The UNN cut off mark for Soil 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 Soil Science for 2026/2027 or 2025/2026, so a figure sold to you as “UNN’s official Soil Science cut-off” did not come from the university.
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 you will see is 200. That was UNN’s minimum as reported from the JAMB 2026 policy meeting on 11 May 2026. UNN screened candidates from 160, but its declared benchmark was 200, and I would plan around 200. Below you will find the JAMB subject combination, UNN’s O’level and Direct Entry rules, how the 2026/2027 screening ran, an aggregate example, how small the Soil Science intake is, a target score, and what the department is changing about its name and programme.
UNN cut off mark for Soil 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 Soil 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 or Physics | UNN Faculty of Agriculture page |
| Degree and length | B.Agric (Soil Science), five years | UNN Soil Science department |
| Faculty and campus | Faculty of Agriculture, Nsukka | UNN |
| Screening window | 15 July to 5 August 2026 | Closed |
Two numbers get called “cut-off”. The general one (160 at UNN for 2026/2027) only qualifies you for screening. The departmental one is the lowest score UNN admits into Soil Science after ranking all applicants, and UNN does not publish it. Any target score I give further down is my advice, and I mark it as such.
A note on the department’s name
The department’s website says it is formally changing its name to the Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management and updating its programme to match. On UNN’s 2023/2024 admission list and in the faculty’s admission requirements it still appears as Soil Science. When you register, pick the course name exactly as JAMB shows it under UNN, and if both names appear, ask the faculty which one is current before you choose.
UNN Soil Science cut-off history
These are the only figures I could trace back to UNN or JAMB. None of them is specific to Soil 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 Soil Science estimate for UNN with a stated source or method, so I have not quoted one. Departmental cut-offs move with demand every year.
JAMB subject combination for Soil Science at UNN
UNN’s Faculty of Agriculture puts Soil Science under one set of entry rules shared with Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension, Animal Science and Crop 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 Soil 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 Soil Science, a credit in Physics or Geography as your fifth subject is a good choice. Soil physics, soil survey and land evaluation lean on both, and the department now teaches GIS and remote sensing.
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 “SOIL 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 Soil 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 Soil 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 Soil 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 | 200 |
| 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 | 200 × 0.6 = 120 |
| 40% of O’level | 290 × 0.4 = 116 |
| Aggregate (out of 400) | 120 + 116 = 236 |
That candidate reaches 236 out of 400 on the blog method. A C5 in Mathematics costs 8 aggregate points against a B3, about the same as 13 UTME marks. UNN has not said which four O’level subjects it counts for Soil Science, so read this as a way to see how grades shift your ranking, not a prediction of the cut-off.
Merit, catchment and ELDS for Soil 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.
Soil Science fills only a small number of places, so a couple of strong candidates from one state can change the picture for everyone else. A South-East candidate who misses merit can still be picked on catchment. UNN has not said how many places the department has for 2026/2027.
How competitive is Soil Science at UNN?
UNN does not publish applicant numbers per course, but its 2023/2024 primary admission list shows the size of the first-round intake. Soil Science had about 11 names out of roughly 207 in the Faculty of Agriculture, the same as Crop Science. Supplementary lists added more later, so treat that as a snapshot, not a quota.
| 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 |
Very few candidates pick Soil Science as their first course. Many are offered it after missing Microbiology, Biochemistry or one of the more popular agriculture courses. That makes it one of the more realistic science options at UNN if your score is in the low 200s, provided your O’level is clean.
What score should you aim for in Soil Science at UNN?
My advice (not a UNN figure): aim for 195 or more in the UTME, and 205 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 180 with good grades can still hope for catchment.
| Your UTME score | My reading for Soil Science at UNN |
|---|---|
| Below 160 | Not eligible for UNN screening |
| 160 to 179 | Eligible, but far below UNN’s declared 200 benchmark; plan a backup |
| 180 to 194 | Possible on catchment with good O’level grades |
| 195 to 214 | Competitive |
| 215 and above | Strong position |
I set this target a little lower than for Crop Science or Food Science because demand for Soil Science is usually thinner. It is still advice, not a UNN figure, and a candidate with weak grades should aim higher.
Step by step: from JAMB profile to resuming for Soil 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 Soil 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 Soil 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.
Soil Science is one of Nsukka’s older departments. Its own page says it was part of the Department of Plant and Soil Science from 1961 until the 1972/1973 session and became a full department in 1974. The degree was a B.Sc. (Plant/Soil Science) in 1973 and a B.Sc. (Soil Science) from 1974. When the faculty moved from four to five years in 1978, the award changed to the B.Agric (Soil Science), first given to the 1982 graduates.
How the five years are arranged
- Years one to three: common courses with all other Faculty of Agriculture students.
- Year four: a full year of practical farming, which the faculty calls the Farm Year.
- Year five: specialisation in Soil Science.
The department lists its teaching and research areas as pedology and soil genesis; soil survey, classification and land evaluation; soil physics, chemistry and mineralogy; soil biology and biochemistry; soil and water conservation; and soil fertility management. It also works on climate change, waste management and land management, using GIS, remote sensing and GPS. That last group is what the coming name change, Land Resources Management, reflects. Postgraduate options include a Postgraduate Diploma in Soil and Water, master’s degrees and a PhD.
Careers after Soil Science
Soil scientists work in fertiliser and agrochemical companies, soil testing laboratories, agricultural development programmes, river basin and irrigation authorities, research institutes, land survey and environmental consulting firms, mining and oil companies doing land reclamation, and government ministries of agriculture and environment. Graduates with GIS skills also move into mapping and land-use planning. The department’s own page frames its goal as producing graduates skilled in sustainable agricultural production and environmental quality control; the employer list above is the usual range for the field, not a UNN list.
Related UNN courses: UNN Crop Science, UNN Geology, UNN Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering and UNN Geography.
Common mistakes Soil Science applicants make
- No Chemistry credit: soil chemistry runs through the whole course, and the faculty requires the credit.
- Choosing UNN second: UNN screens first-choice candidates only.
- Late O’level upload: without your result on CAPS, UNN cannot process your admission.
- Treating 160 as the target: it only gets you into screening.
- Ignoring the name change: check whether JAMB lists Soil Science or Soil Science and Land Resources Management under UNN before you register.
UNN cut off mark for Soil Science: frequently asked questions
Is 190 enough for Soil Science in UNN? It clears the 160 screening minimum but sits below UNN’s declared 200 benchmark. It can work on the catchment list with strong O’level grades; 195 to 200 or more is safer.
How many years is Soil Science in UNN? Five years for UTME entrants. The faculty’s B.Agric runs three common years, a Farm Year and a final year of specialisation.
Is Soil Science in UNN a B.Sc. or B.Agric? B.Agric (Soil Science). The department awarded a B.Sc. until the five-year curriculum came in after 1978.
Can I use awaiting result for UNN Soil 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 comes from Myschool’s reprint of the JAMB brochure; the UNN O’level and Direct Entry rules come from the Faculty of Agriculture admission requirement page (agriculture.unn.edu.ng, last changed in 2016). The department’s history, degree changes, research areas and planned name change come from the Soil Science department homepage (soilscience.unn.edu.ng). Counts come 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.
