National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) is a federal university located in Abuja, FCT State. Founded in 2002, it is one of Nigeria's established public institutions and admits candidates through the JAMB UTME and its own post-UTME screening.
NOUN's general cut-off mark for 2026/2027 is 140, with course-specific cut-offs ranging from 201 (Chemistry) to 248 (Law). Located in Abuja, FCT, National Open University of Nigeria is a federal university with 7 faculties and was founded in 2002.
What changed in the 2026 cycle
Across the 16 programmes NOUN runs in our guide, the 2026 average cut-off settled at 216.4, a touch higher than 2025.
The institution's most competitive programmes are Law (248), Mass Communication (226) and International Relations (223). Law sits at the ceiling for NOUN, with candidates scoring below 248 effectively shut out of that programme. On the other end, Chemistry (201), Physics (204) and Mathematics (205) stand out as the most accessible routes in.
Against 2025, the average rose by 5.2 points, consistent with the stronger pool of high-scoring candidates JAMB recorded nationally.
2026 cut off marks at NOUN
| Course | Category | 2026 UTME | 2025 UTME | Change | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | Management | 218 | 215 | +3 | 69.3 |
| Biochemistry | Sciences | 217 | 212 | +5 | 69.1 |
| Chemistry | Sciences | 201 | 198 | +3 | 67.1 |
| Computer Science | Sciences | 214 | 208 | +6 | 68.8 |
| Economics | Social Sciences | 220 | 213 | +7 | 69.5 |
| English Language | Arts | 211 | 205 | +6 | 68.4 |
| Estate Management | Management | 218 | 213 | +5 | 69.3 |
| International Relations | Social Sciences | 223 | 216 | +7 | 69.9 |
| Law | Law | 248 | 242 | +6 | 73.0 |
| Mass Communication | Arts | 226 | 221 | +5 | 70.3 |
| Mathematics | Sciences | 205 | 198 | +7 | 67.6 |
| Microbiology | Sciences | 220 | 216 | +4 | 69.5 |
| Physics | Sciences | 204 | 199 | +5 | 67.5 |
| Political Science | Social Sciences | 216 | 210 | +6 | 69.0 |
| Public Administration | Social Sciences | 210 | 205 | +5 | 68.3 |
| Statistics | Sciences | 212 | 208 | +4 | 68.5 |
Faculties and academic structure
NOUN runs 7 faculties and colleges between which its undergraduate programmes are spread, offering a broad set of faculties covering most major disciplines.
Candidates apply to a specific department within a faculty rather than to the university at large. The faculty handles registration, level coordination and final-year clearance, while the department supervises the curriculum.
How admission works at NOUN
UTME requirements. Candidates must clear the JAMB national minimum of 150 and the NOUN institutional cut-off of 140 to be considered for any programme. Each course then sets its own threshold above the general cut-off, with competitive programmes such as Law demanding 248 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. Admission decisions are communicated through the JAMB Central Admissions Processing System rather than direct contact with candidates. NOUN pushes recommended candidates to CAPS, where each candidate logs in to accept or reject the offer. Multiple admission lists are usually released through the cycle, so candidates who are not on the first list should keep checking.
Acceptance and admission fees. Once an offer is accepted on CAPS, candidates have roughly four weeks to pay the acceptance fee on the institution's portal. The 2026 cycle has confirmed a four-week acceptance window across the board, with the place reverting to the next candidate on the list if the deadline lapses. NOUN's acceptance fee sits in the typical Nigerian range for federal universities, with full session fees billed separately.
Matriculation and resumption. Fresh intakes at NOUN 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
Students at NOUN have access to the standard set of Nigerian university facilities, plus institution-specific infrastructure tied to its strongest faculties.
The library is the most-used academic facility on campus, supplemented by the institution's ICT centre for digital research and the cafeteria as the main daytime gathering point between lectures.
Student accommodation
Student accommodation at NOUN 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
NOUN 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 NOUN 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.
Because hostel demand exceeds supply at most federal universities, many students treat the application as a backup plan rather than the default option, with off-campus arrangements organised in parallel.
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 NOUN 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
Tuition and session fees at NOUN, a federal university, sit broadly in the ₦40,000 - ₦200,000 per session band as of the 2026 cycle. The exact figure depends on the programme, with medical and engineering courses at the upper end and arts and education programmes at the lower.
Additional one-off costs
Beyond the headline session fee, fresh-intake students typically pay an acceptance fee in the ₦15,000 - ₦50,000 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. NOUN 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.
