Kogi State University (KSU) is a state-owned university located in Anyigba, Kogi State. Founded in 1999, it admits candidates through the JAMB UTME and a post-UTME screening, with separate fee bands for indigenes and non-indigenes.
KSU's general cut-off mark for 2026/2027 is 160, with course-specific cut-offs ranging from 203 (Agricultural Science) to 269 (Medicine and Surgery). Located in Anyigba, Kogi, Kogi State University is a state university with 9 faculties and was founded in 1999.
What changed in the 2026 cycle
Across the 19 programmes KSU runs in our guide, the 2026 average cut-off settled at 225.8, a touch higher than 2025.
The institution's most competitive programmes are Medicine and Surgery (269), Law (252) and Nursing Science (251). Medicine and Surgery sits at the ceiling for KSU, with candidates scoring below 269 effectively shut out of that programme. On the other end, Agricultural Science (203), Physics (207) and Chemistry (207) offer the most accessible entry points at the institution.
Year-on-year, the institution's overall average ticked up 4.8 points, consistent with the national pattern of rising cut-offs at top federal universities.
2026 cut off marks at KSU
| Course | Category | 2026 UTME | 2025 UTME | Change | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | Management | 225 | 220 | +5 | 70.1 |
| Agricultural Science | Sciences | 203 | 196 | +7 | 67.4 |
| Biochemistry | Sciences | 218 | 213 | +5 | 69.3 |
| Chemistry | Sciences | 207 | 204 | +3 | 67.9 |
| Civil Engineering | Engineering | 232 | 228 | +4 | 71.0 |
| Computer Science | Sciences | 223 | 218 | +5 | 69.9 |
| Economics | Social Sciences | 232 | 228 | +4 | 71.0 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | Engineering | 236 | 232 | +4 | 71.5 |
| English Language | Arts | 218 | 211 | +7 | 69.3 |
| Law | Law | 252 | 249 | +3 | 73.5 |
| Mass Communication | Arts | 230 | 225 | +5 | 70.8 |
| Mathematics | Sciences | 211 | 206 | +5 | 68.4 |
| Medicine and Surgery | Medical and Health | 269 | 266 | +3 | 75.6 |
| Microbiology | Sciences | 220 | 214 | +6 | 69.5 |
| Nursing Science | Medical and Health | 251 | 247 | +4 | 73.4 |
| Physics | Sciences | 207 | 201 | +6 | 67.9 |
| Political Science | Social Sciences | 224 | 218 | +6 | 70.0 |
| Public Administration | Social Sciences | 219 | 213 | +6 | 69.4 |
| Statistics | Sciences | 213 | 210 | +3 | 68.6 |
Faculties and academic structure
The academic structure at KSU is split into 9 faculties and colleges, giving the institution a broad set of faculties covering most major disciplines.
Applications flow through individual departments inside each faculty. Each department sets its course-specific cut-off and screens its post-UTME pool, even when faculties share infrastructure.
The College of Medicine is the largest single unit by infrastructure footprint at most Nigerian universities that run it, with its own clinical postings, teaching hospital affiliation and admission requirements that sit above the institutional norm.
How admission works at KSU
UTME requirements. Candidates must clear the JAMB national minimum of 150 and the KSU institutional cut-off of 160 to be considered for any programme. Each course then sets its own threshold above the general cut-off, with competitive programmes such as Medicine and Surgery demanding 269 or higher. Candidates must also sit the correct UTME subject combination for their chosen course; a mismatch leads to disqualification regardless of how strong the score is.
Post-UTME screening. Candidates who clear the cut-off marks proceed to the institution's post-UTME, which combines a written screening test with documents verification. The screening result is folded into an aggregate score along with the UTME and O'level grades. Registration opens through the official portal once JAMB UTME results are released.
The CAPS process. Once aggregates are calculated, KSU uploads admission recommendations to the JAMB Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). Candidates check their CAPS profile to find offers, accept or reject within the deadline and proceed to acceptance fee payment. Admission lists usually drop in waves rather than all at once, so the absence of an offer on the first list does not end your chances.
Acceptance and admission fees. After accepting on CAPS, the candidate has approximately four weeks to settle the acceptance fee through the KSU portal. Missing this deadline forfeits the place. Acceptance and full session fees are billed separately, and state institutions like KSU have distinct fee structures that you should confirm on the official portal.
Matriculation and resumption. Fresh intakes at KSU typically resume between late September and mid-October for the academic session, with matriculation ceremonies held a few weeks after resumption. Course registration, hostel allocation where applicable, and faculty orientation all happen in the opening weeks. Candidates should plan to be on campus from the published resumption date to avoid late registration penalties.
