The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced 150 as the official cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The decision was reached during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
According to JAMB, the cut-off mark for colleges of nursing is set at 140, while that for colleges of agriculture and colleges of education is 100.
The new benchmarks follow months of scrutiny after the Board acknowledged technical challenges in the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which led to a mop-up exam for affected candidates across the country.
Also speaking at the policy meeting, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s directive pegging 16 years as the minimum admissible age for tertiary education in Nigeria.
He emphasized that the age requirement is now a non-negotiable standard.
Dr. Alausa stated that the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) will be used to enforce the age limit, with consideration given to candidates who turn 16 by August 31, 2025.
“These measures are aimed at safeguarding academic standards, ensuring maturity among candidates, and promoting a streamlined admission process,” he said.
The annual policy meeting sets the tone and guidelines for admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.
Reporting by Martina Ogbonna