By THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session, even as the Federal Government has now firmly pegged the minimum age for tertiary institution admission at 16 years.
The decisions were made public on Tuesday at the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
According to JAMB, 140 was approved as the minimum cut-off for colleges of nursing sciences, while polytechnics and colleges of education are to admit candidates with scores from 100 and above.
“The minimum admissible scores for admissions for the next academic session have been fixed at 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics, 100 for colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences by the stakeholders (Heads of Tertiary Institutions),” the board disclosed via its official X handle.
In the same vein, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, formally declared 16 years as the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions across the country. Describing the directive as “non-negotiable,” the minister warned that institutions flouting the policy would face serious sanctions.
Dr Alausa also cautioned against any admission conducted outside of the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS), stressing that such admissions would be considered illegal and those involved, including heads of institutions, would be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, the board also unveiled the highest scorers in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with Okeke Chinedu Christian from Anambra State emerging top with an impressive score of 375 out of 400.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ish-aq Oloyede, announced the feat during the policy meeting, noting that Okeke selected the University of Lagos to study Mechanical Engineering.
Close behind was Ayuba Simon-Peter John from Gombe State, who scored 374 and applied to Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) for the same course. In third place was Jimoh Abdulmalik Olayinka from Kwara State, who scored 373 and also opted for Mechanical Engineering at the University of Lagos.
With new policies in place and outstanding performances from candidates, the stage is set for what promises to be a highly competitive admission season.
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