University of Ibadan (UI) Cut Off Mark for All Course

The University of Ibadan (UI) is Nigeria’s oldest and one of its most prestigious universities, which means admission is highly competitive. For prospective students, understanding exactly how UI’s cut off mark system works — and what score is needed for each specific course — is essential for planning a realistic admission strategy.

About the University of Ibadan

Founded in 1948, the University of Ibadan is Nigeria’s oldest university and is located in Ibadan, Oyo State. It has built a strong reputation for academic excellence and research, particularly in medicine, engineering, and the arts, and is widely regarded as one of the best universities in Africa. UI alumni have gone on to achieve significant success across various fields, both within Nigeria and internationally.

How UI’s Cut Off Mark System Works

Unlike many universities that publish a single JAMB score as their departmental cut off mark, UI uses an aggregate score system. This aggregate is calculated using a formula that combines a candidate’s JAMB UTME score with their Post-UTME screening performance:

Aggregate Score = (JAMB Score ÷ 8) + (Post-UTME Score ÷ 2)

This means the published cut off marks for each department are not raw UTME scores but calculated aggregate percentages, typically in the range of 50 to roughly 78, depending on the competitiveness of the course.

UI also splits its cut off marks into three categories:

• Merit — the general cut off mark applicable to all candidates nationwide, regardless of state of origin.
• Catchment — a slightly more favorable cut off given to candidates from UI’s designated catchment states in the Southwest geopolitical zone (Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, and Lagos).
• ELDS (Educationally Less Developed States) — a cut off mark, often lower, extended to candidates from states officially classified as educationally less developed, as a form of affirmative access.

Importantly, meeting your department’s cut off mark does not automatically guarantee admission — it only makes you eligible for further consideration based on available slots and overall competition that admission year. Also note that UI only accepts first-choice candidates, so listing UI as anything other than your first choice on your JAMB form disqualifies you from consideration.

UI Departmental Cut Off Marks (Aggregate Scores)

Below is the officially released cut off mark breakdown by faculty and department, showing Merit, Catchment, and ELDS aggregate scores.

Faculty of Agriculture

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Agric. Economics	50.375	50.375	50.375
Agric. Extension and Rural Development	50	50	50
Crop and Horticultural Sciences	50	50	50
Soil Resources Management	50	50	50
Animal Science	50	50	50
Crop Protection and Environmental Biology	50	50	50

Faculty of Arts

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Anthropology	50	50	50
Arabic Language and Literature	56.5	56.5	56.5
Archaeology	50	50	50
Classical Studies	50	50	50
Communication and Language Arts	61.875	61.875	58
European Studies – French	50	50	50
European Studies – German	50	50	50
European Studies – Russian	50	50	50
English	57.125	57.125	55.25
History	50	50	50
Islamic Studies	50	50	50
Linguistics	58.125	58.125	51.625
Linguistics – Igbo	50	50	50
Linguistics – Yoruba	50	50	50
Music	50	50	50
Philosophy	50	50	50
Religious Studies	50	50	50
Theatre Arts	55.75	55.75	53.125

College of Medicine

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Biochemistry	56.125	56.125	51
Dentistry	69.125	69.125	63.625
Environmental Health Science	52	52	52
Human Nutrition and Dietetics	57.125	57.125	53.125
Medical Laboratory Science	65	65	58.75
Medicine and Surgery	78.125	78.125	76.25
Nursing Science	71.875	71.875	63.375
Physiology	60.375	60.375	54.25
Physiotherapy	64.75	64.75	61.125

Faculty of Economics & Management Sciences

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Economics	58.5	58.5	52.375
Accounting	65.25	65.25	59.5
Banking and Finance	52	52	52
Marketing and Consumer Studies	51.75	51.75	51.75

Faculty of Education

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Adult Education	50	50	50
Business Education	50	50	50
Early Childhood Education	50	50	50
Education and Arabic Studies	50	50	50
Education and Biology	50	50	50
Education and Chemistry	50	50	50
Education and Christian Religious Studies	50	50	50
Education and Communication and Language Arts	50	50	50
Education and Economics	50	50	50
Education and English	57.75	57.75	52.375
Education and French	50	50	50
Education and Geography	50	50	50
Education and History	50	50	50
Education and Islamic Studies	50	50	50
Education and Mathematics	50	50	50
Education and Physics	50	50	50
Education and Political Science	50	50	50
Education and Yoruba	50	50	50
Educational Management	50	50	50
Guidance and Counselling	50	50	50
Health Education	50	50	50
Human Kinetics	50	50	50
Library, Archival and Information Studies	50	50	50
Special Education	50	50	50

