The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that the minimum cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session is set at 150. This decision was reached during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja. Alongside universities, the cut-off marks for other tertiary institutions were also fixed: 140 for colleges of nursing, and 100 each for polytechnics, colleges of agriculture, and colleges of education.
JAMB stated that these minimum admissible scores were agreed upon by stakeholders, including heads of tertiary institutions, to standardize admission requirements nationwide. The policy meeting also serves as a platform to discuss admission guidelines, timelines, and registration deadlines for the upcoming academic year.
This announcement comes amid concerns over the declining performance in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), where many candidates scored below previous thresholds. By setting the cut-off at 150 for universities, JAMB aims to balance accessibility with maintaining academic standards. Individual institutions, however, retain the right to set higher cut-off marks for competitive courses.
The cut-off mark declaration also coincides with the announcement of the top scorers in the 2025 UTME, highlighting the board’s commitment to transparency and fairness in Nigeria’s admission process. This policy is expected to guide millions of candidates and their families as they prepare for university admission this year.