The ESUT cut off mark for Intelligence and Security Studies for 2026/2027 is 200 in the 2026 UTME. Enugu State University of Science and Technology named the course in the 200 band of its official Post-UTME advert of 4 July 2026, next to Computer Science and the other new programmes. That makes it the highest minimum of any social science course at ESUT this session: Political Science and International Relations are at 180, and most others are at 160.
2027/2028 update: ESUT 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.
Intelligence and Security Studies is brand new at ESUT. The National Universities Commission approved it in July 2026 as one of five new full-time B.Sc. programmes, so 2026/2027 is its first intake and no merit score, accreditation result or graduate exists yet. This guide covers the official minimum, what “approved but not accredited” means for you, a safe target score marked as advice, the subject combination, ESUT’s no-test screening, the CAPS steps, and where the degree can lead.
ESUT cut off mark for Intelligence and Security Studies 2027/2028 at a glance
| Item | 2026/2027 position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| JAMB national minimum for universities | 150 | Official (JAMB policy meeting, 11 May 2026) |
| ESUT minimum UTME for Intelligence and Security Studies | 200 | Official (ESUT Post-UTME advert, 4 July 2026; named at 200) |
| ESUT final admission (merit) score for Intelligence and Security Studies | Not published | ESUT does not release one |
| Post-UTME test | None | Online screening only |
| Screening fee | ₦2,000 | Official |
| Faculty | Social Sciences | ESUT 2026/2027 advert |
| Programme status | New; NUC-approved, full-time only, first intake 2026/2027 | Premium Times press release, July 2026 |
| Accreditation | Not yet accredited (too new) | No accreditation result exists yet |
| UTME subjects | English + three Arts or Social Science subjects | JAMB brochure general rule (Myschool reprint) |
| Admission list | On JAMB CAPS from 13 October 2026 | Myschool report |
Keep the two numbers apart. The minimum UTME score (200) is the gate ESUT announces before screening; below it, the portal will not take your application for that course. The merit score is the lowest score that was actually admitted into the course after screening, and ESUT does not announce it. Most of the confusion online about “ESUT departmental cut-off marks” comes from treating the first as the second.
The NUC approved Intelligence and Security Studies at ESUT with Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Data Science and Software Engineering, according to a Premium Times press release republished by AllAfrica on 16 to 17 July 2026. The approval letter was signed for the NUC Executive Secretary by Abubakar M. Girei, Director of Academic Planning, and the approval covers the full-time mode only. ESUT must get further approval before it runs part-time or postgraduate versions, so do not pay for a part-time Intelligence and Security Studies programme at ESUT unless the NUC has approved it.
Approval is not accreditation. Approval lets ESUT start the programme; accreditation is a later NUC visit, normally once the first students reach the upper years. Until then the programme has no accreditation result, good or bad. Being in a pioneer set has upsides (staff who want the course to succeed, smaller classes) and downsides (course outlines and facilities still settling, no senior students, and employers who do not yet know the degree). I would not avoid the course for that reason alone, but go in knowing it.
Intelligence and Security Studies cut-off history at ESUT
| Session | Figure | What it is | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | 200 | Minimum UTME to apply (named) | Official ESUT advert |
| 2025/2026 | None | Programme not offered | NUC approval took effect from 2026/2027 |
There is only one year of history, and it is the first. ESUT set the new programmes at 200 from the start, which suggests it expects strong demand. With no previous intake, nobody outside the university knows how many people applied for 2026/2027 or what the lowest admitted score was. Expect the 2027 minimum to be at least 200, and check the new advert.
Some blogs quote much higher ESUT “cut-offs” for courses such as Medicine (314) and Nursing (290) without an ESUT document behind them. None of them is an official figure, so do not plan around a number you cannot trace to ESUT.
Safe target score for Intelligence and Security Studies at ESUT (my advice)
This is my advice, not an ESUT rule. Security and intelligence courses attract candidates who like the idea of the DSS, the police, the military or private security, and many of them come from the Arts and Social Science side where 200 is a strong UTME. Because the class size for a new programme is usually small, and ESUT held no Post-UTME test, a score just above 200 leaves you exposed.
| Your UTME score | My read for ESUT Intelligence and Security Studies |
|---|---|
| 200 to 214 | Eligible, but close to the floor of a small, new class. |
| 215 to 229 | A fair chance, better with strong Government and English grades. |
| 230 to 249 | A good chance. |
| 250 and above | Comfortable. You would also meet ESUT’s Law minimum of 240. |
For a 2027 attempt, my safe target for ESUT Intelligence and Security Studies is 230 or more, with credits in English, Mathematics, Government and two other subjects.
