University of Calabar (UNICAL) is a federal university located in Calabar, Cross River State. Founded in 1975, it is one of Nigeria's established public institutions and admits candidates through the JAMB UTME and its own post-UTME screening.
UNICAL's general cut-off mark for 2026/2027 is 160, with course-specific cut-offs ranging from 200 (Agricultural Science) to 272 (Medicine and Surgery). Located in Calabar, Cross River, University of Calabar is a federal university with 11 faculties and was founded in 1975.
What changed in the 2026 cycle
Across the 22 programmes UNICAL runs in our guide, the 2026 average cut-off settled at 227.6, a touch higher than 2025.
The institution's most competitive programmes are Medicine and Surgery (272), Law (253) and Pharmacy (249). Medicine and Surgery sits at the ceiling for UNICAL, with candidates scoring below 272 effectively shut out of that programme. On the other end, Agricultural Science (200), Chemistry (206) and Mathematics (208) remain the most reachable options.
Against 2025, the average moved up by 5.6 points, consistent with the stronger pool of high-scoring candidates JAMB recorded nationally.
2026 cut off marks at UNICAL
| Course | Category | 2026 UTME | 2025 UTME | Change | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | Management | 226 | 220 | +6 | 70.3 |
| Agricultural Science | Sciences | 200 | 195 | +5 | 67.0 |
| Biochemistry | Sciences | 223 | 220 | +3 | 69.9 |
| Chemistry | Sciences | 206 | 201 | +5 | 67.8 |
| Civil Engineering | Engineering | 233 | 228 | +5 | 71.1 |
| Computer Science | Sciences | 224 | 217 | +7 | 70.0 |
| Economics | Social Sciences | 231 | 224 | +7 | 70.9 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | Engineering | 239 | 236 | +3 | 71.9 |
| English Language | Arts | 221 | 216 | +5 | 69.6 |
| Estate Management | Management | 219 | 214 | +5 | 69.4 |
| International Relations | Social Sciences | 230 | 225 | +5 | 70.8 |
| Law | Law | 253 | 246 | +7 | 73.6 |
| Mass Communication | Arts | 230 | 223 | +7 | 70.8 |
| Mathematics | Sciences | 208 | 205 | +3 | 68.0 |
| Medicine and Surgery | Medical and Health | 272 | 266 | +6 | 76.0 |
| Microbiology | Sciences | 221 | 215 | +6 | 69.6 |
| Nursing Science | Medical and Health | 247 | 240 | +7 | 72.9 |
| Pharmacy | Medical and Health | 249 | 243 | +6 | 73.1 |
| Physics | Sciences | 210 | 203 | +7 | 68.3 |
| Political Science | Social Sciences | 225 | 219 | +6 | 70.1 |
| Public Administration | Social Sciences | 221 | 217 | +4 | 69.6 |
| Statistics | Sciences | 219 | 212 | +7 | 69.4 |
Faculties and academic structure
University of Calabar organises its undergraduate programmes across 11 faculties and colleges, with a comprehensive academic portfolio that spans medicine, the sciences, the humanities and the professions.
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 UNICAL
UTME requirements. Candidates must clear the JAMB national minimum of 150 and the UNICAL 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 272 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. UNICAL runs a post-UTME or screening exercise for candidates who meet the institutional and course-specific cut-offs. The screening combines UTME, post-UTME and O'level grades into an aggregate that determines who is admitted from the eligible pool. Registration usually opens once JAMB releases UTME results and runs for a fixed window of two to three weeks.
The CAPS process. Once aggregates are calculated, UNICAL 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. 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. UNICAL'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 UNICAL 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 UNICAL cover the practical needs of a full undergraduate cycle: study spaces, sports, worship, ICT and basic health services.
UNICAL'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
Accommodation is one of the most-asked questions about UNICAL, and the honest answer is that it sits across three layers: on-campus hostels, off-campus lodges and short-stay options for visiting families.
On-campus housing
UNICAL 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 UNICAL 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 Calabar town. 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 UNICAL 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 UNICAL, 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. UNICAL 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
UNICAL operates from Calabar in Cross River State. The institution serves Cross River State and the surrounding region as the principal university option. The institution traces its founding to 1975.
UNICAL 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 Calabar 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 UNICAL run higher but with more flexibility. Transport, food and study materials should be factored into any honest student budget for Calabar.
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.
UNICAL's main campus is in Calabar, Cross River State, in South-South 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 UNICAL 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 2026UNICAL 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 UNICAL compares to similar universities
Among federal universities of similar size and region, UNICAL's 2026 average cut-off of 227.6 sits below peer institutions such as UNIABUJA (228.2) and ATBU (228.3). This places UNICAL in the mid-tier of universities for the 2026 cycle.
Across the 22 programmes covered, UNICAL maps to 22/146 of the courses tracked in this guide. Candidates choosing between UNICAL 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
How does UNICAL's cut-off compare to other universities?
UNICAL's 2026 average cut-off of 227.6 places it in the mid-tier among federal universities, broadly comparable to peers such as UNIABUJA. Cut-offs vary far more by course than by institution, so compare the specific course you want rather than the institutional average.
What JAMB UTME score do I need for UNICAL?
To be considered for any programme at UNICAL you need at least the institutional cut-off of 160, but a realistic target is higher: competitive courses such as Medicine and Surgery require 272 or above for 2026. Aim well clear of the general cut-off, because admission is ranked on the post-UTME aggregate, not the UTME score alone.
How do I check my UNICAL admission status on CAPS?
UNICAL 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. UNICAL releases admission in waves, so not appearing on the first list does not end your chances — keep checking through the cycle.
How competitive is admission to UNICAL?
Admission to UNICAL is moderately competitive for 2026, with an average cut-off of 227.6 across 22 programmes. Competition is concentrated in flagship courses such as Medicine and Surgery (272), while Agricultural Science offer a more realistic route for mid-range scores.
Does UNICAL admit candidates from outside its state or region?
Yes. UNICAL admits candidates nationwide; as a federal university it draws students from every state, with admission balanced across merit, catchment area and educationally-less-developed-state quotas. Your state of origin does not bar you from applying.
When do I pay the UNICAL acceptance fee?
Once you accept an admission offer on CAPS, you have a limited window — about four weeks for the 2026 cycle — to pay the UNICAL acceptance fee through the official portal. If the deadline lapses, the place can revert to the next candidate on the list. Pay promptly after accepting and keep the receipt for registration.
Which courses are easiest to get into at UNICAL?
The most accessible programmes at UNICAL for 2026 are Agricultural Science (200), Chemistry (206) and Mathematics (208), 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 160 but falls short of competitive courses such as Medicine and Surgery.
Can I apply to UNICAL while awaiting my O'level result?
Generally yes. JAMB and most universities allow candidates to register and sit the UTME while awaiting a WAEC or NECO result, and UNICAL typically lets such candidates apply. The result must, however, be available and uploaded before admission can be finalised — an awaiting-result candidate cannot be admitted without the five required credits in hand. Upload the result on the JAMB portal as soon as it is released.
Does UNICAL have a teaching hospital?
Yes. University of Calabar 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 faculties does UNICAL have?
UNICAL runs 11 faculties and colleges, including College of Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Engineering 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.
What is UNICAL most competitive course?
Medicine and Surgery carries the highest 2026 cut-off at UNICAL at 272. 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.
How much are school fees at UNICAL?
UNICAL session fees sit broadly in the ₦40,000 - ₦200,000 per session band as of the 2026 cycle, with medical and engineering programmes at the upper end. Additional one-off costs for matriculation, ID and faculty dues apply in the first session. Confirm exact figures on the official UNICAL bursary page.