University of Lagos (UNILAG) is a federal university located in Lagos, Lagos State. Founded in 1962, it is one of Nigeria's established public institutions and admits candidates through the JAMB UTME and its own post-UTME screening.
UNILAG's general cut-off mark for 2026/2027 is 200, with course-specific cut-offs ranging from 224 (Agricultural Science) to 295 (Medicine and Surgery). Located in Lagos, Lagos, University of Lagos is a federal university with 11 faculties and was founded in 1962.
What changed in the 2026 cycle
The 2026 admission cycle saw UNILAG field cut-off marks across 25 programmes, with an average of 251.2 UTME points.
The institution's most competitive programmes are Medicine and Surgery (295), Pharmacy (275) and Law (274). Medicine and Surgery sits at the ceiling for UNILAG, with candidates scoring below 295 effectively shut out of that programme. On the other end, Agricultural Science (224), Chemistry (232) and Physics (233) remain the most reachable options.
Against 2025, the average moved up by 5 points, consistent with the stronger pool of high-scoring candidates JAMB recorded nationally.
2026 cut off marks at UNILAG
| Course | Category | 2026 UTME | 2025 UTME | Change | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | Management | 252 | 247 | +5 | 73.5 |
| Agricultural Science | Sciences | 224 | 219 | +5 | 70.0 |
| Architecture | Sciences | 261 | 257 | +4 | 74.6 |
| Biochemistry | Sciences | 246 | 239 | +7 | 72.8 |
| Biotechnology | Sciences | 246 | 239 | +7 | 72.8 |
| Chemistry | Sciences | 232 | 227 | +5 | 71.0 |
| Civil Engineering | Engineering | 255 | 252 | +3 | 73.9 |
| Computer Science | Sciences | 245 | 240 | +5 | 72.6 |
| Economics | Social Sciences | 254 | 249 | +5 | 73.8 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | Engineering | 258 | 251 | +7 | 74.3 |
| English Language | Arts | 242 | 239 | +3 | 72.3 |
| Estate Management | Management | 242 | 237 | +5 | 72.3 |
| International Relations | Social Sciences | 252 | 246 | +6 | 73.5 |
| Law | Law | 274 | 271 | +3 | 76.3 |
| Mass Communication | Arts | 259 | 256 | +3 | 74.4 |
| Mathematics | Sciences | 235 | 231 | +4 | 71.4 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Engineering | 258 | 254 | +4 | 74.3 |
| Medicine and Surgery | Medical and Health | 295 | 290 | +5 | 78.9 |
| Microbiology | Sciences | 248 | 243 | +5 | 73.0 |
| Nursing Science | Medical and Health | 270 | 264 | +6 | 75.8 |
| Pharmacy | Medical and Health | 275 | 271 | +4 | 76.4 |
| Physics | Sciences | 233 | 229 | +4 | 71.1 |
| Political Science | Social Sciences | 244 | 237 | +7 | 72.5 |
| Public Administration | Social Sciences | 242 | 236 | +6 | 72.3 |
| Statistics | Sciences | 238 | 231 | +7 | 71.8 |
Faculties and academic structure
UNILAG runs 11 faculties and colleges between which its undergraduate programmes are spread, offering a comprehensive academic portfolio that spans medicine, the sciences, the humanities and the professions.
The faculty is the administrative parent, but the department is the academic home. Cut-off marks, post-UTME screening and graduation requirements all sit with the department, not the wider faculty.
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 UNILAG
UTME requirements. Every applicant to UNILAG must meet two UTME floors: the JAMB national minimum of 150 and the institution's own general cut-off of 200. The third floor, the course-specific cut-off, is the one that actually decides admission for competitive programmes, with Medicine and Surgery requiring 295 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. UNILAG 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. UNILAG'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 UNILAG 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
UNILAG 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.
UNILAG'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 UNILAG 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
UNILAG 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 UNILAG 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 Akoka, Yaba and Bariga. 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 UNILAG 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 UNILAG, 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. UNILAG 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
Located in Lagos, Lagos State, UNILAG is one of the established federal universities in the region. The campus sits within the Lagos megacity, with the commercial heart of Nigeria a short transit away. It was founded in 1962 and has built a steady reputation for the programmes covered in this guide.
Like most Nigerian universities, UNILAG 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 Lagos 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 UNILAG run higher but with more flexibility. Transport, food and study materials should be factored into any honest student budget for Lagos.
Location and getting there
- 1-4 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.
UNILAG's main campus is in Lagos, Lagos State, in South-West Nigeria.
Lagos public transport includes the BRT, danfo buses and now-emerging rail services. 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 UNILAG 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 2026UNILAG 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 UNILAG compares to similar universities
Among federal universities of similar size and region, UNILAG's 2026 average cut-off of 251.2 sits above peer institutions such as UI (249.6) and OAU (246.9). This places UNILAG in the competitive top tier of universities for the 2026 cycle.
Across the 25 programmes covered, UNILAG maps to 25/146 of the courses tracked in this guide. Candidates choosing between UNILAG 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 JAMB UTME score do I need for UNILAG?
To be considered for any programme at UNILAG you need at least the institutional cut-off of 200, but a realistic target is higher: competitive courses such as Medicine and Surgery require 295 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.
Does UNILAG 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 UNILAG's own institutional cut-off of 200, 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.
When does UNILAG admission for 2026/2027 close?
UNILAG 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 UNILAG portal for exact dates.
What is the post-UTME process at UNILAG?
UNILAG'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.
Does UNILAG admit candidates from outside its state or region?
Yes. UNILAG 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.
Is UNILAG a federal, state or private university?
UNILAG is a federal university located in Lagos, Lagos State. As a federal university, it is funded by the Nigerian government and admits candidates nationwide through JAMB.
What extra costs should I budget for at UNILAG?
Beyond the acceptance fee and session fees, fresh UNILAG students usually meet one-off first-year costs: matriculation, student ID, faculty and departmental dues, medical screening and course materials. Accommodation, where available, is billed separately. Confirm current figures on the official UNILAG bursary page.
Can I apply to UNILAG 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 UNILAG 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 UNILAG have a teaching hospital?
Yes. University of Lagos 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.
When was UNILAG founded?
University of Lagos was founded in 1962 and is located in Lagos, Lagos State. It is a federal university admitting candidates through the JAMB UTME and a post-UTME or institutional screening.
How much are school fees at UNILAG?
UNILAG 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 UNILAG bursary page.
What faculties does UNILAG have?
UNILAG 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.