Southern Atlantic University (SAU), Uyo has not published a cut-off mark for Criminology. The only official figure is 150, JAMB’s 2026 minimum UTME score for every Nigerian university, and SAU’s founder told The Mirror in August 2026 that candidates with JAMB scores above 150 can apply. SAU is a new private university: it received its provisional licence from the Federal Executive Council on 3 March 2025 and took its pioneer students in 2025/2026. SAU named Criminology among its programmes in local press reports in September and October 2025. Criminology is one of the five programmes not named in SAU’s 2026 reports.
2027/2028 update: SAU 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.
Because SAU is so new, there is less public information about it than about older universities, and I have marked clearly what is official, what comes from news reports and what is my advice. Below you will find the subjects JAMB lists for Criminology, a safe target score, how SAU admits, the comparison with other Akwa Ibom universities and the checks I would make before paying.
SAU cut-off mark for Criminology at a glance
| Item | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| SAU cut-off for Criminology | Not published | No SAU notice found (checked 3 November 2026) |
| JAMB minimum for all universities (2026 UTME) | 150 | Official (JAMB policy meeting, 11 May 2026) |
| What SAU has said | JAMB scores above 150 can apply | Founder, quoted by The Mirror (23 August 2026) |
| Safe target score | 160 and above | My advice, not an SAU rule |
| UTME subjects | English, Mathematics, Economics plus one Social Science | JAMB brochure general line (Myschool reprint) |
| O’level | English, Mathematics, Economics plus two others | JAMB brochure general line |
| Degree | B.Sc. Criminology and Security Studies | The Mirror |
| Licence | Provisional, FEC approval of 3 March 2025 | NAN (3 March 2025) |
| NUC programme accreditation | None yet (new programme) | Not in NUC accreditation results to 2025 |
| Tuition | Not published; a 30% reduction was announced | The Mirror (23 August 2026) |
| 2026/2027 admission deadline | 30 November 2026 (private universities) | JAMB, via NAN (11 May 2026) |
What we know about Southern Atlantic University
- Licence: one of 11 private universities given provisional licences by the Federal Executive Council on 3 March 2025 (NAN).
- Location: Airport Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The Mirror gives the address as Km 50, Airport Road.
- People: the founder and Chancellor is Pastor Bassey James and the Pro-Chancellor is Senator Ita Enang. The Mirror has reported Prof. Ephraim Edem as Vice-Chancellor.
- First students: SAU admitted its pioneer set in 2025/2026, was on the JAMB portal by October 2025 and scheduled its first matriculation for 11 April 2026.
- Programmes: 15 B.Sc. programmes, according to The Mirror (March and August 2026). Agriculture and other service courses are described as planned.
- Not the polytechnic: Southern Atlantic Polytechnic in Uyo is a separate institution. I found no evidence that it became SAU.
Where Criminology appears in SAU’s announcements
| Report | Is Criminology named? |
|---|---|
| The Mirror, 4 September 2025 (admission opens) | Yes |
| The Mirror, 11 October 2025 (SAU on the JAMB portal) | Yes |
| The Mirror, 11 March 2026 (15 programmes) | Not among the 10 named |
| The Mirror, 23 August 2026 (15 programmes) | Not among the 10 named |
Criminology was named in both 2025 reports. The 2026 reports list only 10 of the 15 programmes by name and Criminology is not among them, though the total of 15 matches the 2025 list plus Public Administration. That suggests it is still offered, but you should confirm it on JAMB before you register.
I could not find an official SAU website, a published admission notice or a JAMB brochure listing for SAU. All of the programme information above comes from The Mirror, a newspaper based in Uyo. That is why the most important step for any SAU applicant is to check that the course shows for SAU on JAMB CAPS or the JAMB e-brochure.
SAU Criminology cut-off: what has been published
| Session | Figure | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | Not published | SAU’s own cut-off for Criminology | No SAU notice found |
| 2026/2027 | 150 | JAMB’s minimum UTME score for every university | JAMB 2026 policy meeting (NAN, 11 May 2026) |
| 2026/2027 | Above 150 | What SAU’s founder said about who can apply | The Mirror, 23 August 2026 |
| 2025/2026 (pioneer year) | Not published | No departmental figure in any report | The Mirror, September and October 2025 |
So treat 150 as the floor and nothing more. SAU is filling its first classes, so it is unlikely to set a high bar in its early years, but no figure has been published and I would not rely on scores in the low 150s.
