From Joan Ebohon
There has been mixed reactions after JAMB and heads of tertiary institutions agreed to fix 150 as the minimum UTME score for university admissions for the 2026 academic session.
The decision was reached during the 2026 policy meeting on admissions held in Abuja on Monday. According to JAMB, universities and colleges of nursing will now use 150 as the minimum benchmark for admission, while polytechnics and colleges of education will continue with 100.
JAMB explained that no institution is allowed to admit candidates below the approved cut-off marks, although schools still have the right to set higher scores for their admissions.
In related developments at the same policy meeting, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, confirmed that the federal government has maintained 16 years as the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions nationwide.
