The admission landscape for the 2026/2027 academic session has officially begun to take shape following the announcement of the new JAMB cut-off marks for universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and colleges of nursing across Nigeria.
Also read: Guber Poll: JAMB shifts 2023 Mock UTME to March 30
The decision was unveiled during the annual policy meeting organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on May 11. The gathering attracted major stakeholders within the nation’s education sector, including the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, vice-chancellors, rectors, registrars, and heads of tertiary institutions from different parts of the country.
According to the resolutions reached during the meeting, candidates seeking admission into universities and colleges of nursing must score a minimum of 150 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination before they can be considered for admission.
For polytechnics, the benchmark was fixed at 100, while candidates applying for Colleges of Education and Agriculture-related programmes under non-engineering categories will no longer require UTME scores as part of their admission consideration.
The newly approved minimum admissible scores are outlined below:
- Universities — 150
- Colleges of Nursing — 150
- Polytechnics — 100
- Colleges of Education/Agriculture — No UTME score required
This latest adjustment signals a remarkable shift within parts of the education sector, particularly for candidates pursuing NCE and selected agriculture programmes. The exemption from UTME means applicants under those categories may now gain admission through alternative institutional procedures without sitting for the national entrance examination.
However, candidates must understand that the figures announced by JAMB merely represent the lowest acceptable admission thresholds. Institutions still retain the authority to establish higher departmental or institutional cut-off marks depending on competitiveness, available admission quotas, and internal screening standards.
In practical terms, scoring 150 does not automatically secure admission into a university. Highly sought-after courses such as Medicine, Law, Pharmacy, Engineering, and Computer Science are still expected to attract significantly higher institutional benchmarks.
The same principle applies to nursing colleges and polytechnics. Meeting the national minimum score only grants eligibility for consideration. Candidates may still be required to participate in screening exercises, aptitude tests, or Post-UTME examinations organized by their chosen institutions.
With the release of the official cut-off marks, many public tertiary institutions are now expected to commence the sale of Post-UTME forms and announce screening schedules in the coming weeks. Admission seekers are therefore advised to monitor updates from their preferred schools closely to avoid missing important deadlines.
For serious candidates, preparation should not wait until screening forms become available. A large number of students make the mistake of postponing preparation until examination dates are announced, leaving them with inadequate revision time. Beginning preparation early offers a stronger advantage, especially for candidates targeting competitive courses and institutions.
The 2026/2027 admission season is gradually unfolding, and for thousands of hopeful applicants across Nigeria, the next few months may determine the beginning of an entirely new academic journey.
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