Safe target score for Criminology at SAU (my advice)
This is my judgement as an admissions adviser for a new private university with small classes. It is not an SAU rule.
| Your UTME score | My read for Criminology at SAU |
|---|---|
| Below 150 | Not eligible for any university course this session |
| 150 to 159 | Eligible and reasonable with clean O’level grades |
| 160 to 189 | Good. This is the range I would aim for |
| 190 and above | Strong; also gives you a real chance at UNIUYO or AKSU |
For the 2027 UTME I would aim for at least 160. Demand is moderate, and the bigger risk at SAU is confirming the course still runs.
UTME subject combination and O’level for Criminology at SAU
| Requirement | Criminology and Security Studies (Social and Management Sciences line) |
|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English, Economics, Mathematics and one of Government, History, Geography, Literature in English, French or CRS/IRS (Social and Management Sciences line) |
| O’level | Five credits including English Language, Mathematics and Economics, plus two Arts or Social Science subjects |
| Direct Entry | Two A-level passes in Economics and one other listed subject |
| SAU-specific remark | None found. SAU does not appear in the brochure remarks Myschool reprints |
| Sittings | Not stated by SAU; most universities accept two |
Myschool carries three Criminology pages (under Social Sciences, Law and Arts) with different lines. The Social Sciences line, which most Nigerian universities use for this degree, needs Economics and Mathematics plus one Arts or Social Science subject. SAU has not named its faculty, so check your combination when you confirm the course on JAMB.
Government is the natural fourth subject. At O’level, Economics and Mathematics credits are the ones most often missing.
How admission into SAU works
From what SAU has told the press, admission runs through JAMB: you apply on the JAMB portal at an accredited CBT centre, and candidates who chose another school can change their institution to SAU at a CBT centre. SAU has not published a Post-UTME test, a screening fee, a form price or dates for 2026/2027.
| Detail | SAU 2026/2027 |
|---|---|
| Route | JAMB portal and accredited CBT centres |
| Change of institution | Allowed at any accredited CBT centre (The Mirror, 23 August 2026) |
| Who can apply | JAMB scores above 150, as reported |
| Screening or Post-UTME | Not published |
| Tuition | Not published; 30% reduction announced in August 2026 |
| Payment plan | “Pay What You Have” flexible plan, as reported; terms not published |
Worked example (illustrative)
With no published formula, the useful sum is the gap between your score, the 150 floor and my safe target of 160. These candidates are made up.
Take Akaninyene, who scored 167 and has C4 in English, C5 in Mathematics, B3 in Economics, B2 in Government and C6 in CRS from one sitting.
- Eligibility: 167 minus 150 = 17. Akaninyene clears the JAMB floor by 17 marks.
- Against my safe target: 167 minus 160 = 7. Akaninyene sits 7 marks above the score I would call safe.
- O’level check: all required credits.
- What I would advise: confirm Criminology is listed for SAU on CAPS before anything else.
Edidiong scored 158. 158 minus 150 = 8, so the score itself is enough to be considered. She has the right subjects. She is eligible, but because Criminology is not in SAU’s 2026 reports, she should confirm it on JAMB and keep Topfaith’s Criminology as a backup.
Your chances of getting Criminology at SAU
A university in its second admission year usually has more places than applicants in most courses, and SAU is advertising fee cuts and a flexible payment plan to attract students. If you clear 150 with the right subjects and clean O’level grades, your chances of an offer are good. The two risks to check are whether the course is on JAMB’s list for SAU and how new the programme is.
If the course is listed for SAU on JAMB and your subjects fit, your chances are good. The main uncertainty is whether it is running in 2026/2027.
The same course at other Akwa Ibom universities
| University | Type | 2026/2027 minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Topfaith University, Mkpatak | Private | No published figure; JAMB floor of 150 applies. Full NUC accreditation to 2028 |
JAMB set 31 October 2026 as the 2026/2027 deadline for public universities; that date has now passed. Private universities, SAU included, have until 30 November 2026.
How to apply for Criminology at SAU, step by step
- Get your JAMB profile code: send NIN, a space and your 11-digit NIN to 55019 or 66019 from the line linked to your NIN.
