The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has retained 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into universities for the 2026/2027 academic session.
Gatekeepers News reports that the decision was announced on Monday during JAMB’s policy meeting held in Abuja, following deliberations and voting by vice-chancellors present at the gathering.
According to the board, the approved benchmark for colleges of nursing is also 150, while polytechnics will admit candidates from 100 out of the 400 obtainable UTME marks.
The scores, officially referred to as the National Minimum Tolerable UTME Scores, represent the minimum benchmark below which tertiary institutions are not permitted to admit candidates.
However, institutions are still allowed to fix higher cut-off marks for applicants seeking admission into their programmes.
JAMB had fixed the university admission benchmark at 150 last year, a decision that generated public criticism from some Nigerians who argued that the score was too low for university admissions.
The board also announced that candidates seeking admission into education programmes and agriculture-related non-engineering courses would no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, confirmed that the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions remains 16 years.
“Following extensive consultations and policy reviews, the government has maintained sixteen (16) years as the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions.
“This position reflects a careful balance between inclusivity and academic readiness. While we recognise the existence of exceptionally gifted individuals, such cases must be treated within clearly defined and rigorously enforced guidelines to preserve the integrity of the system as a whole,” the minister said.
Alausa also warned that admissions conducted outside JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) remain illegal and would not be recognised by the government.
