JAMB Retains 150 Cut-Off Mark for University Admissions

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and key stakeholders in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector have approved 150 as the minimum admission benchmark for universities for the 2026 academic session.

The decision was reached on Monday during the annual policy meeting on admissions into tertiary institutions held in Abuja, where education officials, vice-chancellors, rectors and heads of other institutions deliberated on guidelines for the new admission cycle.

The benchmark, officially referred to as the National Minimum Tolerable UTME Score, means no university in the country is permitted to admit candidates who scored below 150 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Institutions, however, retain the right to set higher cut-off marks depending on the competitiveness of their programmes and internal admission policies.

The approved score maintains the benchmark adopted during the previous admission exercise, when universities also settled for 150 as the minimum requirement for admission consideration.

Polytechnics and colleges of education had previously adopted 100 as their minimum benchmark.

The admission policy was adopted after deliberations and voting by heads of tertiary institutions and other stakeholders at the meeting coordinated by JAMB.

The annual gathering is usually convened to harmonise admission procedures, determine minimum entry requirements and outline policy directions for universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions across the country.

The decision is expected to provide clarity for candidates seeking admission into Nigerian universities ahead of the commencement of the 2026 admission process.