JAMB sets 150 as university cut-off mark, set entry age at 16

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into universities across Nigeria for the upcoming academic session.

The announcement was made on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.

The meeting brought together key stakeholders in the education sector, including heads of tertiary institutions and representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education.

According to JAMB, other cut-off marks were also agreed upon: 140 for colleges of nursing sciences, and 100 for both polytechnics and colleges of education.

“The minimum admissible scores for admissions for the next academic session have been fixed at 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics, 100 for colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences by the stakeholders,” JAMB posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

In a related development, the Federal Government has officially set 16 years as the minimum admissible age for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions in the country.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who also spoke at the policy meeting, said the new age requirement will be strictly enforced via JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). However, provisions will be made for candidates who will attain the age of 16 by August 31, 2025.

The minister emphasized that the age policy is aimed at promoting maturity and academic readiness among students entering higher institutions.

The new measures are part of broader efforts to standardize and improve the quality of tertiary education in Nigeria.