University of Benin (UNIBEN) is a federal university located in Benin City, Edo State. Founded in 1970, it is one of Nigeria's established public institutions and admits candidates through the JAMB UTME and its own post-UTME screening.
UNIBEN's general cut-off mark for 2026/2027 is 180, with course-specific cut-offs ranging from 206 (Agricultural Science) to 276 (Medicine and Surgery). Located in Benin City, Edo, University of Benin is a federal university with 9 faculties and was founded in 1970.
What changed in the 2026 cycle
Across the 22 programmes UNIBEN runs in our guide, the 2026 average cut-off settled at 234.1, a touch higher than 2025.
The institution's most competitive programmes are Medicine and Surgery (276), Law (262) and Nursing Science (256). Medicine and Surgery sits at the ceiling for UNIBEN, with candidates scoring below 276 effectively shut out of that programme. On the other end, Agricultural Science (206), Physics (217) and Mathematics (218) stand out as the most accessible routes in.
Against 2025, the average climbed by 5.1 points, consistent with the stronger pool of high-scoring candidates JAMB recorded nationally.
2026 cut off marks at UNIBEN
| Course | Category | 2026 UTME | 2025 UTME | Change | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | Management | 235 | 230 | +5 | 71.4 |
| Agricultural Science | Sciences | 206 | 199 | +7 | 67.8 |
| Biochemistry | Sciences | 230 | 226 | +4 | 70.8 |
| Biotechnology | Sciences | 232 | 225 | +7 | 71.0 |
| Chemistry | Sciences | 219 | 213 | +6 | 69.4 |
| Civil Engineering | Engineering | 237 | 232 | +5 | 71.6 |
| Computer Science | Sciences | 229 | 224 | +5 | 70.6 |
| Economics | Social Sciences | 236 | 229 | +7 | 71.5 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | Engineering | 246 | 243 | +3 | 72.8 |
| English Language | Arts | 227 | 222 | +5 | 70.4 |
| International Relations | Social Sciences | 237 | 234 | +3 | 71.6 |
| Law | Law | 262 | 255 | +7 | 74.8 |
| Mass Communication | Arts | 240 | 237 | +3 | 72.0 |
| Mathematics | Sciences | 218 | 215 | +3 | 69.3 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Engineering | 236 | 233 | +3 | 71.5 |
| Medicine and Surgery | Medical and Health | 276 | 270 | +6 | 76.5 |
| Microbiology | Sciences | 229 | 224 | +5 | 70.6 |
| Nursing Science | Medical and Health | 256 | 252 | +4 | 74.0 |
| Physics | Sciences | 217 | 210 | +7 | 69.1 |
| Political Science | Social Sciences | 232 | 228 | +4 | 71.0 |
| Public Administration | Social Sciences | 225 | 218 | +7 | 70.1 |
| Statistics | Sciences | 225 | 219 | +6 | 70.1 |
Faculties and academic structure
UNIBEN runs 9 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.
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 UNIBEN
UTME requirements. Every applicant to UNIBEN must meet two UTME floors: the JAMB national minimum of 150 and the institution's own general cut-off of 180. The third floor, the course-specific cut-off, is the one that actually decides admission for competitive programmes, with Medicine and Surgery requiring 276 this cycle. UTME subject combinations must match the chosen programme.
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. UNIBEN 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. UNIBEN's acceptance fee sits in the typical Nigerian range for federal universities, with full session fees billed separately.
Matriculation and resumption. The academic year at UNIBEN usually opens in late September or early October, depending on the cycle. Registration runs through the first weeks of resumption, followed by matriculation. Late arrivals risk losing slots in oversubscribed courses or paying late-registration fines, so candidates should treat the resumption date as fixed.
Campus facilities
The campus facilities at UNIBEN cover the practical needs of a full undergraduate cycle: study spaces, sports, worship, ICT and basic health services.
