The UNN cut off mark for Animal Science for 2026/2027 is 160 in the UTME to apply for screening, with UNN as your first choice. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka set that minimum in its screening notice of 13 July 2026. UNN has not published a departmental merit or catchment cut-off for Animal Science for 2026/2027 or 2025/2026, so treat any “official departmental cut-off” you find online with suspicion.
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.
The second number is 200, UNN’s minimum as reported from the JAMB 2026 policy meeting on 11 May 2026. Screening opened from 160, but the declared benchmark was 200, and that is the figure I would plan around. This guide walks through the entry requirements, screening, an aggregate example, admission odds, the score I would aim for, the admission steps from profile code to acceptance, and how Animal Science differs from Veterinary Medicine.
UNN cut off mark for Animal 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 Animal 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 | UNN faculty page and JAMB brochure |
| Degree and length | B.Agric, five years | UNN Faculty of Agriculture |
| Faculty and campus | Faculty of Agriculture, Nsukka | UNN |
| Screening window | 15 July to 5 August 2026 | Closed |
Animal Science or Veterinary Medicine?
Many candidates confuse the two. Animal Science is a B.Agric course in the Faculty of Agriculture: it is about producing livestock well (feeding, breeding, housing and managing animals as a business). Veterinary Medicine is a separate, longer professional degree in UNN’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, about diagnosing and treating animal disease, and it is far more competitive. If you want to be a vet, apply for Veterinary Medicine; if you want to run or manage livestock production, Animal Science is the course. See our UNN Veterinary Medicine cut-off guide for that route.
UNN Animal Science cut-off history
Only these figures trace back to UNN or JAMB, and none is specific to Animal 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 sourced estimate for Animal Science at UNN. Departmental cut-offs move every year, so I would not lean on any single past figure.
JAMB subject combination for Animal Science at UNN
UNN’s Faculty of Agriculture puts Animal Science under one set of entry rules shared with Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension, Animal Science, Crop 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 Animal 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. For Animal Science, Biology is the subject you will use most (animal physiology, nutrition and genetics), so a strong Biology credit is worth more here than in the other agriculture options. Having both Biology and Agricultural Science credits is ideal.
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 “ANIMAL 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.
UNN screening for 2027/2028: what Animal 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 Animal 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 Animal 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 | 215 |
| O’level: English Language | C4 = 70 |
| O’level: Mathematics | C5 = 60 |
| O’level: Chemistry | B3 = 80 |
| O’level: Biology | B3 = 80 |
| O’level total (out of 400) | 290 |
| 60% of UTME | 215 × 0.6 = 129 |
| 40% of O’level | 290 × 0.4 = 116 |
| Aggregate (out of 400) | 129 + 116 = 245 |
That candidate reaches 245 out of 400 on the blog method. Raising Mathematics from C5 to B3 would add 8 aggregate points, about the same as 13 UTME marks. UNN has not confirmed its formula or the subjects it counts, so use this to judge your position, not to predict a cut-off.
Merit, catchment and ELDS for Animal 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.
Animal Science is a mid-sized department in the faculty, so both merit and catchment lists should have a reasonable number of places. UNN has not said how many places it has for 2026/2027.
How competitive is Animal Science at UNN?
UNN does not publish applicant numbers per course, but its 2023/2024 primary admission list shows the relative size of each department. Animal Science had about 31 names on that list, the third largest group in the Faculty of Agriculture after Nutrition and Dietetics and Food Science and Technology. Supplementary lists added more names later, so treat these numbers as a snapshot of the first round.
| 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 |
Candidates who miss Veterinary Medicine often look at Animal Science next, so its competition can be stronger than the faculty average. A score just above 200 with good Biology and Chemistry grades is a fair position; a score in the 160s and 170s is not.
What score should you aim for in Animal Science at UNN?
My advice (not a UNN figure): aim for 205 or more in the UTME, and 215 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 190 with good grades can still hope for catchment.
| Your UTME score | My reading for Animal Science at UNN |
|---|---|
| Below 160 | Not eligible for UNN screening |
| 160 to 189 | Eligible, but well below UNN’s declared 200 benchmark; plan a backup |
| 190 to 204 | Possible on catchment with good grades |
| 205 to 219 | Competitive |
| 220 and above | Strong position |
Step by step: from JAMB profile to resuming for Animal 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 Animal 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 Animal 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 faculty describes its Agriculture degree as a five-year programme. Students cover five core areas together (Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension, Animal Science, Crop Science and Soil Science), spend the whole of the fourth year in the field on what the faculty calls the Farm Year, and specialise in one area in the fifth year. The degree awarded is the B.Agric. UNN’s 2023/2024 primary admission list, however, placed candidates under separate department headings. Put together, that suggests you are admitted into a named department and still go through the shared core before your final-year specialisation. Ask the department to confirm the current structure when you resume, because the faculty pages are several years old.
Animal Science is one of the faculty’s original departments. The faculty’s history page lists it among the departments at inception in 1960, together with Agricultural Economics, Plant and Soil Science and Home Economics.
Animal Science programmes in Nigeria usually cover animal nutrition and feed formulation, animal breeding and genetics, animal physiology, poultry, pig, ruminant and fish production, meat and milk science, animal health basics and livestock farm management. You will spend real time with animals on the university farm, and the Farm Year gives you a full year of practical work. UNN’s pages did not list the current course outline, so take this as the usual shape of the course.
Graduates work in poultry and livestock farms, feed mills, hatcheries and meat or dairy processing, with state Agricultural Development Programmes and ministries, in research institutes such as livestock research centres, in banks that lend to agribusiness, in teaching, and on their own farms. Many Animal Science graduates end up running their own poultry or fish business.
Related UNN courses: UNN Veterinary Medicine, UNN Agricultural Economics, UNN Crop Science and UNN Zoology and Environmental Biology.
Common mistakes Animal Science applicants make
- Mixing it up with Veterinary Medicine: they are different degrees in different faculties.
- A pass in Chemistry or Mathematics: both need to be credits.
- Choosing UNN second: UNN screens first-choice candidates only.
- Not uploading O’level to CAPS: without it, CAPS cannot process your admission.
- Expecting a desk course: the fourth-year Farm Year is spent in the field.
UNN cut off mark for Animal Science: frequently asked questions
Is 200 enough for Animal Science in UNN? It meets UNN’s declared 200 benchmark and gives you a chance, especially on the catchment list with good grades. For a safer position, aim for 205 or more.
Is Animal Science the same as Veterinary Medicine in UNN? No. Animal Science is a five-year B.Agric in the Faculty of Agriculture; Veterinary Medicine is a separate professional degree in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
Can I study Animal Science in UNN without Agricultural Science? Yes. The UTME and O’level rules accept Biology or Agricultural Science, so Biology alone is enough, though having both is better.
Can I use awaiting result for UNN Animal 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 and general O’level and Direct Entry rules come from Myschool’s reprint of the JAMB brochure, which lists UNN among the universities offering Agriculture with options; UNN’s own rules come from the Faculty of Agriculture admission requirement page (agriculture.unn.edu.ng, last changed in 2016). The five-year B.Agric, Farm Year and the 1960 founding departments come from the faculty history page; counts 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.