Campus facilities
KSU runs the typical mix of campus facilities Nigerian undergraduates rely on across the academic week, from library and ICT services to sports, worship and welfare.
KSU's teaching hospital is the institution's most distinctive infrastructure, used for clinical postings by Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy students and for community medical service.
Student accommodation
Student accommodation at KSU runs across three options that candidates and parents should plan for early: on-campus halls, off-campus lodges and short-stay places for visits.
On-campus housing
KSU provides on-campus hostels but the capacity is limited compared to the annual intake. Allocation usually runs as a annual lottery, with fresh-year students given some priority for the first session.
On-campus hostel fees at federal and state universities like KSU run in the ₦15,000 to ₦40,000 range per session, billed separately from tuition. Hostel quality varies across blocks, and students sometimes share rooms with two to six others depending on the building.
Demand for on-campus hostels at most Nigerian federal universities exceeds supply, so candidates should treat the application as competitive and arrive ready to look at off-campus options if the allocation does not come through.
Off-campus housing
Students who cannot secure on-campus accommodation typically rent off-campus around Nearby residential neighbourhoods around the campus. The Nigerian student term for this is a "lodge", which can mean anything from a shared self-contained room to a small apartment.
Off-campus session prices at KSU typically range from ₦80,000 - ₦250,000, with self-contained rooms at the upper end and shared rooms in older lodges at the lower. Power supply, water reliability and security vary widely from one street to the next, so visiting in person before paying a deposit is the standard precaution.
Fresh-year students often share rooms or apartments with course-mates as a first-year strategy, with many moving to smaller-group or single accommodation in later years as friend groups settle and budgets allow.
For visiting parents
Visiting parents typically book hotels near the main campus gate. Federal university towns generally have a mix of basic and mid-range hotels at ₦15,000 to ₦40,000 per night, with higher options in the major cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
Travel apps such as Booking.com and Hotels.ng list current options and rates, which we deliberately do not republish here because they change frequently.
School fees and cost of attendance
KSU as a state university runs distinct fee bands for indigenes and non-indigenes. Session fees range from ₦80,000 - ₦400,000 per session, with non-indigenes paying the upper end and state indigenes the lower. Verify the current figure on the KSU bursary page each cycle.
Additional one-off costs
Beyond the headline session fee, fresh-intake students typically pay an acceptance fee in the ₦20,000 - ₦60,000 one-off range, an ID card and matriculation fee, faculty and departmental dues, and (for science and engineering programmes) laboratory or studio fees billed by the department.
Add a budget for course materials, transport, lodging deposit if going off-campus, and miscellaneous administrative payments through the first semester. Year-one costs are almost always the highest in a four-year cycle because so much of the spend is one-off.
Funding options
Eligible Nigerian undergraduates can apply to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which provides interest-free loans repayable after graduation and a grace period. KSU also publishes its own scholarship schemes from time to time for high-performing intakes, and several state governments offer indigene-specific scholarships through the state scholarship board.
Watch the institution's scholarship page and your state's ministry of education portal during the admission window for current funding announcements - new schemes appear cycle to cycle.
About the campus
Kogi State University sits in Anyigba, Kogi State. The institution serves Kogi State and the surrounding region as the principal university option. Founded in 1999, the institution has matured into a recognised state university serving its catchment region and drawing candidates from across the country.
KSU is organised into faculties or colleges that house related departments. The faculty structure is the route an undergraduate progresses through, and each faculty has its own administrative office to handle course registration, level coordination and graduation clearance.
Students at KSU typically budget for accommodation, food, transport and academic materials as the four main categories. Accommodation is the biggest variable: hostel allocations are competitive and the off-campus market in Anyigba ranges widely. Prospective candidates should investigate accommodation options as early as the acceptance fee stage.
Location and getting there
- 5-8 hours from Lagos and 2-5 hours from Abuja by road
- Inter-state coach services such as ABC Transport, GUO and the Young Shall Grow Motors operate routes to most state capitals. Flights are available to Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and a handful of state airports.
KSU's main campus is in Anyigba, Kogi State, in North-Central Nigeria.
For inter-state travel, most students rely on a mix of buses and shared taxis, with occasional flights for the bigger inter-zone moves.
Application calendar
Concrete dates for the 2026 cycle are still being confirmed by individual institutions and JAMB. The windows below reflect typical patterns for KSU and the federal cycle as a whole.
