The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially announced 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session.
This decision was reached on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
The meeting, which brought together key stakeholders in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, including vice-chancellors, rectors, and provosts of higher institutions, as well as officials from the Federal Ministry of Education, served as a platform to determine admission guidelines for the upcoming academic year.
In a post published via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, JAMB disclosed that while universities will maintain a minimum score of 150 for admission consideration, other categories of tertiary institutions have varying thresholds.
According to the statement:
“The minimum admissible scores for admissions for the next academic session have been fixed at 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics, 100 for colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences by the stakeholders (Heads of Tertiary Institutions).”
The cut-off score for polytechnics and colleges of education remains unchanged at 100, consistent with recent years. However, a slightly higher benchmark of 140 was approved for colleges of nursing sciences, reflecting growing concerns around standards in healthcare education and the need for quality assurance in the training of nursing professionals.
The annual policy meeting is a critical part of the admission process in Nigeria, where uniform guidelines and criteria are established for institutions nationwide. The fixed cut-off marks serve as minimum benchmarks, though institutions retain the autonomy to set higher criteria based on competitiveness and programme demand.
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Observers note that the 150 cut-off for university admission aligns with efforts to strike a balance between access and academic standards, especially given the rising number of candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Further details regarding institutional quotas, timelines for post-UTME screenings, and admission schedules are expected to be released by JAMB and individual institutions in the coming weeks.
This development marks a significant milestone in the 2025 admissions cycle and sets the tone for what is expected to be a highly competitive year for Nigerian tertiary education hopefuls.
