• JAMB and heads of tertiary institutions approved 150 as the minimum UTME benchmark for university admissions in 2026
• Colleges of Nursing also adopted 150 as the minimum admissible score while polytechnics retained 100 as their minimum admission benchmark
• Public universities must complete admissions on or before October 31, 2026 while private universities have until November 30, 2026, to conclude admissions

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has approved 150 as the minimum admission benchmark for universities for the 2026 admission exercise following deliberations with heads of tertiary institutions across the country.

The decision was reached on Monday, May 11, during the 2026 JAMB Annual Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja, where stakeholders also agreed on timelines for the completion of admissions into universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education.

Under the new arrangement, no university in Nigeria will be allowed to admit candidates who score below 150 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

However, institutions are still permitted to adopt higher cut-off marks based on their admission requirements and competitiveness.

JAMB described the approved scores as the “National Minimum Tolerable UTME Scores,” stressing that institutions must comply with the agreed standards.

According to the board, “The Heads of Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria had unanimously agreed that the Minimum Admissible Scores for admissions into Universities should be 150, Colleges of Nursing, 150, and Polytechnics, 100.”

The benchmark remains unchanged from the previous admission exercise, where universities also adopted 150, while polytechnics and colleges of education retained 100 as the minimum requirement.

The resolutions followed extensive deliberations and voting by vice-chancellors, rectors and other stakeholders present at the policy meeting.

In addition to the admission benchmarks, stakeholders also approved deadlines for the conclusion of admissions across tertiary institutions nationwide as part of efforts to ensure uniformity and improve coordination in the admission process.

Public universities are expected to complete their admissions on or before October 31, 2026, while private universities have until November 30, 2026, to conclude their processes.

Polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education are required to round off admissions no later than December 31, 2026.

The policy meeting brought together vice-chancellors, rectors and education stakeholders to review admission procedures and strengthen compliance with JAMB regulations.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, also announced during the meeting that the Federal Government has retained 16 years as the minimum age requirement for admission into tertiary institutions across the country.

The minister said the policy remains in place as part of efforts to standardise the admission process and ensure that candidates are adequately prepared for higher education.

JAMB exempts Education, Agriculture candidates from UTME requirement

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board had announced a major reform to Nigeria’s tertiary admission process, revealing that candidates applying for Education programmes and Agriculture-related non-engineering courses will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

According to the examination body, the new policy is aimed at creating alternative admission pathways for students seeking entry into selected academic disciplines.