The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has approved 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2026 academic session, bringing clarity to millions of candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions across the country. The decision was reached on Monday during the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions held in Abuja, where key stakeholders in the education sector gathered to deliberate on admission guidelines and standards for the new academic year.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, alongside vice chancellors, rectors, provosts, heads of regulatory agencies, and representatives of tertiary institutions from across the federation. Under the new arrangement, universities across Nigeria will not admit candidates who scored below 150 in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by JAMB.
The benchmark is expected to serve as the national minimum standard, although individual institutions retain the authority to fix higher cut-off marks depending on their admission capacity and competitiveness. Stakeholders at the meeting also agreed that polytechnics and monotechnics would admit candidates with a minimum score of 100, while colleges of nursing sciences are to maintain a minimum benchmark of 150.
The resolutions reached at the policy meeting are expected to guide the admission process into tertiary institutions nationwide and ensure uniformity in admission standards. Education stakeholders noted that the benchmark system was designed to balance access to tertiary education with the need to maintain academic quality. According to participants at the meeting, the cut-off marks reflect current realities within the education sector, including increasing competition for university placements and the need to expand opportunities for candidates through alternative institutions such as polytechnics and monotechnics.
Officials at the gathering stressed that while the approved minimum scores provide a national baseline, institutions are free to adopt stricter standards based on their programmes and available spaces. Highly competitive courses such as medicine, law, pharmacy, engineering, and nursing are expected to attract significantly higher institutional cut-off marks in many universities.
The annual policy meeting organised by JAMB remains one of the most important events in Nigeria’s education calendar, as it determines admission guidelines, timelines, and regulations for universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and other tertiary institutions.
For many candidates and parents, the announcement has already sparked mixed reactions. While some education advocates welcomed the 150 benchmark for universities as realistic and inclusive, others argued that institutions should focus more on improving academic quality and infrastructure rather than lowering entry barriers. Some stakeholders also expressed concern over the growing pressure on federal universities, where available admission slots remain far below the number of applicants seeking placement each year.
Analysts believe the situation continues to increase competition among candidates despite the broader admission benchmarks approved at the national level. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, reportedly urged institutions to maintain transparency and fairness throughout the admission process, emphasizing merit, equity, and adherence to due process. Observers say the 2026 admission exercise will likely witness intense competition, particularly among candidates seeking admission into top federal and state universities.
Many institutions are expected to announce their individual departmental and post-UTME requirements in the coming weeks. With the official benchmark now established, candidates who participated in the 2026 UTME are expected to begin preparations for the next phase of the admission process, including screening exercises and post-UTME examinations as required by their institutions of choice.
The latest decision by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board is seen as a major step toward streamlining the 2026 admission process and providing clear direction for institutions and applicants nationwide.
