University of Ilorin, UNILORIN Admission Requirements: The University of Ilorin, commonly abbreviated as UNILORIN, is a federal university in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. The university has one of the largest student populations in the country with over 50,000 students enrolled across its 15 faculties. UNILORIN offers a wide range of academic programs for undergraduate and postgraduate studies and is regarded as one of the most competitive universities in Nigeria regarding admission.
As the admission process for the 2024/2025 academic session approaches, prospective students are searching for the University of Ilorin admission requirements to guide them in applying successfully. Meeting the admission requirements increases your chances of gaining admission into your desired course at UNILORIN.
UNILORIN Admission Requirements
The University of Ilorin has general entry requirements which all applicants must satisfy irrespective of the program of study. There are also specific requirements for each faculty and academic program which applicants must meet to be eligible for admission.
The general requirements include:
- Five O’level credit passes at a maximum of two sittings in relevant subjects including English Language and Mathematics
- UTME/JAMB subject combination for relevant programs
- Acceptable UTME/JAMB score (180 and above)
- Participation in the post-UTME/DE screening exercise
- Affordability and availability of the desired course
Meeting these basic requirements only makes you eligible for consideration, not guaranteed admission. You must also fulfill the program-specific requirements for your chosen course of study.
Faculty-Specific Admission Requirements
Let’s look at the admission requirements for some popular faculties at UNILORIN:
Faculty of Agriculture
To be eligible for admission into the Faculty of Agriculture, you must have:
- Five O’level credit passes in relevant subjects including English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology at a maximum of two sittings
- Acceptable UTME Score (200 and above) in relevant subjects
- UTME subject combination: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics/Physics
- Participation in the post-UTME screening
Faculty of Arts
- Five O’level credit passes in relevant subjects including English Language and Literature in English at a maximum of two sittings
- UTME subject combination related to the course of study e.g. English, Literature, Government, History
- Minimum UTME score of 180
- Post-UTME/DE screening
Faculty of Law
- Five O’level credit passes including English Language and Literature in English
- Minimum UTME score of 200
- UTME Subjects – English Language, Literature in English, and any two Arts or Social Science subjects
- Successful interview session after post-UTME
Faculty of Social Sciences
- Five O’level credit passes including Mathematics and English Language
- 180 and above in UTME
- UTME subject combination related to the course of study
- Post-UTME screening
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Five O’level credit passes in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English and Mathematics at maximum of two sittings
- Minimum UTME score of 200
- UTME Subjects – Biology, Chemistry and Physics
- Successful interview after post-UTME
The list above covers some of the popular faculties at UNILORIN. Requirements may slightly differ for other faculties not mentioned. Be sure to verify the entry requirements for your specific department before applying.
UNILORIN Post UTME/Direct Entry Screening
After meeting the UTME requirements, eligible candidates are invited for the post-UTME or Direct Entry screening exercise. This comprises a written examination to further assess candidates’ competence for their chosen course. The post-UTME holds around August/September while Direct Entry screening holds in October.
To participate in UNILORIN post-UTME/DE, you must:
- Have obtained required O’level and UTME/Direct Entry qualifications
- Score 180 and above in UTME or have approved Direct Entry qualifications
- Register and pay for the screening within the stipulated period
- Download and print the examination slip
- Come with the exam slip, writing materials, and other required items on exam day
The post-UTME subjects and syllabus depend on your faculty and course of study. You will write tests relating to your department, alongside English and mathematics. Candidates are judged based on performance in the post-UTME, O’level grades, UTME scores, and other conditions like catchment area and quota system.
Meeting the post-UTME cutoff mark for your department is very crucial. Check your departmental cutoff from the previous admission year as a guide.
UNILORIN Catchment Area and Admission Quota
UNILORIN practices quota admission by allocating admission slots based on geopolitical zones and catchment areas. This allows equal representation of students across various regions in Nigeria.
40% of admission slots are reserved for candidates from Kwara state under the UNILORIN catchment area. The remaining 60% admission quota is reserved for candidates from other states under geopolitical zones.
The geopolitical quota system includes:
- North Central states (Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Plateau) – 30%
- South West states – 10%
- South East and South-South states – 10%
- North West and North East states – 10%
Candidates from the catchment area and geopolitical zones with the highest number of qualified applicants will have a higher chance during admission. However, merit is the primary factor, then catchment/quota system is applied.
UNILORIN Direct Entry Admission
The University of Ilorin also offers admission to Direct Entry (DE) applicants who already obtained certain higher qualifications rather than just O’levels.
The Direct Entry routes into UNILORIN include:
- Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE)
- National Diploma (ND)
- International Baccalaureates (IB)
- American Advanced Level General Certificate of Education (A’Levels GCE)
- Higher National Diploma (HND)
To qualify for Direct Entry admission, you must:
- Have obtained the approved higher qualification with excellent grades
- Participate in the Direct Entry screening
- Score well above departmental cutoff mark
- Meet other requirements like catchment/quota system
The number of Direct Entry candidates admitted per session is limited. Priority may be given to UTME applicants first before DE candidates.
Application Process, Deadline, and Fees
Applications into UNILORIN for the 2024/2025 academic year will commence around March 2024. The Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) portal opens first for UTME registration. Afterward, the university commences sales of post-UTME and Direct Entry forms around May/June 2024.
Here are key things to note about the application process:
- Register for JAMB/UTME and obtain your JAMB Registration Number (JRN)
- Sit for UTME in approved CBT center
- Use JRN to purchase UNILORIN post-UTME or Direct Entry form online
- Provide all required credentials, documents, and payments as instructed
- Print your examination slip afterwards
- Adhere strictly to deadlines for forms purchase, screening, registration etc. Deadlines are usually in August/September
- The application fee is N2,000 for post-UTME and N3,500 for Direct Entry screening