- Check the course is listed for SAU: at a CBT centre or on your JAMB profile, confirm that Criminology and Security Studies appears under Southern Atlantic University. If it does not, JAMB cannot process the admission.
- Register or change your choice: pick Criminology and Security Studies with English, Economics, Mathematics and Government and make SAU your first choice, or do a JAMB change of institution to SAU.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: at an accredited CBT centre. Check that English, Mathematics, Economics and Government all show.
- Contact SAU: SAU has no published portal, so get admission instructions from the university itself at its Uyo campus. Do not use phone numbers posted on forums.
- Accept on CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, choose Check Admission Status and accept. Our JAMB CAPS guide explains each status.
- Get the fees in writing before paying: ask for the tuition, acceptance fee and the terms of any reduction or payment plan on an official SAU document, then pay only to an account in SAU’s name.
Confirm on CAPS first
SAU’s course list comes from local news reports, not an official notice. Before you pay anything, make sure Criminology and Security Studies at Southern Atlantic University shows on your JAMB CAPS profile. Every genuine university admission in Nigeria appears on CAPS.
Studying Criminology at SAU
SAU has not named its faculties. Criminology and Security Studies is a B.Sc., normally four years for UTME entrants in Nigeria.
Approval and accreditation
SAU holds a provisional licence, the first stage for a new private university in Nigeria, granted by the Federal Executive Council on 3 March 2025. SAU’s founder has said the university has the approvals it needs, but I did not see an NUC letter approving individual programmes. Programme accreditation is a later step: the NUC inspects a programme after it has run for some years, and the NUC’s Accreditation Results 1990 to 2025 has no SAU entries. Programme accreditation: none yet.
What you study
- Foundation: introduction to criminology, sociology, psychology and the Nigerian legal system.
- Core: theories of crime, criminal justice, policing, penology and victimology.
- Security: security studies, intelligence, cybercrime and terrorism.
- Final year: research methods and a project.
Careers
Graduates work in the police, Civil Defence, correctional service, immigration, private security, corporate risk departments and NGOs. Uniformed services recruit under their own rules.
Related SAU courses
- SAU Political Science cut-off mark
- SAU International Relations and Diplomacy cut-off mark
- SAU Public Administration cut-off mark
If you need to switch, use JAMB change of course.
Mistakes to avoid when applying to SAU
- No Economics or Mathematics in the UTME: the Social Sciences line includes both.
- Assuming the course is still running: it is missing from SAU’s 2026 reports.
- Paying before CAPS: an offer that is not on CAPS is not an admission.
- Mixing up SAU and Southern Atlantic Polytechnic: they are different schools.
SAU Criminology cut-off mark: frequently asked questions
What is the cut-off mark for Criminology at SAU Uyo? SAU has not published one. JAMB’s floor is 150 and I would aim for 160.
Does Southern Atlantic University still offer Criminology? It was named in SAU’s 2025 reports but not among the 10 programmes named in 2026. Confirm on JAMB CAPS.
What subjects do I need for Criminology and Security Studies? Under JAMB’s Social Sciences line: English, Economics, Mathematics and one Arts or Social Science subject such as Government.
Is SAU Criminology accredited? Not yet. It is a new programme at a new university, and the NUC accredits programmes only after they have run for some years.
Sources and updates
SAU’s provisional licence comes from the News Agency of Nigeria (3 March 2025). The programme list, the JAMB route, the address, the people named and the matriculation date come from The Mirror’s reports of 4 September 2025, 11 October 2025, 11 March 2026 and 23 August 2026; the August 2026 report is the source for the 30% tuition reduction, the payment plan and the threshold of scores above 150. Subject requirements come from Myschool’s reprint of JAMB’s brochure page for Criminology and Security Studies, which has no SAU remark. The national minimum of 150 and the 30 November 2026 deadline for private universities come from the News Agency of Nigeria (11 May 2026). The NUC position comes from the NUC’s Accreditation Results 1990 to 2025. Comparison figures for other Akwa Ibom universities come from their own 2026/2027 notices or reprints. The safe target score and the worked example are my advice. Checked on 3 November 2026; this page will be updated when SAU publishes an official notice.
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.
