NOUN Law admission requirements, as published by its Faculty of Law, are five O’level credits including English Language, Literature in English and Mathematics, in not more than two sittings for 100-level entry, or a first degree of at least Second Class Lower plus the same O’level for Direct Entry. NOUN does not use a UTME cut-off mark. Before you apply through the Enugu Study Centre, know this: NOUN is not on the Council of Legal Education’s list of universities approved to admit LL.B students, dated 14 August 2026.
2027/2028 update: NOUN admission requirements and entry rules usually stay the same from one year to the next, so the requirements on this page are what 2027/2028 applicants should plan with. They come from NOUN’s latest published requirements and notices (checked in October 2026). If NOUN changes anything for 2027/2028, we will update this page.
An LL.B from NOUN does not currently give you a clear route into the Nigerian Law School, and you cannot be called to the Bar without the Law School. Thousands of NOUN law graduates were still protesting their exclusion in July 2026. This guide sets out the requirements, then the Law School position with dates and sources, so you can decide with your eyes open.
Read before you pay
The Council of Legal Education’s public notice of 14 August 2026 lists 122 universities approved to admit LL.B students. NOUN is not among them. If your goal is to practise as a lawyer, do not rely on a NOUN LL.B until NOUN appears on the CLE list.
NOUN Law admission requirements at a glance
| Item | What NOUN states | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UTME score | Not required; no cut-off mark | NOUN Admission Requirements page |
| 100 level O’level | Five credits incl. English Language, Literature in English and Mathematics; max two sittings (WASC, SSC or GCE) | NOUN Faculty of Law LL.B page |
| Direct Entry | First degree, at least Second Class Lower, plus the same O’level credits | Same page |
| Duration | 5 years (10 semesters) from 100 level; 4 years (8 semesters) by Direct Entry; extension allowed up to 8 years in total | Same page |
| Credit units to graduate | 198 (100 level entry); 191 (Direct Entry) | Same page |
| Form | ₦5,000 via Remita (last published figure) | NOUN News, 8 August 2024 |
| NUC listing | LL.B not in NOUN’s November 2024 accreditation document | NOUN Programmes and Accreditation Status |
| CLE approval | Not on the list of approved universities as at August 2026 | CLE public notice, 14 August 2026 |
Is there a NOUN cut-off mark for Law?
No. NOUN does not use a UTME cut-off for Law or for any undergraduate programme. Your O’level grades, and for Direct Entry your degree class, decide whether the portal admits you. That makes NOUN Law look easy to enter compared with UNN Law or ESUT Law, where Law is one of the most competitive courses. The catch is what happens after you graduate.
What about JAMB and CAPS?
NOUN’s admission page does not ask for a UTME score, and you do not choose NOUN on a UTME form to be considered. JAMB is still part of the picture after admission: NOUN’s fees schedule lists a ₦6,000 JAMB regularisation charge for new students. NOUN has not published step-by-step instructions for that regularisation, so follow what the university tells you after admission and keep the receipt. If you already have a JAMB profile from an earlier UTME, keep its email and registration number handy; it may help when your record is regularised.
NOUN Law O’level and Direct Entry requirements
100 level
You need five credits in WASC, SSC or GCE, in not more than two sittings, and they must include:
- English Language
- Literature in English
- Mathematics
- two other subjects (the Faculty page does not name them; arts and social science subjects such as Government, CRS or IRS, Economics or History are the usual choices for law)
A pass in Literature or Mathematics is not enough. If you wrote Literature in one sitting and Mathematics in another, that is fine, as long as you use no more than two results.
Direct Entry
NOUN’s Faculty of Law takes Direct Entry candidates who already hold a first degree of at least Second Class Lower from a recognised university, plus the same O’level credits. The page does not list ND, NCE or A level routes for Law, so the general NOUN Direct Entry rules for other programmes do not appear to apply here. Direct Entry students spend four years and need 191 credit units.
NOUN Law and the Nigerian Law School: where things stand in October 2026
To become a lawyer in Nigeria you need an LL.B from a university the Council of Legal Education (CLE) approves, then the Nigerian Law School’s Bar programme, then a call to the Bar. NOUN’s problem sits at the first step.
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 5 December 2019 | TheNigeriaLawyer reported that the CLE had treated part-time, evening and open law programmes as ineligible, and agreed to admit backlog NOUN graduates through Bar Part 1 under strict conditions. The report also said NOUN had been told to stop admitting law students. | TheNigeriaLawyer |
| 22 June 2021 | NOUN News reported that 1,876 NOUN LL.B graduates from the 2014 to 2019 sessions received call-up letters for a special remedial programme at the Law School’s Bwari campus. | NOUN News |
| 8 July 2026 | The Backlog of NOUN Law Graduates protested at the Attorney-General’s office in Abuja, saying more than 4,000 graduates from the 2019 to 2024 sets had been denied Law School admission. | Sahara Reporters |
| 10 July 2026 | The same group protested at NOUN’s headquarters, accusing the university of failing to get them mobilised for Law School. | Sahara Reporters |
| 14 August 2026 | The CLE published its list of 122 universities approved to admit LL.B students as at August 2026. NOUN is not on it. | CLE public notice |
The graduates’ association argues that NUC accredited NOUN’s law programme and that a 2018 amendment to the NOUN Act settled the legal objections. Those are their claims, and neither the CLE nor NOUN responded in the July 2026 reports. What a candidate can check is the CLE list itself, and NOUN is not on it.
