The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in collaboration with key stakeholders in the tertiary education sector, has approved a minimum Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) score of 150 as the national cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2025 academic session.

This decision was reached at the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions, held in Abuja on Tuesday. In addition to the university benchmark, the meeting also approved 100 as the minimum cut-off for polytechnics and colleges of education, while 140 was adopted for colleges of nursing.

Stakeholders at the meeting emphasized that no institution should admit candidates who score below these benchmarks, although individual institutions are still at liberty to set higher cut-off marks based on their internal admission policies.

Last year, the minimum cut-off for universities stood at 140, with polytechnics and colleges of education maintaining 100. This year’s meeting witnessed a vote among institutional heads—vice-chancellors for universities, rectors for polytechnics, and provosts for colleges of education—to determine the new benchmarks.

While JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, advocated for a minimum score of 160, several stakeholders pushed back. Proposals included 140 from the Vice-Chancellor of Michael Lawrence University, Abuja, and 130 from Lighthouse University. However, Olabisi Onabanjo University’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, who supported 160, received limited backing. Ultimately, the 150 benchmark proposed by the University of Port Harcourt’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, gained wider acceptance.

Prof. Oloyede emphasized that institutions which had previously proposed lower minimum scores must now align with the national consensus. “Every institution must now adjust its minimum cut-off to reflect the agreed national standard,” he said.

In his address, Dr. Alausa reiterated the Federal Government’s stance on the minimum age of 16 years for entry into tertiary institutions. “The age requirement for admission is now officially set at 16. It is a non-negotiable policy and must be strictly adhered to,” he declared.

He warned that any admission process conducted outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) would be deemed invalid and illegal.

“The debate on the appropriate entry age has lingered for years, but we must now draw the line,” Alausa added. “The policy shift from the earlier proposed 18 years to 16 reflects our commitment to balancing cognitive maturity with academic readiness.”

However, Alausa noted that exceptions may be allowed in rare cases, especially for exceptionally gifted students or those who have experienced accelerated academic progression. “Such exceptions must be clearly documented and justifiable,” he said.

He further cautioned institutions and candidates against tampering with age records to circumvent the policy, warning that any such manipulation would be met with stringent penalties.