JAMB Sticks With 150 Cut-Off Mark for Varsity Admissions

 JAMB Sticks With 150 Cut-Off Mark for Varsity Admissions

By Idris Alooma 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into universities for the 2025/2026 academic session, reinforcing a policy that continues to generate intense debate across the education sector.

The decision was reached during the 2026 annual policy meeting on admissions into tertiary institutions held in Abuja, where key stakeholders — including vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, and other education administrators — gathered to deliberate on admission standards and the future of tertiary education in the country.

The benchmark, officially described as the National Minimum Tolerable UTME Score, establishes the lowest score candidates must attain in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) before they can be considered for admission into Nigerian universities.

Under the new arrangement, no university is permitted to admit candidates who score below 150, although institutions retain the discretion to adopt higher cut-off marks based on their admission policies and competitiveness.

The policy effectively sustains the status quo from the previous admission cycle, when universities also adopted 150 as the baseline benchmark, while polytechnics and colleges of education maintained 100 as their minimum entry scores.

Education stakeholders at the meeting noted that the benchmark emerged after extensive consultations, deliberations, and voting among heads of tertiary institutions, reflecting what many described as a balance between preserving academic standards and expanding access to tertiary education for thousands of Nigerian students.

For many observers, the retention of the 150 benchmark underscores the persistent tension between quality and accessibility within Nigeria’s education system. While critics argue that lowering admission thresholds could further weaken academic standards in universities already grappling with infrastructural deficits and declining educational quality, supporters insist that rigidly high cut-off marks would unfairly deny opportunities to many young Nigerians seeking university education in a highly competitive environment.

Analysts also point to the growing pressure on tertiary institutions caused by rising numbers of UTME candidates each year. With limited admission spaces available nationwide, universities increasingly rely on post-UTME screenings and departmental requirements to separate exceptional candidates from the broader pool of applicants.

Beyond the numerical benchmark, stakeholders at the Abuja meeting reportedly emphasized the need for institutions to strengthen merit-based admissions, uphold transparency in the admission process, and address concerns surrounding illegal admissions and quota abuses.

The annual policy meeting remains one of the most significant gatherings in Nigeria’s education calendar, as it shapes admission guidelines for millions of prospective students across universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and other tertiary institutions nationwide.

For candidates and parents anxiously awaiting the commencement of the admission process, the announcement provides a clearer picture of the academic landscape ahead — one where institutions are expected to balance inclusiveness with the pursuit of academic excellence.

Meanwhile candidates seeking admission into University of Education and Agriculture may not necessarily have to go through the UTME process again.