The federal government has approved 150 as the minimum admissible score for admission into private and public universities across Nigeria for the 2026 academic session.
Tunji Alausa, minister of education. announced the decision on Monday during the 2026 admission policy meeting organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Abuja.
According to the minister, heads of tertiary institutions unanimously agreed on the new benchmarks for admissions into higher institutions.
Under the arrangement, universities and colleges of nursing will adopt 150 as the minimum admissible score, while polytechnics will admit candidates with a minimum score of 100.
“The Heads of Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria unanimously agreed that the Minimum Admissible Scores for admissions into Universities should be 150, Colleges of Nursing, 150, and Polytechnics, 100,” the statement reads.
The government also announced that candidates seeking admission into education programmes and agriculture non-engineering courses will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
“Candidates seeking admission into Education Programs and Agriculture non-Engineering Courses are now exempted from UTME,” the minister added.
The decision forms part of ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s tertiary education admission system aimed at improving access to education and addressing manpower needs in critical sectors.