Catchment and state of origin
ESUT does not publish a catchment list. It is owned by the Enugu State Government, so Enugu indigenes are its primary catchment, but it admits candidates from every state. The 45/35/20 merit, catchment and ELDS split you may have read about is federal university policy, and ESUT has not said it applies it. Plan to win on your score and grades.
JAMB subject combination and O’level requirements for ESUT Intelligence and Security Studies
| Requirement | Intelligence and Security Studies |
|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English plus three Arts or Social Science subjects (Government, Economics and Literature in English or History is a sensible set) |
| O’level | Five credits including English Language and Government or History, plus three other subjects; at least a pass in Mathematics |
| Mathematics | The brochure asks only for a pass; I would get a credit, since most ESUT courses ask for one |
| Sittings | Not stated in ESUT’s advert; most universities allow up to two |
| Direct Entry | Two A’level passes including Government or History (general rule). ESUT has not published its own DE grades |
| Special requirements | None published by ESUT (no interview, fitness test or background check mentioned) |
These come from the JAMB brochure entry for Intelligence and Security Studies as reprinted by Myschool (checked 29 October 2026). The page carries no remark for ESUT, which is not surprising for a programme approved in July 2026, so the general rule applies. Our shared fact sheet had listed Government or Economics as the extra O’level credit; the brochure says Government or History, so I have followed the brochure.
Government is the subject I would anchor on. It counts for the UTME, satisfies the O’level Government-or-History rule, and keeps ESUT Political Science and International Relations open as alternatives on CAPS.
ESUT’s advert says only that Direct Entry candidates are screened online and must be cleared on JAMB e-facility by their former institutions. A first intake may not take DE students at all, so ask the department before you pay.
Did 2026 candidates choose Intelligence and Security Studies on JAMB?
The NUC approval came in July 2026, months after 2026 UTME registration closed, so most 2026 candidates could not have picked ESUT Intelligence and Security Studies when they registered. ESUT still listed it for screening, which suggests candidates came in through another course choice or a JAMB change of course, but ESUT has not published how it handled this. If you are in that position, the course on JAMB CAPS is what counts: check that it reads Intelligence and Security Studies before you accept and pay.
If you are registering for the 2027 UTME, look for the course under ESUT on JAMB’s registration list or e-brochure. If it is listed, choose it directly. If it is not, choose ESUT Political Science or International Relations and Diplomacy, which use the same subjects, and ask ESUT’s admissions office about a change of course.
How ESUT screening works for Intelligence and Security Studies
These were the 2026/2027 screening terms in ESUT’s advert. The window has closed for this session, but they show you what to prepare for 2027.
| Detail | ESUT 2026/2027 screening |
|---|---|
| Who could apply | Candidates who chose ESUT in the 2026 UTME, and candidates who did not choose ESUT but changed institution to ESUT through JAMB first |
| Score needed | The minimum UTME score ESUT set for the course (see the table above) |
| Direct Entry | Screened online too; former institutions must verify and clear DE candidates on JAMB e-facility |
| Registration window | Tuesday 7 July to Saturday 15 August 2026 (closed) |
| Fee | ₦2,000, paid at a bank through Enugu State IGR Pay Direct or online by debit card |
| Test | None. Screening is online only, with no physical screening and no aptitude test |
| Awaiting results | Allowed for May/June 2026 WAEC, NECO and NABTEB, but results released after 30 September 2026 are not accepted |
| O’level upload | Every candidate must upload O’level results on JAMB CAPS |
| Names | Must match on your O’level certificates, UTME result and other documents |
| Admission status | Published on the ESUT portal and JAMB CAPS |
ESUT has not published an aggregate formula. The 2026/2027 advert sets a minimum UTME score per course and an online screening with no test, and it says nothing about weights or O’level grade points. So the only arithmetic you can do with official figures is to check how far you are above your course’s minimum. Some blogs quote a Post-UTME percentage for ESUT; that cannot be right for 2026/2027, because there was no Post-UTME test to score.
Worked example for an Intelligence and Security Studies candidate
To see why your O’level grades can still matter, here is a method some other Nigerian universities use: half the aggregate from the UTME (your score divided by 8, out of 50) and half from five O’level subjects (A1 = 10, B2 = 9, B3 = 8, C4 = 7, C5 = 6, C6 = 5, out of 50). ESUT has not published this or any other formula. I use it only to compare two candidates, never to predict an ESUT cut-off.
