The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially approved 150 as the minimum cut-off score for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session.
This was announced on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, which took place at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja. The meeting brought together vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, and other education stakeholders to determine admission guidelines and benchmarks for the new academic cycle.
In a post shared via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, JAMB also revealed admission thresholds for other categories of tertiary institutions:
- Colleges of Nursing Sciences – 140
- Polytechnics – 100
- Colleges of Education – 100
- Colleges of Agriculture – 100
“These benchmarks were agreed upon by the heads of tertiary institutions across the country,” the statement noted.
Minimum Admission Age Set at 16
In a related policy update, the Federal Government has reaffirmed 16 years as the minimum age for candidates seeking admission into any tertiary institution in Nigeria.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, at the same policy meeting. He explained that the age requirement will now be strictly enforced via JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), to ensure institutional integrity and maturity readiness of prospective undergraduates.
According to the minister, provisions will be made for students who will attain the age of 16 on or before August 31, 2025, allowing them to be eligible for the 2025/2026 admission cycle.
UTME Glitches and Policy Reforms
This year’s policy decisions come in the wake of technical challenges experienced during the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). JAMB had previously acknowledged the glitches and conducted a rescheduled exam for candidates affected across various centers nationwide.
Stakeholders at the meeting called for continued improvements to ensure transparency, fairness, and efficiency in the admission process. Emphasis was also placed on aligning Nigeria’s education standards with international best practices, particularly in light of recent logistical lapses by other examining bodies.
