The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that the minimum admissible score, commonly known as the cut-off mark, for university admissions in the 2026/2027 academic session remains at 150. This decision was made during the board's policy meeting held in Abuja on Monday, May 11, 2026.
According to reports from Channels TV, the resolution followed a vote conducted among vice-chancellors present at the meeting. Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of JAMB, presided over the session, which also set cut-off marks for other tertiary institutions.
Cut-Off Marks for Polytechnics and Nursing Colleges
During the policy meeting, heads of tertiary institutions across Nigeria unanimously agreed that the minimum admissible score for admission into Colleges of Nursing should be 150, while polytechnics are to set their cut-off mark at 100. These benchmarks are intended to standardize admissions across the country.
A post on JAMB's official X (formerly Twitter) handle confirmed the new updates, emphasizing the collaborative decision-making process involving institutional leaders.
UTME 2026 Results Released
JAMB also disclosed that the results of over 1.8 million candidates who sat for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have been released. Out of the 2,243,761 candidates who registered for the examination, 1,897,692 results are now available.
In its official bulletin obtained by Legit.ng, the board stated that candidates can currently only view their scores. Result slips are not yet available for printing. To check results, candidates are required to send the word UTMERESULT via SMS to 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number (SIM) that was used during registration.
The UTME, which began on Thursday, April 16, 2026, concluded on Saturday, April 25, 2026. It was conducted in multiple sessions daily across accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in Lagos State, Abuja, and other locations nationwide. Additional results are being released in batches as they become available.
JAMB's Role in Nigerian Education
JAMB, led by Professor Ishaq Oloyede, conducts the UTME for undergraduate admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions and sets national minimum standards for placement. The board's spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, previously emphasized the strategic importance of JAMB to Nigeria's admission system, stating that the country's enrolment system would not function effectively without the board.
Data released by JAMB ahead of the 2026 examination showed a slight increase in candidate registration compared to the previous year, with approximately 2.2 million candidates registered for the exercise.
Key Highlights
- University cut-off mark retained at 150 for 2026/2027 session.
- Colleges of Nursing cut-off mark set at 150.
- Polytechnics cut-off mark set at 100.
- Over 1.8 million UTME results released out of 2.2 million registered candidates.
- Results can be checked via SMS to 55019 or 66019.
This announcement provides clarity for prospective university students and other tertiary institution applicants as they prepare for the next admission cycle.
