The University of Ibadan (UI) has officially released the cut-off marks for the 2026 admission exercise. If you are an aspiring UI student, knowing these marks is crucial for determining your eligibility and planning your admission strategy.
UI is Nigeria’s premier university, and competition for admission is extremely high, making it essential to understand the merit, catchment, and ELDS cut-off categories.
What UI Cut-Off Marks Mean
Merit: This is the general cut-off mark applicable to all candidates nationwide. Meeting the merit cut-off makes you eligible for admission regardless of your state of origin.
Catchment:
UI gives preference to candidates from its designated catchment states in the Southwest geopolitical zone—Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, and Lagos. If you are from these states, you may gain admission with a slightly lower score than the merit cut-off. However, catchment advantage does not guarantee admission, especially for highly competitive courses like Medicine, Law, or Pharmacy.
ELDS (Educationally Less Developed States):
Candidates from ELDS, such as Zamfara, Gombe, and Ebonyi, may benefit from special consideration with lower cut-off marks to encourage inclusivity.
Official UI Cut-Off Marks by Faculty
Faculty of Agriculture:
Agric. Economics, Agric. Extension & Rural Development, Crop & Horticultural Sciences, Soil Resources Management, Animal Science, Crop Protection and Environmental Biology: Merit 50, Catchment 50, ELDS 50
Faculty of Arts:
Anthropology, Archaeology, Classical Studies, European Studies (French, German, Russian), History, Islamic Studies, Linguistics-Igbo/Yoruba, Music, Philosophy, Religious Studies: Merit 50–58, Catchment 50–58, ELDS 50–52
Communication & Language Arts: Merit 61.875, Catchment 61.875, ELDS 58
English: Merit 57.125, Catchment 57.125, ELDS 55.25
Linguistics: Merit 58.125, Catchment 58.125, ELDS 51.625
Theatre Arts: Merit 55.75, Catchment 55.75, ELDS 53.125
College of Medicine:
Biochemistry: Merit 56.125, Catchment 56.125, ELDS 51
Dentistry: Merit 69.125, Catchment 69.125, ELDS 63.625
Environmental Health Science: Merit 52, Catchment 52, ELDS 52
Human Nutrition and Dietetics: Merit 57.125, Catchment 57.125, ELDS 53.125
Medical Laboratory Science: Merit 65, Catchment 65, ELDS 58.75
Medicine & Surgery: Merit 78.125, Catchment 78.125, ELDS 76.25
Nursing Science: Merit 71.875, Catchment 71.875, ELDS 63.375
Physiology: Merit 60.375, Catchment 60.375, ELDS 54.25
Physiotherapy: Merit 64.75, Catchment 64.75, ELDS 61.125
Faculty of Economics & Management Sciences:
Economics: Merit 58.5, Catchment 58.5, ELDS 52.375
Accounting: Merit 65.25, Catchment 65.25, ELDS 59.5
Banking & Finance: Merit 52, Catchment 52, ELDS 52
Marketing & Consumer Studies: Merit 51.75, Catchment 51.75, ELDS 51.75
Faculty of Education:
Education and English: Merit 57.75, Catchment 57.75, ELDS 52.375
Other Education Courses: Merit 50, Catchment 50, ELDS 50
Faculty of Environmental Design and Management:
Architecture: Merit 51, Catchment 51, ELDS 51
Estate Management, Urban & Regional Planning, Quantity Surveying: Merit 50, Catchment 50, ELDS 50
Faculty of Law:
Law: Merit 67.25, Catchment 67.25, ELDS 66.75
Faculty of Pharmacy:
Pharmacy: Merit 68, Catchment 68, ELDS 65.625
Faculty of Science:
Computer Science: Merit 71, Catchment 71, ELDS 60.875
Microbiology: Merit 52.75, Catchment 52.75, ELDS 52.125
Geology, Mathematics, Physics: Merit 51–52, Catchment 51–52, ELDS 51
Statistics, Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Anthropology, Archaeology: Merit 50, Catchment 50, ELDS 50
Faculty of Social Sciences:
Political Science: Merit 55.875, Catchment 55.875, ELDS 55.375
Psychology: Merit 53.75, Catchment 53.75, ELDS 53.75
Sociology, Geography: Merit 50–50.5, Catchment 50–50.5, ELDS 50–50.5
Faculty of Technology:
Civil Engineering: Merit 61.625, Catchment 61.625, ELDS 53.625
Electrical & Electronics Engineering: Merit 67, Catchment 67, ELDS 50.25
Mechanical Engineering: Merit 68, Catchment 68, ELDS 55.125
Petroleum Engineering: Merit 61.25, Catchment 61.25, ELDS 53.625
Automotive Engineering, Agricultural & Environmental Engineering, Industrial & Production Engineering, Wood Products Engineering, Food Technology: Merit 50–51, Catchment 50–51, ELDS 50–51
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine:
Veterinary Medicine: Merit 60, Catchment 60, ELDS 60
Success Tips for UI Admission Candidates
Understand the UI Cut-Off System: Know if you fall under Merit, Catchment, or ELDS to set realistic expectations.
Score High in JAMB and Post-UTME: Aim for high scores, especially for competitive courses like Medicine, Law, Pharmacy, and Engineering.
Prioritize Your Course Choice: Consider less competitive alternatives if your score is not competitive for your first-choice course.
Strengthen O’Level Results: Ensure strong grades in WAEC/NECO, particularly in core and relevant subjects.
Stay Updated: Regularly check official portals like the UI website or CutOffMark.NG for authentic information.
Leverage Catchment/ELDS Advantage: Candidates from designated states may gain slight scoring advantages.
Prepare Backup Options: Have alternate courses or universities ready. Consider Direct Entry routes if necessary.
Be Patient and Persistent: Admission may not happen on the first attempt. Keep preparing for future opportunities.
UI cut-off marks for 2025/2026 are now official. Meeting or exceeding your course’s merit, catchment, or ELDS score gives you a strong chance of admission. UI is highly competitive—aim higher than the published cut-off marks to ensure safety.
Stay updated on UI admissions, Post-UTME tips, and all official announcements to maximize your chances of securing a place.