Take Ifeanyi, who scored 228 in the 2026 UTME with B3, B3, C4, C4 and C4 in five O’level subjects.
- Eligibility check (official): 228 minus the 200 minimum = 28 marks above the line.
- UTME half (illustrative method): 228 ÷ 8 = 28.5 out of 50.
- O’level half (illustrative method): 8 + 8 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 37 out of 50.
- Illustrative total: 28.5 + 37 = 65.5 out of 100.
Ogechi scored 212 with A1, B2, B2, B3 and B3. That gives 26.5 + 44 = 70.5 on the same illustrative method, ahead of Ifeanyi despite a 16-mark gap in JAMB. If ESUT ranks on UTME alone, the higher JAMB score wins. ESUT has not said which approach it uses, so a strong UTME and clean O’level grades both matter.
How to apply for Intelligence and Security Studies at ESUT, step by step
- 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 number linked to your NIN. JAMB replies with the profile code you need to buy the UTME form.
- Register the UTME with the right subjects: pick Use of English, Government, Economics and Literature in English (or History) and choose ESUT and Intelligence and Security Studies. ESUT’s 2026 advert also let candidates who chose another school apply after a JAMB change of institution, but choosing ESUT from the start saves you that step and its cost.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: once your WAEC, NECO or NABTEB result is out, have it uploaded to your JAMB profile at an accredited CBT centre or JAMB office. ESUT’s advert makes this compulsory for every candidate, and a result that is missing on CAPS can hold your admission back even after ESUT picks you.
- Open the ESUT screening form: go to portal.esut.edu.ng, select the session, and under Regular Students open the Admission Screening Registration for that session (Direct Entry has its own form). Enter your JAMB registration number and fill the details form to generate an invoice.
- Pay ₦2,000: pay at a commercial bank through Enugu State IGR Pay Direct with the printed invoice and its reference number, or pay online with a debit card.
- Finish and print: return to the portal, re-enter your JAMB registration number, complete the form, confirm and submit, then print the acknowledgement slip. ESUT warns that false information leads to disqualification.
- Check and accept on CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, choose Check Admission Status, then Access my CAPS and Admission Status. If ESUT has offered you Intelligence and Security Studies, accept it, then print your JAMB admission letter.
- Pay the acceptance fee on the ESUT portal: blogs report ESUT’s acceptance fee at about ₦26,000 (₦26,100 in some reports). ESUT’s 2026/2027 notices I checked do not state it, so confirm the amount on the portal before you pay, and keep the receipt for clearance.
Warning
Paying ESUT’s acceptance fee does not accept your JAMB offer. Accept the admission on JAMB CAPS first, because an offer left unaccepted on CAPS can be withdrawn, and ESUT cannot register you without it.
ESUT’s 2026/2027 admission list appeared on JAMB CAPS on 13 October 2026, Myschool reported. JAMB gave candidates four weeks to accept an offer and set 31 October 2026 as the end of admissions for public universities. Myschool also reported on 28 October 2026 that ESUT had released change of course and transfer forms for 2026/2027. I have not read their terms, so check the portal if CAPS shows Intelligence and Security Studies when you applied for something else, or the other way round.
If a CAPS status confuses you, our JAMB CAPS guide explains each one. Candidates who chose another school can read the JAMB change of institution guide, and if you plan to sit the UTME again, start with when JAMB 2027 registration starts.
Studying Intelligence and Security Studies at ESUT
Intelligence and Security Studies is in ESUT’s Faculty of Social Sciences, according to the 2026/2027 advert. ESUT’s main campus is at Agbani in Nkanu West Local Government Area, Enugu State. The Faculty of Social Sciences is generally placed there, though the pages I checked do not confirm the building or campus for this department. B.Sc. programmes in this field in Nigeria usually run for four years; ESUT has not published the length or the curriculum on the pages I checked.
ESUT has not published a course outline. Programmes of this name at other Nigerian universities typically cover the areas below, so treat this as a guide to the field rather than ESUT’s syllabus:
- Foundations: introduction to security studies, Nigerian government and politics, and criminology.
- Intelligence work: intelligence collection and analysis, counter-intelligence, and the history of intelligence agencies.
- Security threats: terrorism and insurgency, kidnapping, organised crime, border security and conflict resolution.
