The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and stakeholders in the tertiary education sector have approved 150 as the minimum admission benchmark for universities for the 2026 admission exercise.
The decision was reached on Monday during the 2026 annual policy meeting on admissions into tertiary institutions held in Abuja.
The approved scores, officially known as the National Minimum Tolerable UTME Scores, mean that no tertiary institution is permitted to admit candidates who score below the agreed benchmarks.
However, institutions are free to set higher cut-off marks for applicants seeking admission.
Last year, universities adopted 150 as the minimum benchmark, while polytechnics and colleges of education retained 100.
The benchmarks were adopted after extensive deliberations and voting by heads of tertiary institutions, including vice-chancellors.
