2026 UTME: JAMB pegs varsity, nursing admission cut-off at 150
By Uji A Iliyasu Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into universities and colleges of nursing for the 2026 academic session.
The board also retained 100 as the minimum score for admission into polytechnics and monotechnics across the country.
The decisions were reached on Monday at the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said the approved benchmarks represent the minimum acceptable requirements for admission and must be strictly observed by all institutions.
He stressed that candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions must meet the prescribed standards.
Stakeholders at the meeting also agreed on timelines for the completion of the 2026 admission processes.
Under the arrangement, public universities are expected to conclude admissions on or before 31 October 2026, while private universities have until 30 November 2026, to complete their processes.
Polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education are to conclude admissions not later than 31 December 2026.
In his remarks, the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, directed institutions to strictly comply with the approved admission schedule.
Oloyede warned that any institution that fails to conclude its admission process within the stipulated deadline would no longer have access to candidates for that admission cycle.
He also announced that successful candidates must accept their admission offers within four weeks, noting that failure to do so would lead to withdrawal of the offers.
He said candidates who fail to accept admission within the stipulated period may become ineligible for further admission consideration for the session.
The JAMB Registrar explained that the policy is aimed at promoting fairness, transparency and the timely completion of admissions across tertiary institutions in Nigeria.