In a decisive move to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s tertiary education system, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in conjunction with key stakeholders in the education sector, has officially announced the national minimum cut-off marks for admissions into higher institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The announcement was made on Tuesday at the JAMB 2025 Policy Meeting held in Abuja, presided over by the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa. Present at the high-level gathering were Vice Chancellors of Universities, Rectors of Polytechnics, Provosts of Colleges of Education, and heads of other tertiary institutions.
Dr. Alausa, while announcing the approved cut-off marks, emphasized that no institution would be allowed to admit candidates below the nationally agreed thresholds. He warned that any institution found violating this directive would face regulatory sanctions.
“For universities, the cut-off point will be 150. For colleges of nursing, the cut-off will be 140. For polytechnics, colleges of agriculture, and colleges of education, the minimum cut-off will remain at 100,” the Minister stated.
The Education Minister further stressed the importance of transparency and adherence to timelines in the admission process, urging all institutions to maintain the credibility of the system and avoid acts that could jeopardize the trust of stakeholders.
The policy meeting also reached a consensus on strict deadlines for the conclusion of admission processes which gives Public Universities till ending of October 2025, Private Universities, November 2025, for Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, December 2025.
Speaking at the event, the Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, issued a stern directive that institutions must complete and submit their 2024 admission lists before commencing 2025 admissions.
“Any institution that has not submitted its 2024 list of matriculated candidates will not be allowed to commence the 2025 admission exercise. Additionally, all records on matriculation will be forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Education as directed by the Minister,” he said.
Professor Oloyede also cautioned institutions against arbitrary changes to admission guidelines. He disclosed that any institution that fails to upload its Senate-approved brochure to the Integrated Brochure and Syllabus System (IBASS) by October 31, 2025, would forfeit the right to introduce any modified criteria for the 2026 admissions cycle.
