…insists all admissions must be conducted through the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS).
Abuja, Nigeria – The iNews Times reports that in a major decision shaping the 2025/2026 tertiary admission cycle, stakeholders across Nigeria’s higher education sector have approved 150 as the minimum Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) score for admission into universities.
The decision was reached at the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions and the 5th edition of the National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit Award (NATAP-M), held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Similarly, Polytechnics and Federal Colleges of Education endorsed 100 as their minimum admissible UTME score, while Schools and Colleges of Nursing opted for a slightly higher cut-off point of 140.
Presiding over the meeting, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, acknowledged the decisions of Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts but voiced concern over what he described as a “worryingly low” academic threshold, especially in light of the federal government’s continued investment in the education sector.
“We must reflect deeply on whether these scores truly reflect the level of investment and effort being put into revamping education,” Dr. Alausa remarked, while ultimately endorsing the resolutions reached by the stakeholders.
Sources at the meeting indicated that the Minister had initially proposed a 160-point minimum for university and 120 or higher for polytechnics and colleges of education. However, his proposal was overruled by the collective votes of the majority in attendance, pushing him to yield to the prevailing consensus.
Meanwhile, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, clarified that the decision on cut-off marks was not made by JAMB, but by leaders of tertiary institutions themselves.
“This is not JAMB’s decision. The cut-off marks were determined by Vice Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts, and other institutional heads,” Prof. Oloyede stated.
“However, institutions retain the autonomy to set higher minimum scores than the general benchmark if they so wish. What they are not permitted to do is admit any candidate who scores below the national cut-off agreed upon during the Policy Meeting.”
Prof. Oloyede further emphasized that all admissions must be conducted through the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS).
He warned that institutions flouting the guidelines or admitting candidates outside the CAPS framework risk sanctions, as directed by the Ministry of Education.
The rationale behind lowering the cut-off scores, according to some meeting participants, was to increase access and enrollment, particularly in institutions struggling to attract applicants.
“Many institutions barely have enough qualified candidates. Reducing the cut-off will open up the space and allow more students to qualify for admittance,” one stakeholder explained to journalists on the sidelines of the event.
In a related development, the Policy Meeting also approved timelines for the conclusion of the 2025/2026 entry process.
Admissions into public universities are expected to close by October, while private universities will be allowed to continue admissions into November or December.
As the entry cycle begins, institutions are expected to align their internal policies with the decisions reached at the Policy Meeting to ensure a smooth and compliant admission process nationwide.
