150 or higher? JAMB to unveil minimum UTME cut-off marks for 2026/2027 admissions on May 11

SUMMARY

• The National Policy Meeting will be held on May 11, 2026, in Abuja to officially determine the minimum UTME cut-off marks for Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education.

• No Nigerian tertiary institution, federal, state, or private, is permitted to announce departmental cut-offs or begin the 2026/2027 admission exercise until this meeting concludes.

• While previous minimums were 150 for Universities and 100 for Polytechnics, the new 2026 benchmarks will be based strictly on the overall performance of this year's UTME candidates.

The wait is almost over for millions of 2026 UTME candidates. 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially scheduled Monday, May 11, 2026, for the National Policy Meeting on Admissions. 

The announcement was confirmed by JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin.

The session will determine the minimum "tolerable" cut-off marks for all Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education for the 2026/2027 academic session.

RELATED: 5 ways to gain university admission in Nigeria without JAMB (most students don’t know this)

The meeting will be held at the Body of Benchers Auditorium in Jabi, Abuja.

It will be chaired by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who will outline the key policy directions governing this year's admission cycle.

READ ALSO: 10 best courses to study in Nigeria with a low JAMB score (2026)

The Policy Meeting is the most significant event in the Nigerian tertiary education calendar. Here is what will be decided:

While 2025 saw a minimum of 150 for Universities and 100 for Polytechnics, these figures are subject to change based on the 2026 performance statistics. 

Stakeholders will vote on the "minimum tolerable" scores for Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education.

New rules regarding the 2026/2027 session will be established to ensure all institutions follow a uniform process.

A full review of how candidates performed in the 2026 UTME will be presented.

The event will also feature the 6th edition of the National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit Awards, where JAMB rewards schools that strictly adhered to admission rules last year.

The decisions aren't made by JAMB alone. The room will be filled with:

• Vice-Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts.

• Registrars and Admission Officers.

• Regulatory bodies (NUC, NBTE, and NCCE).

Representatives from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the NYSC.

Until this meeting is concluded, no tertiary institution in Nigeria, whether federal, state, or private, can officially announce its own departmental cut-off marks or begin the 2026/2027 admission exercise.

In the previous 2025 session, the minimum benchmark was set at 150 for Universities, 140 for Colleges of Nursing, and 100 for Polytechnics. 

Whether these figures will stay the same or increase for 2026 depends entirely on the collective performance of students this year.

Important Note: Candidates are advised to ignore any "official" cut-off marks currently circulating on social media. The only valid benchmarks will be those announced after the May 11 meeting.

READ ALSO: How to pass Post-UTME even if your JAMB score is low

• Upload O'Level Results: Ensure your WAEC/NECO results are correctly uploaded to the JAMB CAPS portal.

• Verify Profile: Check for any data inconsistencies in your JAMB profile to avoid delays once admissions begin.