The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in collaboration with heads of tertiary institutions across Nigeria, has announced new policy directives for the 2025/2026 admission cycle.
These decisions were reached during the 2025 JAMB Policy Meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday, where critical resolutions were made concerning admission cut-off scores, candidate age requirements, and top-performing candidates.
One of the major highlights of the meeting was the adoption of 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities.
This marks an upward shift from the previous year’s benchmark of 140, reflecting a more competitive threshold for aspiring university students. The decision was unanimously agreed upon by Vice-Chancellors of various universities present at the meeting.
Similarly, Rectors of Polytechnics and Provosts of Colleges of Education and Agriculture fixed their minimum acceptable UTME score at 100, while Colleges of Nursing agreed on a minimum score of 140 for the 2025/2026 admission session.
These cut-off marks are intended to serve as general guidelines for institutions, although individual schools may set higher standards based on their internal admission policies.
The Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ish-aq Oloyede, who presided over the meeting, explained that these scores were the result of a collective consensus among stakeholders in the education sector.
He noted that the objective is to maintain a fair and transparent admission process while raising academic standards.
In the same vein, Professor Oloyede announced the most sought-after universities in the country, based on data from the 2025/2026 UTME applications.
Lagos State University (LASU), University of Lagos (UNILAG), and University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) emerged as the top three institutions preferred by candidates nationwide.
Additionally, the Policy Meeting provided an opportunity to showcase outstanding performance in the just-concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The top scorer for the 2025 exam is Okeke Chinedu Christian from Anambra State, who attained an impressive score of 375 out of 400. He selected UNILAG to study Mechanical Engineering.
Coming in second is Ayuba Simon-Peter John from Gombe State, who scored 374 and chose Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) for the same course. Jimoh Abdulmalik Olayinka, hailing from Kwara State, secured the third spot with a score of 373 and also opted for Mechanical Engineering at UNILAG.
In another significant development, the Federal Government has officially fixed the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions at 16 years. This was confirmed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during the policy meeting.
Dr. Alausa addressed the longstanding debate over age eligibility for higher education, stating, “The issue of age at entry has generated much debate, but our position is clear. The entry age for admission is now officially pegged at 16 years.”
He further clarified that while exceptions may exist for gifted children or those with accelerated academic progress, such cases must be explicitly documented and justified.
The Minister also issued a stern warning to institutions attempting to manipulate birth records to admit underage candidates. “This policy is non-negotiable,” Alausa said. “Any institution found violating this rule will face appropriate sanctions.”
The 2025 Policy Meeting was convened as part of JAMB’s commitment to review admission protocols, promote transparency, and foster better coordination between regulatory bodies and tertiary institutions across the country.