The remedial programme of 2021 shows the CLE has made one-off arrangements for NOUN graduates before. It does not promise the same for future graduates, and the 2019 to 2024 sets were still waiting in mid 2026.
Should you study Law at NOUN?
My honest advice depends on why you want the degree.
| Your goal | My advice |
|---|---|
| Become a practising lawyer (call to the Bar) | Do not choose NOUN Law for now. Apply to a university on the CLE list through the UTME. |
| Legal knowledge for your current job (police, HR, administration, compliance) | NOUN Law can serve that purpose, but understand the degree may not lead to the Bar. |
| You already hold a degree and want a second one in Law | Same as above. Direct Entry at NOUN is easier, but Bar eligibility is the issue, not admission. |
CLE-approved alternatives near Enugu
- UNN cut-off mark for Law
- ESUT cut-off mark for Law
- Renaissance University cut-off mark for Law (on the CLE list as at August 2026)
- Gregory University cut-off mark for Law (on the CLE list as at August 2026)
These all need a UTME score above JAMB’s 2026 university minimum of 150, Literature in English in your O’level and an admission through JAMB CAPS. If you sat the 2026 UTME and chose another school, a change of institution may still be possible for the next cycle.
Worked example: checking your eligibility
These are my illustrations of NOUN’s published rules, not NOUN decisions.
| Applicant | Profile | NOUN admission | Law School route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelechi, 2025 WAEC | Credits in English, Literature, Maths, Government, CRS | Meets 100-level requirements | Unclear: NOUN not on CLE list |
| Amaka, B.Sc Political Science (2:2) | Credits in English, Literature, Maths and two others | Meets Direct Entry requirements | Unclear: NOUN not on CLE list |
| Obinna, 2025 WAEC | Credits in English, Maths and three others; D7 in Literature | Does not qualify: Literature must be a credit | Not applicable |
How to apply for Law (LL.B) at NOUN, step by step
The whole process happens online. You do not travel to Abuja, and you do not need to visit the Enugu centre before you are admitted.
- Get your documents ready: O’level result(s), birth certificate or age declaration, a recent passport photograph and, for Direct Entry, your diploma, degree or professional certificate and transcript. Scan them clearly.
- Open the admission page: go to NOUN’s Admission Requirements page on nou.edu.ng and choose the undergraduate application.
- Select the programme: pick the faculty, then Law (LL.B), then your entry level, and click View Requirement. Read the requirement that appears before you go further.
- Pick 100 level or Direct Entry: Direct Entry needs a first degree of at least Second Class Lower; upload the degree certificate or statement of result and transcript.
- Fill the pre-payment form: enter your names exactly as they appear on your O’level result, plus a working email address and phone number.
- Generate a Remita RRR and pay: pay the ₦5,000 form fee by card, or take the RRR to a bank.
- Complete the application form: enter your O’level grades, upload your documents and choose Enugu Study Centre as your study centre.
- Check the outcome: NOUN describes its admission process as automated, with an almost instant outcome. Print the admission letter once it shows.
- Pay the compulsory charges and register courses: pay the new-student charges, then register your first semester courses and examinations within the window in the academic calendar.
Write down your application number and the email address you used, and keep the Remita receipt. Most problems at the study centre later come from a lost RRR or a mismatch between the name on the form and the name on the O’level certificate.
What NOUN Law covers and how long it takes
The LL.B covers the core subjects every Nigerian law degree teaches, such as constitutional law, contract, criminal law, torts, land law, equity and trusts, and the law of evidence, plus general university courses. NOUN’s Faculty page says you graduate after earning 198 credit units from 100 level, or 191 by Direct Entry, and passing every compulsory core course in the approved programme outline.
The normal time is five years (ten semesters) from 100 level and four years (eight semesters) by Direct Entry. NOUN allows an extension, but not beyond eight years in total. NOUN’s Faculty of Law page does not mention the Law School or the CLE at all.
NOUN form price and fees for Law applicants
The undergraduate application form costs ₦5,000, paid through Remita. That is the figure in NOUN’s own admission requirements notice of 8 August 2024, and it is the most recent official figure I could find. Postgraduate forms cost more, so make sure you start the undergraduate application.