Faculty of Environmental Design & Management

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Architecture	51	51	51
Estate Management	50	50	50
Urban and Regional Planning	50	50	50
Quantity Surveying	50	50	50

Faculty of Law

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Law	67.25	67.25	66.75

Faculty of Pharmacy

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Pharmacy	68	68	65.625

Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Aquaculture and Fisheries Management	50	50	50
Forest Resources Management	50	50	50
Wildlife & Ecotourism Management	50	50	50
Social and Environmental Forestry	50	50	50

Faculty of Science

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Anthropology	50	50	50
Archaeology	50	50	50
Botany	50	50	50
Chemistry	50	50	50
Computer Science	71	71	60.875
Geography	50	50	50
Geology	51	51	51
Industrial Chemistry	50	50	50
Mathematics	52	52	52
Microbiology	52.75	52.75	52.125
Physics	51	51	51
Statistics	50	50	50
Zoology	50	50	50

Faculty of Social Sciences

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Geography	50	50	50
Political Science	55.875	55.875	55.375
Psychology	53.75	53.75	53.75
Sociology	50.5	50.5	50.5

Faculty of Technology

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Agricultural and Environmental Engineering	50	50	50
Civil Engineering	61.625	61.625	53.625
Electrical and Electronics Engineering	67	67	50.25
Food Technology	51	51	51
Industrial and Production Engineering	50.25	50.25	50.25
Mechanical Engineering	68	68	55.125
Petroleum Engineering	61.25	61.25	53.625
Wood Products Engineering	50	50	50
Automotive Engineering	54.125	54.125	54.125

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Programme	Merit	Catchment	ELDS
Veterinary Medicine	60	60	60

Source: Official University of Ibadan cut-off mark release for the 2024/2025 admission exercise. Figures for the current admission cycle may be adjusted; always confirm with UI’s official admissions channels.

The Most Competitive Programmes at UI

Looking at the figures above, a few programmes consistently stand out as the toughest to gain admission into:

• Medicine and Surgery — the highest cut off at UI, requiring an aggregate score of 78.125, reflecting how fiercely contested this programme is.
• Dentistry — close behind at 69.125.
• Mechanical Engineering and Pharmacy — both requiring a score around 68.
• Nursing Science — requiring 71.875.
• Computer Science — one of the most competitive Science courses, at 71.
• Law — at 67.25, among the highest outside the College of Medicine.

By contrast, many programmes across Agriculture, Education, Renewable Natural Resources, and parts of Science and Arts have their cut off pegged at the baseline of 50, making them comparatively more accessible.

General Requirements for UI Admission

Beyond meeting your department’s cut off mark, candidates seeking admission into the University of Ibadan must also:

• Have at least five O’Level credit passes, including English Language and Mathematics, in subjects relevant to their chosen course.
• Sit for and pass the UI Post-UTME screening exercise — this is compulsory regardless of how high a candidate’s JAMB score is.
• Select UI as their first choice institution during JAMB registration, since the university does not consider second-choice candidates.
• Meet the correct UTME subject combination as prescribed for their intended course.

Tips for Improving Your Chances

1. Understand the aggregate formula, not just your JAMB score. Since UI blends JAMB and Post-UTME performance, a strong Post-UTME result can meaningfully boost your final standing even with an average JAMB score.
2. Aim well above the published cut off, especially for competitive courses. Programmes like Medicine, Dentistry, and Computer Science attract far more qualified applicants than available slots, so exceeding the minimum by a good margin improves your odds.
3. Consider catchment or ELDS status if applicable. Candidates from UI’s catchment states or ELDS-classified states may benefit from a lower cut off threshold for certain departments.
4. Have a backup course in mind. If you fall short of your first department’s cut off, UI may reassign you to another course with a lower threshold, so it helps to know which alternatives you’d accept in advance.
5. Don’t skip Post-UTME preparation. Because it’s a compulsory and heavily weighted part of the aggregate score, treating it as seriously as the UTME itself is essential.

Final Thoughts

The University of Ibadan’s cut off mark system is more nuanced than a single number — it depends on your specific department, your candidate category (merit, catchment, or ELDS), and a combined aggregate score built from both your JAMB and Post-UTME performance. Programmes in the College of Medicine, Computer Science, Law, and Engineering sit at the top of the competitiveness scale, while many others remain accessible at the baseline aggregate score. Because UI reviews and republishes its cut off marks each admission cycle, prospective applicants should always confirm the current session’s official figures through UI’s admissions office or official website before finalizing their course choices.

This article is based on the officially released 2024/2025 UI undergraduate admission cut-off marks. Cut off marks are subject to change each academic session; please confirm current figures with the University of Ibadan’s official admissions channels at admissions.ui.edu.ng.