JAMB Peg Minimum Admissible Scores IntoTertiary Institutions At 150, 100
By Alice Etuka, Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced 150 as the minimum admissible UTME score into universities, colleges of nursing and 100 for polytechnics and monotechnics in the 2026/2027 academic year.
This was concluded at the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Nigerian Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja on Monday where stakeholders voted for their scores of choices.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa maintained that the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) was the only approved vehicle for admission into the nation’s tertiary institutions.
He however, announced that the Federal Ministry of Education, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, took a deliberate policy position to scrap UTME as a requirement for candidates seeking admission into the NCE programme, who possess a minimum of four (4) credit passes.
“However, it is imperative to emphasise that such candidates shall mandatorily register with JAMB, and their credentials shall be duly screened, verified, and certified for the issuance of admission letters through CAPS, in accordance with extant regulations”, he said.
The Minister further stated, “this exemption shall extend to candidates seeking admission into National Diploma programmes in non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related courses”. He also said 16 years remained the permitted age for admission into Tertiary Institutions in the country.
On his part, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede noted that 1,012,944 candidates (both UTME and Direct Entry) had gained admission in the 2025/2026 academic session so far.
He however lamented that there was a high admission quota in faculty of Education, but very low applications. The most sought-after faculty was Medicine followed by sciences.
The registrar also disclosed that the greatest challenge faced by the Board was examination malpractice and urged parents to desist from encouraging such practice.
