The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced new minimum admissible scores for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
According to the statement made by JAMB, heads of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, have unanimously agreed that the minimum cut-off mark for admission into universities and colleges of nursing should be 150, while polytechnics will accept candidates with a cutt-off mark of 100.
The decision is expected to guide the 2026 admission process for students who participated in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Many students have reacted differently to the announcement. Some candidates believe the cut-off marks are fair and will give more students an opportunity to gain admissions. Others, however, feel that some competitive courses may still require much higher scores despite the general minimum mark.
Education experts say the approved scores are only the minimum requirements and that individual institutions may still set higher cut-off marks depending on the course and number of applicants.
Students therefore are advised to monitor updates from their preferred institutions to know the exact admission requirements for their chosen courses.
The announcement made by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has attracted criticism with some saying that the cut-off marks are too low and that students wouldn’t feel the pressure to read.
No. It only means a candidate is eligible to apply. Some schools and courses may require higher scores.
A cut-off mark is the minimum UTME score a student must have before being considered for admission.
Yes. Schools can still choose their cut-off marks for competitive courses.
