University Vice-chancellors, at the 2025 policy gathering hosted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), approved 150 as the minimum score required for admission into Nigerian universities.
With this decision, JAMB made it clear that no university across the country will be allowed to offer admission to any candidate who scores less than 150 in this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The resolution came during a meeting that brought together heads of tertiary institutions, where key admission guidelines for the 2025 academic session were discussed.
Despite the national minimum benchmark being fixed at 150, some top-ranking universities have opted for higher cut-off marks. For instance, the University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, and Pan-Atlantic University have each pegged their own minimum admission score at 200.
This move, according to officials at the meeting, is meant to ensure a balance between access to higher education and the maintenance of academic standards. The meeting, which is held annually, serves as a platform for stakeholders to review admission processes, assess the outcomes of the UTME, and set policies for the next academic year.
A representative from one of the institutions noted, “While the national benchmark is 150, universities still have the autonomy to raise their own standards based on capacity and competition.”
JAMB also used the opportunity to present updates on the performance trends of UTME candidates and shared admission data from the previous academic year. Discussions also included the timelines for post-UTME screenings and deadlines for institutions to upload admission lists to the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