- JAMB UTMEApril to May 2026National examination window for the 2026 admission cycle.
- Post-UTME / screeningLate July to mid-August 2026KSU announces its exact dates after JAMB UTME results are released.
- First CAPS admission listAugust to September 2026Initial admission recommendations appear on CAPS after screening.
- Acceptance fee deadline4 weeks from offerConfirmed window for the 2026 cycle. Missing it forfeits the place.
- Resumption for fresh intakeLate September to mid-October 2026Matriculation follows resumption by a few weeks.
How KSU compares to similar universities
Among state universities of similar size and region, KSU's 2026 average cut-off of 225.8 sits below peer institutions such as AAUA (227.5) and KWASU (227.5). This places KSU in the mid-tier of universities for the 2026 cycle.
Across the 19 programmes covered, KSU maps to 19/146 of the courses tracked in this guide. Candidates choosing between KSU and a peer institution should compare the specific course cut-off, not just the institutional average, because course-level differences often outweigh institution-level ones.
Frequently asked questions
What is KSU's cut-off mark for 2026?
KSU's general institutional cut-off for 2026 is 160, with course-specific cut-offs ranging from 203 for Agricultural Science to 269 for Medicine and Surgery. The figure that decides admission is always the course-specific cut-off, not the institutional general cut-off.
Can I use a JAMB score from a previous year for KSU?
No. A JAMB UTME result is valid only for the admission cycle in which it was sat, so a 2026 application to KSU needs a 2026 UTME score. Candidates who were not admitted in an earlier cycle must re-register and re-sit the UTME for the new cycle. KSU's cut-off applies to the current year's score, not a carried-over one.
How do I apply to KSU for the 2026 cycle?
Applying to KSU starts with registering for the JAMB UTME, selecting KSU as a choice institution and your desired course as the first option. Once UTME results are released, candidates who meet the cut-off register for KSU's post-UTME or screening through the official portal. Admission offers appear on CAPS, where candidates accept and proceed to acceptance fee payment.
What happens after I accept a KSU admission offer?
Once you accept a KSU offer on CAPS, the next steps are paying the acceptance fee within the published window, paying or part-paying the session fees, completing online course registration and attending physical clearance with your original documents. KSU then issues a matriculation number. Missing the acceptance-fee deadline can forfeit the place, so treat acceptance as the start of a fixed sequence, not the end of the process.
What courses does KSU offer?
KSU runs 19 of the 146 undergraduate programmes tracked in this guide, including Medicine and Surgery and Law and Agricultural Science. The institution's full programme list also includes diploma, postgraduate and certificate programmes not covered here.
Is KSU a federal, state or private university?
KSU is a state university located in Anyigba, Kogi State. As a state university, it is owned by the state government and runs separate fee bands for indigenes and non-indigenes.
Does KSU offer scholarships or financial support?
Scholarship availability at KSU changes from year to year and should not be assumed. State universities like KSU often run state-government bursaries for indigenes, alongside NELFUND student loans and occasional merit awards. Check the official KSU site for current scholarship calls.
Does KSU admit Direct Entry candidates?
KSU, like most Nigerian universities, generally admits Direct Entry candidates — those entering the second year with an A-level, ND, NCE or first degree — alongside UTME candidates. Direct Entry applicants register through JAMB's separate DE application, not the UTME. Course availability and required qualifications differ by programme, so confirm DE eligibility for your course on the official KSU portal.
Does KSU have a teaching hospital?
Yes. Kogi State University runs an affiliated teaching hospital used for clinical postings by Medicine, Nursing and allied-health students, and for community medical service. The teaching hospital is the largest single piece of infrastructure at the institution and a core part of its medical-school accreditation.
How much are school fees at KSU?
KSU session fees sit broadly in the ₦80,000 - ₦400,000 per session band as of the 2026 cycle, with medical and engineering programmes at the upper end. Indigenes pay the lower band, non-indigenes the upper band. Confirm exact figures on the official KSU bursary page.
What is KSU most competitive course?
Medicine and Surgery carries the highest 2026 cut-off at KSU at 269. It sits at the competitive ceiling for the institution; candidates scoring below that mark are effectively shut out of the programme and should plan a realistic second choice.
Does KSU run a foundation or pre-degree programme?
Many Nigerian universities run a foundation, pre-degree or JUPEB programme that offers a route into 100 or 200 level, and KSU may operate one depending on the cycle. These programmes are separate from the UTME route and have their own application and fees. If your UTME score falls short of the cut-off, check the official KSU site for a current pre-degree or foundation intake before settling for a deferral.