Nigeria’s University admission threshold for the 2026/2027 academic session has been confirmed at 150, after Vice Chancellors attending today’s JAMB Policy Meeting in Abuja voted unanimously to retain the score that governed the previous admission cycle.
The heads of tertiary institutions agreed that the minimum admissible scores would be 150 for Universities, 150 for colleges of nursing, and 100 for polytechnics out of the 400 obtainable marks.
The decision means candidates who sat the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination now have a confirmed benchmark against which their eligibility for admission will be measured. Breakdowns of cut off mark for each University and polytechnics have been outlined here: JAMB Cut Off Marks for Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education
The Policy Meeting, held at the Body of Benchers Auditorium in Jabi, Abuja, was chaired by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and brought together vice chancellors, rectors, provosts, registrars, admission officers and representatives from the National Universities Commission, the National Commission for Colleges of Education and the National Board for Technical Education.
The 2026 UTME was held between April 16 and April 25, 2026, with 2,243,816 candidates registered for the examination. Each of those candidates now knows the minimum score required before any institution can consider their application.
The meeting also addressed several wider policy matters that will shape the 2026/2027 admission cycle. Minister Alausa declared that admissions conducted outside JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System were illegal and would not be recognised, a firm warning directed at institutions that have historically processed admissions through unofficial channels.
Also, from 2027, candidates sitting the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination will be permitted to use their own personal devices, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has confirmed.
Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the board’s registrar, announced the policy shift on Monday in Abuja at the 2026 admissions policy meeting, explaining that a flash drive would be inserted into each candidate’s device during the examination to prevent malpractice.
Oloyede stated that the new arrangement would cut the cost of running the examination and reduce the logistical burden on the board. He added that it would also put an end to repeated complaints from candidates whose computers had gone off during the examination, affecting their performance. Further innovations, he noted, would accompany the device policy before the 2027 examination cycle begins.
On the question of age, the minister confirmed that 16 years remains the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions, describing the position as a careful balance between inclusivity and academic readiness, while noting that exceptionally gifted individuals below that age must be treated within clearly defined and rigorously enforced guidelines.
For context, JAMB had set the university cut off at 140 in 2024 before raising it to 150 in 2025, making today’s decision a continuation of the higher benchmark rather than a return to the lower threshold some candidates had anticipated.
The 6th edition of the National Tertiary Admissions Performance Merit Awards was also held during the meeting, recognising Institutions that have maintained strict compliance with JAMB’s admission guidelines.
Candidates are encouraged to log into the JAMB CAPS portal regularly and respond promptly to any admission updates once the exercise begins.
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