The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has set 150 as the minimum cut off mark for admission into universities for the 2026/2027 academic session, retaining the same benchmark applied in the previous year, following a unanimous vote by Vice Chancellors at today's Policy Meeting in Abuja.

The cut off for colleges of nursing was also fixed at 150, while polytechnics were pegged at 100 out of the 400 obtainable marks. The heads of tertiary Institutions in Nigeria unanimously agreed on these figures as the minimum admissible scores across all three categories. 

The decision was reached at the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions held at the Body of Benchers Auditorium in Jabi, Abuja, chaired by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and attended by vice chancellors, rectors, provosts, registrars, admission officers and representatives of regulatory bodies, including the National Universities Commission, the National Commission for Colleges of Education and the National Board for Technical Education.

For candidates who sat the 2026 UTME, the retained benchmark means the same score threshold from the 2025 cycle applies. In 2024, JAMB had approved 140 as the minimum cut off mark for universities, before raising it to 150 in 2025.

Beyond the cut off marks, the meeting produced several other significant policy positions. Minister Alausa confirmed that the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions remains 16 years. "Following extensive consultations and policy reviews, the government has maintained sixteen years as the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions. This position reflects a careful balance between inclusivity and academic readiness. While we recognise the existence of exceptionally gifted individuals, such cases must be treated within clearly defined and rigorously enforced guidelines to preserve the integrity of the system as a whole," he stated.

The minister also declared that admissions conducted outside JAMB's Central Admissions Processing System were illegal and would not be recognised, reinforcing the board's position that CAPS remains the only lawful channel through which admission offers can be made and accepted.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has also announced plans to introduce a "Bring Your Own Device" option for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination from 2027.

Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during the 2026 policy meeting on admissions into tertiary institutions, stating that candidates would be allowed to use their personal devices for the examination, with a flash drive inserted to block malpractice and maintain the integrity of the test.

Oloyede noted that the arrangement would lower the cost of conducting the examination and ease its management, while addressing longstanding complaints from candidates who have reported computers shutting down during the examination. He added that additional innovations would also be rolled out by 2027 for a seamless examination process.

A total of 2,243,816 candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, which was held between April 16 and April 25, 2026. The cut off marks announced today will determine which of those candidates are eligible for consideration by institutions when the admission window opens. 

The meeting also featured the 6th edition of the National Tertiary Admissions Performance Merit Awards, which recognises institutions that have demonstrated consistency and integrity in adhering to JAMB's admission guidelines.

Candidates are advised to log into the JAMB CAPS portal to monitor their admission status and respond promptly to any updates once the admission exercise commences.