Southern Atlantic University (SAU), Uyo has not published a cut-off mark for Public Administration. 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 Public Administration among its programmes in local press reports in March and August 2026. Public Administration is the newest of its 15 programmes.
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 Public Administration, 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 Public Administration at a glance
| Item | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| SAU cut-off for Public Administration | 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, Government, Economics plus one other | JAMB brochure general line (Myschool reprint) |
| O’level | English, Economics, Government plus two others | JAMB brochure general line |
| Degree | B.Sc. Public Administration | 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 Public Administration appears in SAU’s announcements
| Report | Is Public Administration named? |
|---|---|
| The Mirror, 4 September 2025 (admission opens) | No |
| The Mirror, 11 October 2025 (SAU on the JAMB portal) | No |
| The Mirror, 11 March 2026 (15 programmes) | Yes |
| The Mirror, 23 August 2026 (15 programmes) | Yes |
Public Administration is the programme that turned the 2025 count of 14 into the 15 SAU now describes. It first appears by name in the March 2026 report, so it may have started after the pioneer set. Confirm that it shows for SAU 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 Public Administration cut-off: what has been published
| Session | Figure | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | Not published | SAU’s own cut-off for Public Administration | 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 Public Administration 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 Public Administration 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; confirming that the course is listed for SAU matters more.
UTME subject combination and O’level for Public Administration at SAU
| Requirement | Public Administration (JAMB general line) |
|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English, Government, Economics and any other subject |
| O’level | Five credits including English Language, Economics and Government, plus two other relevant subjects |
| Direct Entry | Two A-level passes from Economics, Accounting, Business Management, Government, Geography or Statistics |
| SAU-specific remark | None found. SAU does not appear in the brochure remarks Myschool reprints |
| Sittings | Not stated by SAU; most universities accept two |
Government and Economics are both fixed in JAMB’s general line, and the fourth subject is open. Mathematics is a sensible pick because many universities (OAU, UNIZIK) want it through their own remarks.
At O’level you need credits in English, Economics and Government. JAMB’s general line does not name Mathematics, but I would still get a credit, since private universities often require it for all courses.
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 Nsemeke, who scored 166 and has C4 in English, B3 in Economics, B2 in Government, C5 in Mathematics and C6 in Literature from one sitting.
- Eligibility: 166 minus 150 = 16. Nsemeke clears the JAMB floor by 16 marks.
- Against my safe target: 166 minus 160 = 6. Nsemeke sits 6 marks above the score I would call safe.
- O’level check: English, Economics and Government credits, plus Mathematics.
- What I would advise: confirm Public Administration is listed for SAU on JAMB, then accept quickly.
Itoro scored 175. 175 minus 150 = 25, so the score itself is enough to be considered. He has the score but no Economics in the UTME. JAMB’s general line needs both Government and Economics, so he should check whether SAU accepts his combination before paying.
Your chances of getting Public Administration 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.
With 155 or more and the right subjects, your chances are good. Check the JAMB listing first, because this course first appears in SAU’s 2026 reports.
The same course at other Akwa Ibom universities
| University | Type | 2026/2027 minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU) | State | 150 (reprint of AKSU 2026/2027 notice) |
| Obong University, Obong Ntak | Private | No published figure; JAMB floor of 150 applies |
| University of Uyo (UNIUYO) | Federal | 150, with UNIUYO as first choice (UNIUYO 2026/2027 notice). UNIUYO combines Political Science and Public Administration |
| Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene | Private | No published figure; JAMB floor of 150 applies. Combined with Political Science |
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 Public Administration 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 Public Administration appears under Southern Atlantic University. If it does not, JAMB cannot process the admission.
- Register or change your choice: pick Public Administration with English, Government, Economics and Mathematics or Literature 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, Economics, Government and Mathematics 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 Public Administration at Southern Atlantic University shows on your JAMB CAPS profile. Every genuine university admission in Nigeria appears on CAPS.
Studying Public Administration at SAU
SAU has not named its faculties. Public Administration 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 public administration, Nigerian government and economics.
- Core: public personnel management, public finance, administrative law and local government administration.
- Policy: public policy analysis, development administration and comparative public administration.
- Final year: research methods and a project.
Careers
Graduates work in the federal, state and local civil service, parastatals, NGOs, international agencies and corporate administration.
Related SAU courses
- SAU Political Science cut-off mark
- SAU International Relations and Diplomacy cut-off mark
- SAU Business Administration cut-off mark
If your course choice needs fixing, read JAMB change of course.
Mistakes to avoid when applying to SAU
- Missing Economics or Government: both are in JAMB’s line.
- Not checking the JAMB listing: this course is SAU’s newest.
- 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 Public Administration cut-off mark: frequently asked questions
What is the cut-off mark for Public Administration at SAU? SAU has not published one. JAMB’s floor is 150 and I would aim for 160.
When did SAU start Public Administration? It first appears by name in The Mirror’s March 2026 report, which raised SAU’s count to 15 programmes. SAU has not given a start date.
What subjects are required for Public Administration? JAMB’s general line is English, Government, Economics and any other subject, with O’level credits in English, Economics and Government.
Is Mathematics required for Public Administration? Not in JAMB’s general line, but some universities require it and I would get a credit.
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 Public Administration, 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.