After admission you pay a set of compulsory charges. NOUN’s fees schedule page (undated) lists them like this:
| Charge | New students | Returning students |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | ₦6,000 | ₦6,000 |
| Caution deposit | ₦3,500 | None |
| Orientation | ₦1,500 | None |
| Matriculation | ₦1,500 | None |
| ID card | ₦500 | None |
| Library | ₦3,000 | ₦3,000 |
| ICT administrative charges | ₦5,000 | ₦5,000 |
| E-facilitation | ₦4,000 | ₦4,000 |
| JAMB regularisation | ₦6,000 | None |
| Result verification | ₦5,000 | None |
| Total compulsory charges | ₦36,000 | ₦18,000 |
On top of these, the same page lists an examination fee of ₦1,000 per course and a project fee of ₦15,000 in the final year. Course registration is charged per course, and the page says those fees remain unchanged, but it does not print the per-course amounts. Your semester bill therefore depends on how many courses you register. Open your portal’s payment page to see the real figure before you budget, because NOUN has not published a 2026/2027 per-course table that I could verify.
When does NOUN admit? 2026/2027 dates
NOUN does not follow the JAMB admission deadlines that apply to conventional universities. It runs its own calendar in two semesters a year, labelled like 2026_1 and 2026_2.
| Item | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Admission portal for 2026 | Open from 1 January to 31 December 2026 | NOUN’s approved 2026 academic calendar, as reported by Myschool |
| 2026_1 course and examination registration | 5 January to 22 March 2026 (closed) | Same calendar |
| 2027 academic calendar | Not yet published | Check nou.edu.ng and your portal |
So, on the published calendar, the 2026 admission portal stays open until 31 December 2026. Because the outcome of an application is almost instant, people who apply now can usually be admitted and then register for the semester that is open on the calendar. NOUN has not published its 2027 calendar yet, so 2027/2028 applicants should watch nou.edu.ng and the portal from January 2027.
The NOUN Enugu Study Centre: what it does for Law students
NOUN admits centrally from its headquarters in Jabi, Abuja. The study centre is where you are attached for support: student records, facilitation, examinations, project defence and, at the end, certificate collection. When you apply, you pick Enugu as your study centre on the form.
- Leadership: NOUN News named Prof. Charity Akuadi Okonkwo as Director of the Enugu Study Centre when it reported an NUC accreditation visit to the centre on 26 November 2024.
- Examinations: the same report said the centre had 297 computers in its e-examination hall.
- Certificates: in July 2025 the centre told its graduands to collect certificates at the Centre Director’s office, with proof of final clearance, convocation and alumni fee payments, a bound project copy and a valid ID (reported by Myschool, 11 July 2025).
- Address: NOUN does not publish the street address in the sources I checked. Confirm it on the study centres directory on nou.edu.ng before you travel, and do not rely on addresses copied around on blogs.
NOUN also does not publish which programmes each study centre supports. Being admitted into Law and choosing Enugu should place you there, but if you need clinical placement, practical sessions or a project supervisor in Enugu, ask the centre to confirm it in writing before you pay registration fees.
NOUN Law: frequently asked questions
Can NOUN law graduates go to Law School? Not on a settled basis. NOUN is not on the CLE’s August 2026 list of approved universities, and more than 4,000 graduates from the 2019 to 2024 sets were still protesting their exclusion in July 2026.
Is Literature compulsory for NOUN Law? Yes. NOUN’s Faculty of Law requires credits in English Language, Literature in English and Mathematics among your five O’level credits.
What is the NOUN cut-off mark for Law? There is none. NOUN admits on O’level credits or a first degree for Direct Entry, not on a UTME score.
How many years is Law in NOUN? Five years (ten semesters) from 100 level, or four years (eight semesters) by Direct Entry, with a maximum of eight years.
Sources and updates
The O’level, Direct Entry, duration and credit unit rules come from NOUN’s Faculty of Law LL.B page, checked in October 2026. NOUN’s absence from the approved list comes from the CLE public notice titled “List of updated universities approved by the Council of Legal Education to admit students into the LL.B programme in Nigeria as at August 2026”, dated 14 August 2026 and signed by Aderonke O. Osho, Secretary to the Council. The 2019 CLE decision is from TheNigeriaLawyer (5 December 2019); the 2021 remedial call-up is from NOUN News (22 June 2021); the July 2026 protests are from Sahara Reporters on 8 July 2026 and 10 July 2026. NOUN’s undergraduate requirement wording and the automated application steps come from its Admission Requirements page on nou.edu.ng. Programme-specific requirements, the ₦5,000 form fee and the Remita payment rule come from NOUN News, “NOUN admission requirements” (8 August 2024). Compulsory charges, the examination fee and the JAMB regularisation charge come from NOUN’s fees schedule page (undated when checked). The programme list and accreditation statuses come from NOUN’s Programmes and Accreditation Status document (November 2024). The 2026 admission portal period and registration window come from Myschool’s report of NOUN’s approved 2026 academic calendar. Details on the Enugu Study Centre come from NOUN News (2 December 2024) and Myschool (11 July 2025). Checked on 30 October 2026. This page will be updated as soon as the CLE or NOUN announces a change.
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.
