The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed Monday, May 11, 2026, to decide the minimum Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) cut-off marks for the 2026/2027 academic session.
This was disclosed on Sunday by the board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, in a statement announcing that the decision would be taken during JAMB’s annual policy meeting on admissions scheduled to hold in Abuja.
For this year’s UTME examination, which was held between April 16 and April 25, 2026, over 2.2 million candidates registered for the exercise.
What JAMB is saying
Benjamin said the meeting would also unveil key policy directions for the new admission cycle, to be presented by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.
He described the policy meeting as a major platform where stakeholders deliberate on admission benchmarks and frameworks.
- “The board’s annual policy meeting on admissions is a crucial annual gathering where stakeholders decide minimum tolerable UTME marks, admission guidelines, and policies for tertiary institutions.”
He further noted that the meeting would formally kick off the 2026/2027 admission process while reinforcing strict compliance with established rules.
- “Furthermore, the meeting is expected to, in particular, formally set the tone for the 2026/2027 admission exercise while impressing on attendees the need to adhere strictly to stipulated guidelines.”
Benjamin also said the meeting would bring together top officials across the tertiary education system, including heads of institutions and regulatory agencies.
Get up to speed
In January 2026, JAMB announced that the UTME would be held nationwide from April 16 to April 25.
The UTME is a standardized examination conducted by JAMB for candidates seeking admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in Nigeria.
- In early March, the board disclosed that 2,243,816 candidates registered for the examination, with Lagos State recording the highest number at 321,814, followed by Kaduna State with 303,498.
On April 20, JAMB began releasing results, announcing that 1,264,940 results had been released for candidates who sat for the exam between April 17 and 18.
What you should know
Over the years, JAMB’s cut-off marks for university admissions have seen notable fluctuations and an overall decline.
- While the benchmark hovered around 180 between 2008 and 2017, it dropped sharply to 120 between 2017 and 2019, a decline of about 33.3%.
- It was later raised to 160 between 2019 and 2021 before settling at 140 between 2021 and 2023, representing a 12.5% decrease from the previous range and about a 22.2% drop from the long-standing 180 mark.
- More recently, in 2024, JAMB approved 140 as the minimum cut-off mark for universities, while polytechnics and colleges of education were pegged at 100.
In 2025, the board set minimum admissible scores at 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences, highlighting a gradual downward adjustment in admission thresholds over time.