UNIBEN'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 UNIBEN 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
UNIBEN 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 UNIBEN 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 Ekosodin, Ugbowo and Osasogie. 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 UNIBEN 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 UNIBEN, 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. UNIBEN 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
University of Benin sits in Benin City, Edo State. Benin City is the historical seat of the Benin Kingdom and a major commercial centre in the south-south. Founded in 1970, the institution has matured into a recognised federal university serving its catchment region and drawing candidates from across the country.
UNIBEN 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.
Cost of living in Benin City 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 UNIBEN run higher but with more flexibility. Transport, food and study materials should be factored into any honest student budget for Benin City.
Location and getting there
- 8-12 hours from Lagos and 7-10 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 Benin City, Edo State (South-South 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
The 2026 admission window roughly follows the pattern below at UNIBEN. Treat these as planning ranges; the institution's official portal publishes the exact dates as the cycle progresses.
- JAMB UTMEApril to May 2026National examination window for the 2026 admission cycle.
- Post-UTME / screeningLate July to mid-August 2026UNIBEN 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 UNIBEN compares to similar universities
Among federal universities of similar size and region, UNIBEN's 2026 average cut-off of 234.1 sits between FUTO (average 233.3) and BUK (average 234.4). This places UNIBEN in the mid-tier of universities for the 2026 cycle.
Across the 22 programmes covered, UNIBEN maps to 22/146 of the courses tracked in this guide. Candidates choosing between UNIBEN 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
Does UNIBEN use the JAMB national cut-off or its own cut-off?
Both apply. Every candidate must first clear the JAMB national minimum of 150, then UNIBEN's own institutional cut-off of 180, and finally the course-specific cut-off, which is set above the general figure for competitive programmes. The course-specific cut-off is the one that actually decides admission, so meeting the national minimum alone is not enough.
Has UNIBEN's cut-off gone up or down since 2025?
Compared with 2025, UNIBEN's average cut-off rose by about 5.1 points, moving from 229 to 234.1. A rising average usually reflects a stronger pool of high-scoring candidates. Course-level figures still move independently of the institutional average.
How do I check my UNIBEN admission status on CAPS?
UNIBEN communicates admission through the JAMB Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), not by direct contact. Log in to your JAMB profile, open CAPS and check for an admission offer; if one is listed you accept or reject it there. UNIBEN releases admission in waves, so not appearing on the first list does not end your chances — keep checking through the cycle.
What is the post-UTME process at UNIBEN?
UNIBEN'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 UNIBEN run?
This guide tracks 22 undergraduate programmes at UNIBEN, 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 UNIBEN programme with a 2026 cut-off.
How do I pay UNIBEN fees once admitted?
UNIBEN fee payments are made through the official institution portal, usually via a Remita or bank-integrated payment that generates a receipt for course registration. Avoid paying any fee through unofficial agents or third parties. The portal also confirms which charges are due at each stage, so rely on it rather than informal information.
Does UNIBEN offer scholarships or financial support?
Scholarship availability at UNIBEN changes from year to year and should not be assumed. Federal universities like UNIBEN participate in national schemes such as Federal Government scholarships and NELFUND student loans, alongside occasional merit and faculty awards. Check the official UNIBEN site for current scholarship calls.
Which courses are easiest to get into at UNIBEN?
The most accessible programmes at UNIBEN for 2026 are Agricultural Science (206), Physics (217) and Mathematics (218), which carry the institution's lowest cut-off marks. They are a realistic target for candidates whose UTME score clears the general cut-off of 180 but falls short of competitive courses such as Medicine and Surgery.
Does UNIBEN have a teaching hospital?
Yes. University of Benin 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.
What documents do I need for UNIBEN screening?
For post-UTME or screening at UNIBEN, 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 UNIBEN portal before screening day.
What faculties does UNIBEN have?
UNIBEN runs 9 faculties and colleges, including College of Medicine, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Science and others. Candidates apply to a specific department within a faculty, and the department sets the course-specific cut-off, screening process and graduation requirements.
When was UNIBEN founded?
University of Benin was founded in 1970 and is located in Benin City, Edo State. It is a federal university admitting candidates through the JAMB UTME and a post-UTME or institutional screening.