By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and other critical stakeholders in Nigeria’s education sector have approved 150 as the minimum tolerable admission score for universities for the 2025/2026 academic session, while also reaffirming 16 years as the minimum age requirement for admission into tertiary institutions across the country.
The decision was reached during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions, where heads of universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of education, colleges of nursing sciences, and other regulatory agencies deliberated on admission standards and the future of tertiary education in Nigeria.
According to the approved benchmark, universities across the country are expected to admit candidates who score a minimum of 150 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), while colleges of nursing sciences will admit from 140 upward.
READ ALSO:Where Is Jagun Jagun Star Bukunmi Oluwashina?
For polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of agriculture, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Institutions (IEIs), the minimum tolerable admission score was fixed at 100.
The policy meeting also maintained that no candidate below the age of 16 years would be considered eligible for admission into any tertiary institution in the country during the 2025/2026 academic session.
The development is expected to shape the admission process for millions of candidates seeking placement into Nigerian higher institutions this year, especially as many students and parents have anxiously awaited official clarification on admission benchmarks following the release of the 2025 UTME results.
Education stakeholders say the approved cut-off marks reflect efforts to balance access to higher education with the need to maintain academic standards within the nation’s tertiary institutions.
Observers note that while universities traditionally set higher departmental cut-off marks depending on competitiveness and available spaces, the benchmark approved at the policy meeting represents the minimum acceptable threshold institutions are permitted to adopt.
READ ALSO:Obi-Kwankwaso Alliance Sparks Fresh 2027 Political Debate
The Merit Newspaper reports that the decision on the 16-year minimum admission age also reinforces ongoing concerns among education authorities over the psychological readiness and academic maturity of younger candidates entering tertiary institutions.
In recent years, debates over age limits for university admission have generated nationwide conversations, with some parents advocating flexibility for exceptionally brilliant students, while others support stricter enforcement to protect academic and emotional development.
Analysts believe the latest policy direction may particularly affect candidates who performed below expectations in the UTME, as many may now explore alternatives such as polytechnics, colleges of education, nursing institutions, and vocational-focused Innovation Enterprise Institutions.
The policy meeting remains one of the most important annual gatherings in Nigeria’s education sector, as it determines admission guidelines, institutional responsibilities, and compliance expectations for tertiary institutions nationwide.
With the new benchmarks now officially approved, universities and other higher institutions are expected to begin announcing their individual admission procedures, including post-UTME screening requirements and departmental cut-off marks, in the coming weeks.
