JAMB Approves 150 as Minimum Cut-Off Mark for University Admission in 2025

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, together with key stakeholders in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, has approved 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for university admission for the 2025 academic session.

The decision was reached on Monday during the annual policy meeting on admissions into tertiary institutions held in Abuja, where education leaders gathered to set new admission guidelines for the coming year.

According to the resolution, the approved score—known as the National Minimum Tolerable UTME Score—means that no university in Nigeria will be allowed to admit candidates who score below 150 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

However, universities are still allowed to set higher cut-off marks depending on the course or specific admission requirements. This means competitive courses may require higher scores beyond the national minimum.

In previous academic sessions, universities also used 150 as the general minimum benchmark, while polytechnics and colleges of education maintained a lower cut-off mark of 100 for admission.

The new decision was made after extensive discussions and voting by vice-chancellors, heads of tertiary institutions, and other education stakeholders present at the meeting.

The policy is expected to guide admissions into Nigerian universities for the 2025 academic year, ensuring a standard minimum requirement across institutions while still allowing flexibility for individual schools.