The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved a minimum cut-off mark of 150 for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2026 academic session, maintaining the benchmark used in recent admission cycles.
According to official education policy updates ahead of the annual admission policy meeting, the decision aligns with the Board’s continuing effort to standardise entry requirements across tertiary institutions while still allowing universities to set higher departmental thresholds where necessary.
The cut-off marks are typically finalised during JAMB’s National Policy Meeting, where stakeholders in the education sector—including vice chancellors, rectors, and provosts—agree on the minimum scores required for admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Under the approved structure, universities will not be allowed to admit candidates below the 150 benchmark, while other institutions such as polytechnics and colleges of education are expected to operate lower minimum thresholds.
Education officials note that the figure represents a baseline score, not a guarantee of admission, as competitive courses like Medicine, Law, and Engineering often require significantly higher scores set by individual institutions.
The policy is also aimed at balancing access to higher education with academic standards, as Nigeria continues to grapple with rising numbers of UTME candidates competing for limited university spaces.
The final nationwide admission guidelines for 2026 are expected to be formally ratified at the upcoming JAMB policy meeting in Abuja, after which universities will begin releasing their departmental cut-off marks and admission schedules.
