"The 2026 Policy Meeting has officially established the minimum tolerable admission scores for various tertiary institutions in Nigeria."
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has concluded its 2026 policy meeting, where key stakeholders in the education sector determined the minimum admission standards for the year. For candidates seeking admission into Nigerian universities, the minimum benchmark has been set at 150. Meanwhile, candidates looking to enroll in polytechnics, colleges of agriculture, or colleges of education must meet a minimum score of 100.
Additionally, the Board reiterated that the minimum age for admission into any tertiary institution in Nigeria remains 16 years. Candidates who do not meet the age requirement, regardless of their UTME score, are generally discouraged from applying, as this constitutes a policy violation. This decision was reached after extensive consultation with the heads of tertiary institutions and the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure standardized academic quality across the country.
These cut-off marks serve as the minimum floor for admission. However, individual universities retain the autonomy to set higher requirements for specific courses. Students are encouraged to visit the websites of their preferred institutions to understand individual faculty requirements. The Board also noted that while these scores are the current standard, they do not guarantee admission, as candidate performance and institutional capacity will ultimately determine the final selection for the 2026/2027 academic session.
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