The UNN cut off mark for Political Science for 2026/2027 is 160 in the UTME to apply for screening. That is the figure in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s 2026/2027 screening notice of 13 July 2026, for candidates who picked UNN first. UNN has not published a departmental merit or catchment cut-off for Political Science for 2026/2027 or 2025/2026, so any “official” Political Science figure on a blog did not come from UNN.
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.
You will also see 200, UNN’s minimum as reported from the JAMB 2026 policy meeting on 11 May 2026. UNN accepted screening applications from 160, its declared benchmark at the policy meeting was 200, and Political Science, a popular course in the Faculty of Social Sciences, admits well above both. Below are the JAMB combination, UNN’s Government rule for O’level, Direct Entry, how screening worked this year, an aggregate example, merit and catchment, and my target score.
UNN cut off mark for Political 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 Political Science | Not published | No UNN list for 2025/2026 or 2026/2027 |
| UTME subjects | English, Government or History, plus two other Arts or Social Science subjects | UNN faculty page and JAMB brochure |
| O’level | Credits in English and Government (History not accepted in its place), at least a pass in Mathematics | UNN remark in JAMB brochure |
| Faculty and campus | Faculty of Social Sciences, Nsukka | UNN |
| Screening window | 15 July to 5 August 2026 | Closed |
The 160 is the general cut-off, the score that gets you into screening. The departmental cut-off is the lowest score UNN actually admitted into Political Science after ranking, and the university does not publish it. Any target I give later is my own advice.
UNN Political Science cut-off history
These are the only figures traceable to UNN or JAMB. None is a Political Science score.
| 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 |
A blog lists Political Science at UNN as about 230 to 245 for “2025/2026”. It describes its numbers as estimates from trends and does not say whether they are UTME scores or aggregates. That makes it an unofficial estimate, though it fits the course’s reputation as one of the more competitive in the faculty.
UTME and O’level requirements for Political Science at UNN
The UTME side is flexible. The O’level side has a UNN rule that trips people up: UNN wants a credit in Government itself and, according to its remark in the JAMB brochure, does not accept History in place of Government at O’level.
| Requirement | What you need for Political Science at UNN |
|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English, Government or History, plus two other Arts or Social Science subjects (Economics, Literature, CRS/IRS, Geography and similar) |
| O’level | Five credits including English Language and Government, with at least a pass in Mathematics; not more than two sittings |
| History in place of Government | Allowed in the UTME, not at O’level, per UNN’s brochure remark |
| Direct Entry (A’level) | Two A’level passes, one of them Government or History |
| Direct Entry (diploma) | UNN accepts a National Diploma in Public Administration at merit level, plus the UTME requirements |
| Minimum UTME to apply | 160, with UNN as first choice |
My suggestion for the UTME is English, Government, Economics and Literature or CRS. Government in the UTME lines up with your O’level credit, and Economics keeps Economics-related backups open if your score falls short. I could not open JAMB’s official IBASS brochure from here, so check your combination on your JAMB profile before registration.
Mathematics is only required at pass level here, which helps Arts students. Still, a credit keeps Economics, Public Administration and other courses open as alternatives, so I would not settle for a pass if you can avoid it.
UNN screening for 2027/2028: what Political 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 Political 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 Political 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 | 245 |
| O’level: English Language | B3 = 80 |
| O’level: Government | A1 = 100 |
| O’level: Mathematics | C5 = 60 |
| O’level: Economics | B3 = 80 |
| O’level total (out of 400) | 320 |
| 60% of UTME | 245 × 0.6 = 147 |
| 40% of O’level | 320 × 0.4 = 128 |
| Aggregate (out of 400) | 147 + 128 = 275 |
That candidate ends at 275 out of 400 on the blog method. The A1 in Government is doing a lot of the work: dropping it to C6 takes 20 points off the aggregate, roughly 33 UTME marks. UNN has not confirmed which four O’level subjects it counts or whether a Mathematics pass is ranked at all, so read this as an illustration.
Merit, catchment and ELDS for Political 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.
Political Science pulls applicants from across the country, so the merit list fills with high scorers. A candidate from a South-East state who misses merit can still be considered on the catchment list at a lower score, but UNN has not said how many places the department has for 2026/2027.
What score should you aim for in Political Science at UNN?
My advice (not a UNN figure): aim for 240 or more in the UTME for a real chance on merit, and 250 or more if your O’level grades are mostly C4 to C6. A South-East candidate in the 220s with a strong Government grade has a chance on the catchment list.
| Your UTME score | My reading for Political Science at UNN |
|---|---|
| Below 160 | Not eligible for UNN screening |
| 160 to 199 | Eligible, but below UNN’s declared 200 benchmark; have a backup |
| 200 to 229 | Possible on catchment with strong grades |
| 230 to 249 | Competitive |
| 250 and above | Strong position on merit |
If you are short of your target, UNN’s October 2025 advert list showed 140 unfilled places in Combined Social Sciences and 27 in History and International Relations. Those were vacancy counts for 2025/2026, not cut-offs, but they show where UNN struggled to fill places.
Step by step: from JAMB profile to resuming for Political 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 Political 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 Political Science at UNN
Political Science is a four-year B.Sc. in UNN’s Faculty of Social Sciences at Nsukka; Direct Entry students join at 200 level. Typical areas in a Nigerian Political Science degree are political theory, Nigerian government and politics, comparative politics, public administration, international relations, political economy and research methods, ending with a final-year project.
Graduates go into public service and the civil service, political offices and parties, the foreign service and international organisations, journalism and media, NGOs and civil society, research and policy think tanks, and law (many take a second degree). Some use the degree as a base for a master’s in international relations or public policy.
Related UNN courses: UNN Public Administration and Local Government, UNN History and International Relations, UNN Law and UNN Economics.
Common mistakes Political Science applicants make
- Relying on O’level History: UNN wants a credit in Government at O’level.
- Targeting 200: UNN’s declared benchmark is not the score that wins Political Science.
- Choosing UNN second: UNN screens first-choice candidates only.
- Two sittings with mismatched names: names on both results must match JAMB.
- Not checking CAPS: an offer you do not accept within four weeks can be lost.
UNN cut off mark for Political Science: frequently asked questions
Is 220 enough for Political Science in UNN? It clears the 160 screening minimum and UNN’s declared 200, so you can apply. On merit it is weak; it has a better chance on the catchment list with strong O’level grades.
Can I use History instead of Government for UNN Political Science? In the UTME, yes. At O’level, UNN’s remark in the JAMB brochure says it does not accept History in place of Government, so you need a Government credit.
Is Mathematics compulsory for Political Science in UNN? You need at least a pass in O’level Mathematics. A credit is not required, but it keeps more backup courses open.
Can I get Direct Entry into UNN Political Science with ND? Yes, UNN accepts a National Diploma in Public Administration at merit level, along with the UTME subject requirements.
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 Political Science UTME pattern comes from UNN’s Faculty of Social Sciences admission page and the JAMB brochure, and the UNN O’level and Direct Entry remarks (Government credit, History not accepted in lieu, ND Public Administration at merit) from Myschool’s reprint of the JAMB brochure; 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.
