ABUJA, Nigeria – The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially set 150 as the National Minimum Tolerable UTME Score for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2026/2027 academic session.
Okay News reports that the decision was reached on Monday during the annual admission policy meeting in Abuja. The benchmark was established following a vote by vice-chancellors and heads of tertiary institutions present at the gathering.
Under the newly approved guidelines, the minimum score for Colleges of Nursing has also been set at 150, while Polytechnics will maintain a minimum cut-off of 100 out of the 400 obtainable marks. While no institution is permitted to admit candidates below these national benchmarks, individual schools remain at liberty to set higher requirements based on their specific departmental capacities and demand.
During the meeting, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, clarified that the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions remains 16 years. He noted that the government maintained this age limit to strike a balance between inclusivity and the academic readiness of students entering higher education.
The Minister further reiterated that any admission conducted outside of JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) is illegal and will not be recognized by the federal government. This measure is intended to ensure transparency and prevent the exploitation of candidates during the admission cycle.