- Cyber and information security: the basics of digital threats and how agencies handle them.
- Research methods and statistics, with a final-year project.
- Ethics, law and human rights in policing, surveillance and national security.
Accreditation: None yet. The NUC approved the programme for 2026/2027, and accreditation normally follows once the first students reach the upper years. That is the normal path for any new degree, not a warning sign by itself, but check that the programme has been accredited before your final year.
Career paths after Intelligence and Security Studies
- Recruitment into security and law enforcement agencies (DSS, NSCDC, Police, Immigration, Customs, the armed forces), which run their own selection and do not admit on a degree alone.
- Private security and risk consulting, including corporate security for oil, banking and telecoms firms.
- Security analysis and research with think tanks, NGOs and international organisations working on conflict in Nigeria and the Sahel.
- Emergency management and community safety roles with state governments.
- Postgraduate study in security, strategic studies, criminology or international relations.
Related ESUT courses for Arts and Social Science students:
- ESUT International Relations and Diplomacy cut-off mark
- ESUT Political Science cut-off mark
- ESUT Sociology and Anthropology cut-off mark
- ESUT Cyber Security cut-off mark (a science route into security work)
To compare with another university’s figures, read our UNICAL cut off mark guide. If you need to switch course on JAMB, see our JAMB change of course guide.
Mistakes Intelligence and Security Studies applicants make
- Treating 200 as easy for a social science: it is the highest social science minimum at ESUT, and only the minimum to apply.
- Confusing this with Cyber Security: Cyber Security at ESUT is a science course needing Mathematics and Physics; this one takes Arts and Social Science subjects.
- No credit in Government or History: the brochure requires one of them.
- Paying for a part-time version: the NUC approval covers full-time only.
- Accepting the wrong course on CAPS: check the course name before you accept and pay.
- Forgetting the CAPS upload: ESUT’s advert makes it compulsory for every candidate.
ESUT cut off mark for Intelligence and Security Studies: frequently asked questions
What is the cut off mark for Intelligence and Security Studies in ESUT? ESUT’s minimum UTME score for Intelligence and Security Studies in 2026/2027 is 200, named in its official advert. No merit score exists yet because this is the first intake; I would aim for 230 or more.
Is Intelligence and Security Studies accredited in ESUT? Not yet. The NUC approved it as a new full-time programme from 2026/2027, and accreditation normally comes once the first students reach the upper years.
What subjects do I need for Intelligence and Security Studies? Use of English plus three Arts or Social Science subjects in the UTME. For O’level, five credits including English and Government or History, and at least a pass in Mathematics (I would get a credit).
Does a degree in Intelligence and Security Studies guarantee a job in DSS? No. The DSS and other agencies run their own recruitment, with their own tests and checks. The degree helps your application and your understanding of the work, but it does not replace their selection.
Sources and updates
The 2026/2027 minimum UTME scores per course, the screening rules (eligibility, change of institution, Direct Entry clearance, awaiting results up to 30 September 2026, compulsory O’level upload on CAPS, no test, ₦2,000 fee, 7 July to 15 August 2026 window, portal and payment steps) come from ESUT’s notice Post-UTME Screening for UTME/Direct Entry Candidates for 2026/2027 Admission, posted on 4 July 2026, and the full advert PDF signed by the Registrar, Ambrose G. Ugwu. The 2025/2026 per-course minimums are from DTW Tutorials’ summary of ESUT’s 2025/2026 screening notice (30 July 2025); I did not open the original notice. The national minimum of 150, the 31 October 2026 admission deadline and the four-week CAPS acceptance window come from the News Agency of Nigeria, 11 May 2026. The release of the 2026/2027 admission list on CAPS on 13 October 2026 is from a Myschool report. ESUT’s faculty-level NUC accreditation is from the Enugu State Government, 21 May 2025. The NUC approval of Intelligence and Security Studies as a new full-time programme is from a Premium Times press release republished by AllAfrica on 16 to 17 July 2026. The UTME, O’level and Direct Entry requirements are from the JAMB brochure entry for Intelligence and Security Studies as reprinted by Myschool, which carries no ESUT remark. The acceptance fee of about ₦26,000 is from education blogs (Legit.ng, O3schools, Backtoschool) and is unofficial. ESUT has not published an aggregate formula, a catchment list or a post-screening departmental cut-off, so none appears here as fact. This page was checked on 29 October 2026 and will be updated if ESUT releases new figures.
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.