Federal and corporate scholarships open during the admission cycle each year; candidates should monitor the institution's scholarship page and the relevant state ministry of education portal once admission is secured.
About the campus
NOUN operates from Abuja in FCT State. Sitting within the Federal Capital Territory, the institution is at the centre of Nigeria's federal administration. The institution traces its founding to 2002.
Like most Nigerian universities, NOUN groups its programmes into faculties or colleges, each with its own dean and academic structure. Candidates apply to a specific programme within a faculty rather than to the university at large, which is why the course-specific cut-off matters more than any single institutional figure.
Cost of living in Abuja for students depends heavily on accommodation choices. On-campus hostels, where available, offer the most predictable monthly cost, while off-campus rentals in student neighbourhoods near NOUN run higher but with more flexibility. Transport, food and study materials should be factored into any honest student budget for Abuja.
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.
The institution sits in Abuja, FCT State (North-Central Nigeria), within reach of the regional commercial centres of its zone.
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 NOUN 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 2026NOUN 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 NOUN compares to similar universities
Among federal universities of similar size and region, NOUN's 2026 average cut-off of 216.4 sits between FUGashua (average 215) and FUGusau (average 218.6). This places NOUN in the mid-tier of universities for the 2026 cycle.
Across the 16 programmes covered, NOUN maps to 16/146 of the courses tracked in this guide. Candidates choosing between NOUN 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
Has NOUN's cut-off gone up or down since 2025?
Compared with 2025, NOUN's average cut-off rose by about 5.2 points, moving from 211.2 to 216.4. A rising average usually reflects a stronger pool of high-scoring candidates. Course-level figures still move independently of the institutional average.
What is NOUN's cut-off mark for 2026?
NOUN's general institutional cut-off for 2026 is 140, with course-specific cut-offs ranging from 201 for Chemistry to 248 for Law. The figure that decides admission is always the course-specific cut-off, not the institutional general cut-off.
When does NOUN admission for 2026/2027 close?
NOUN does not publish a single fixed closing date far in advance; the admission window follows the national JAMB cycle, running from the release of UTME results through to the final admission list months later. Post-UTME registration closes much earlier, often within two to three weeks of opening. Treat the post-UTME deadline as the real cut-off and monitor the official NOUN portal for exact dates.
What is the post-UTME process at NOUN?
NOUN's post-UTME combines a screening exam with documents verification. The result is folded into an aggregate score along with the UTME and O'level grades. Post-UTME registration opens after JAMB UTME results are released and closes within two to three weeks.
How many undergraduate programmes does NOUN run?
This guide tracks 16 undergraduate programmes at NOUN, out of 146 courses covered nationally. The institution's official prospectus typically lists more, including programmes outside this guide's cut-off dataset. Use the course list on this page to see every NOUN programme with a 2026 cut-off.
What courses does NOUN offer?
NOUN runs 16 of the 146 undergraduate programmes tracked in this guide, including Law and Mass Communication and Chemistry. The institution's full programme list also includes diploma, postgraduate and certificate programmes not covered here.
How much is the acceptance fee at NOUN?
NOUN's acceptance fee for the 2026 cycle is announced on the official portal once admission offers go out. As a federal university, NOUN acceptance fees sit in the typical federal range and are payable once an offer is accepted on CAPS.
What aggregate score does NOUN use to decide admission?
NOUN ranks candidates on an aggregate that combines the UTME score with the post-UTME or screening result, and at many institutions O'level grades as well. The common approach is to scale the UTME to 50% and the post-UTME to 50%, but the exact weighting is set by NOUN each cycle. Admission goes to the highest aggregates within the available places, so a strong UTME score alone does not guarantee a place.
What documents do I need for NOUN screening?
For post-UTME or screening at NOUN, candidates typically present the JAMB UTME result slip, the JAMB admission letter once issued, O'level result(s), a birth certificate or age declaration, recent passport photographs and a means of identification. Some faculties also ask for a state-of-origin or local-government certificate. Confirm the exact checklist on the official NOUN portal before screening day.
When was NOUN founded?
National Open University of Nigeria was founded in 2002 and is located in Abuja, FCT State. It is a federal university admitting candidates through the JAMB UTME and a post-UTME or institutional screening.
What is NOUN most competitive course?
Law carries the highest 2026 cut-off at NOUN at 248. 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.
Where is NOUN located and how do I get there?
NOUN's main campus is in Abuja, FCT State. Travel by road from major cities runs 5-8 hours from lagos and 2-5 hours from abuja by road. Inter-state buses and shared taxis operate to most state capitals; flights serve Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and several state airports.