What score should you aim for in Crop Science at UNN?
My advice (not a UNN figure): aim for 200 or more in the UTME, and 210 or more if your O’level grades are mostly C5 and C6. Agriculture courses at UNN are less crowded than Medicine or Law, but UNN’s declared benchmark of 200 means a score in the 160s or 170s is a long shot even here. A South-East candidate from about 185 with good grades can still hope for catchment.
| Your UTME score | My reading for Crop Science at UNN |
|---|---|
| Below 160 | Not eligible for UNN screening |
| 160 to 184 | Eligible, but well below UNN’s declared 200 benchmark; plan a backup |
| 185 to 199 | Possible on catchment with good O’level grades |
| 200 to 219 | Competitive |
| 220 and above | Strong position |
If you are below 200, keep a second plan ready. UNN has run an advert (shopping) window late in previous sessions for courses with unfilled places; in 2025/2026 that window took candidates with 160 and above. Crop Science did not appear among the reprinted 2025/2026 vacancy figures I could see, so I cannot say whether it had spaces then, and there is no guarantee of a 2026/2027 advert list.
Step by step: from JAMB profile to resuming for Crop Science at UNN
Warning
JAMB’s 2026 policy gives candidates four weeks to accept an admission offer on CAPS. An offer left unaccepted after that can be withdrawn and given to someone else, so check CAPS every few days once UNN starts releasing lists.
- Get or recover your JAMB profile code: text NIN, a space and your 11-digit NIN (for example, NIN 12345678901) to 55019 or 66019 from the phone number linked to your NIN. JAMB replies with your profile code, which you need for registration and other JAMB services.
- Make UNN your first choice: UNN screens only candidates who chose it first. If you are planning for 2027, pick UNN and Crop Science at registration so you do not pay for a change of institution later.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: your WAEC, NECO or NABTEB result has to show on your JAMB profile. For 2026/2027 UNN asked for the upload to CAPS and the UNN portal by 5 August 2026. A JAMB-accredited CBT centre can do the CAPS upload for you.
- Register for UNN screening: when the next notice comes out, fill the form on unnportal.unn.edu.ng, pay through Remita and print your acknowledgement slip.
- Check CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, click Check Admission Status, then Access My CAPS and Admission Status. On a phone, switch your browser to desktop view first.
- Accept or reject: read the course name carefully, then click Accept. If you see a Transfer Approval, UNN is offering you a different course, and you must respond to that before anything else.
- Print your JAMB admission letter and pay acceptance: after CAPS, pay UNN’s acceptance fee on the UNN portal. Blogs report it as ₦25,000, but I found no official 2026/2027 figure, so confirm the amount on the portal before you pay.
- Clearance: follow your faculty’s clearance instructions with your original documents. Nobody can “secure” a place for you on CAPS for money.
UNN’s homepage already carries 2026/2027 notices for its primary admission list, its Direct Entry list and lists for candidates with disabilities and foreign candidates, and Myschool reported on 25 October 2026 that the list is checkable on CAPS. JAMB also told public universities to conclude 2026 admissions by 31 October 2026. Our JAMB CAPS guide explains every status message you may see.
Studying Crop Science at UNN
The Faculty of Agriculture is one of UNN’s oldest. Its own history page says classes began on 17 October 1960, with help from Michigan State University under USAID, and calls it the first land-grant faculty of agriculture in Africa. Today the faculty website lists eight departments: Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension, Animal Science, Crop Science, Soil Science, Food Science and Technology, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Home Science and Management. All of them are on the Nsukka campus.
The Crop Science department traces its roots to the very start of the university. Its own history says agriculture began in October 1960 as the Cardoso College of Agriculture inside the Faculty of Science, became a full faculty in 1961 with a Department of Plant/Soil Sciences, and that Crop Science split off as a separate department in 1974. Michigan State University supplied experts and teaching facilities in those early years.
How the five years are arranged
- Years one to three: broad theory and practicals in the basic agricultural sciences, shared with the other B.Agric departments.
- Year four, the Farm Year: practical training on approved farms and agro-based establishments.
- Year five: intensive courses in one of three options: Crop Production, Crop Protection or Horticulture.
The department states two aims for the degree: training people who can run crop production full time, and preparing graduates for research and development work in Nigeria and abroad. Expect plant physiology, agronomy of field crops, plant breeding, weed science, entomology and plant pathology, soil fertility and horticulture of fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. The department’s page links to a course module list, but I have not reproduced it, so confirm the current outline when you resume.
Careers after Crop Science
The department’s own list of destinations includes agricultural and research institutes, government and private crop production agencies, agricultural development projects (ADPs), river basin authorities, plantations, agrochemical companies, food control laboratories, customs and quarantine services, and the agricultural departments of commercial banks and agricultural credit banks. Many graduates also run their own farms, nurseries or input businesses, and horticulture graduates often move into landscaping and greenhouse vegetable production.
Related UNN courses: UNN Soil Science, UNN Plant Science and Biotechnology, UNN Animal Science and UNN Agricultural Economics.
Common mistakes Crop Science applicants make
- A pass in Mathematics: the department asks for a Mathematics credit, so a D7 or E8 can cost you the place.
- Choosing UNN second: UNN screens first-choice candidates only.
- Late O’level upload: without your result on CAPS, UNN cannot process your admission.
- Treating 160 as the target: it only gets you into screening.
- Confusing Crop Science with Plant Science: Plant Science and Biotechnology sits in Biological Sciences and leads to a B.Sc.; Crop Science is a five-year B.Agric with a Farm Year.
UNN cut off mark for Crop Science: frequently asked questions
Is 200 enough for Crop Science in UNN? It meets UNN’s declared 200 benchmark and gives you a fair chance, especially on the catchment list with good O’level grades. It is not a guarantee, because UNN has not published a departmental cut-off.
How many years is Crop Science in UNN? Five years for UTME entrants. The department runs a five-year B.Agric, with the fourth year spent on farms and the fifth year for specialisation.
Can I study Crop Science in UNN without Physics? Yes, if you have Mathematics. The UTME and O’level rules ask for Mathematics or Physics alongside Chemistry and Biology or Agricultural Science, and the department wants a Mathematics credit.
Can I use awaiting result for UNN Crop Science? No. UNN’s 2026/2027 notice said candidates awaiting results were not eligible; results had to be out and uploaded by 5 August 2026.
Sources and updates
The 160 minimum, screening dates, fees, eligibility rules and portal steps come from the UNN Registrar’s notice 2026/2027 Screening Exercise for Admission of 13 July 2026. The reported 200 comes from Vanguard’s 11 May 2026 report on the JAMB policy meeting (via AllAfrica), and the national 150 minimum, the 31 October admission deadline and the four-week CAPS acceptance window come from the News Agency of Nigeria. The 2025/2026 figure of 160 and the vacancy counts come from reprints of UNN’s October 2025 advert notice. The Agriculture UTME combination comes from Myschool’s reprint of the JAMB brochure; the UNN O’level and Direct Entry rules come from the Faculty of Agriculture admission requirement page (agriculture.unn.edu.ng, last changed in 2016) and the Crop Science department’s About page (cropscience.unn.edu.ng). The department history, the five-year B.Agric, the three options and the career list come from the department’s history and About pages. Counts come from UNN’s 2023/2024 primary admission list. JAMB’s IBASS brochure could not be opened, so confirm on your JAMB profile. The 45/35/20 quota is national policy, not a UNN figure. The aggregate method is a blog method, and the ₦25,000 acceptance fee is an unofficial report. Checked on 29 October 2026.
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.
