JAMB Cut-Off Mark 2026/2027: Official Minimum Scores

The JAMB minimum cut-off mark for the 2026/2027 session is 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics and monotechnics, and 150 for colleges of nursing sciences. JAMB and the heads of tertiary institutions agreed these figures at the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions in Abuja on 11 May 2026. Candidates for the NCE (colleges of education) no longer need a UTME score at all from this session.

Last checked: 11 October 2026.

Writing the 2027 UTME? The cut-off for your admission (the 2027/2028 session) has not been set. JAMB fixes it at its policy meeting after the 2027 UTME results are out. In 2026 that meeting held on 11 May; in 2025 it held on 8 July. Until then, any “2027 JAMB cut-off mark” you see online is a guess.

JAMB cut-off marks for 2026/2027

Institution type	Minimum UTME score (out of 400)
Universities (federal, state and private)	150
Polytechnics and monotechnics	100
Colleges of nursing sciences	150
Colleges of education (NCE)	No UTME required (see below)

Source: reports of the 11 May 2026 policy meeting by The Guardian, Vanguard and Sahara Reporters, which agree on these figures. JAMB lists the meeting on jamb.gov.ng.

These are national minimums. A school can set its own cut-off higher, but never lower. Popular courses such as Medicine, Law and Nursing usually demand much more than 150. Your school’s own cut-off appears in its post-UTME or screening notice, so confirm it there.

NCE candidates: no UTME from 2026/2027

At the 2026 policy meeting, the Minister of Education announced that candidates seeking admission into the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme with at least four credit passes no longer have to sit the UTME. The same applies to National Diploma candidates in non-technology agricultural courses.

You still have to register with JAMB. JAMB screens, verifies and certifies your credentials through CAPS before any admission letter is issued. If you skip the JAMB registration, the college cannot give you a valid admission.

2026 admission deadlines

The same meeting set dates by which schools must finish 2026/2027 admissions:

• Public universities: 31 October 2026
• Private universities: 30 November 2026
• Polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education: 31 December 2026

If you are still waiting, check your JAMB admission status on CAPS regularly, and accept any offer there promptly.

Cut-off marks in past years

Session	Universities	Polytechnics	Colleges of education	Colleges of nursing
2026/2027	150	100	No UTME (NCE)	150
2025/2026	150	100	100	140
2023/2024	140	100	100	Not reported

We list only the years we could confirm from reports of each policy meeting.

How JAMB sets the cut-off mark

After each UTME, JAMB holds a Policy Meeting on Admissions. Vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts and the heads of regulatory agencies attend, and the Minister of Education chairs it. The meeting agrees the minimum admissible score for each type of institution, looking at how candidates performed that year. It also sets the admission deadlines for the session.

The cut-off mark is only the first gate. To be admitted you also need:

• the right UTME subject combination for your course
• five O’level credits in the required subjects, uploaded to your JAMB profile
• a pass in your school’s post-UTME or screening, where it holds one
• an offer on CAPS that you accept

What to do if you are writing the 2027 UTME

• Aim well above 150. The minimum gets you considered; it rarely gets you a competitive course.
• Study from the official syllabus. JAMB has not released a new syllabus for 2027. The current one is on jambsyllabus.com, with every subject broken into topics.
• Practise under exam conditions. Try the free JAMB CBT practice app and our JAMB past questions.
• Ignore anyone selling a “lower cut-off” or guaranteed admission. No agent can change your score or the national minimum. Admission happens only on JAMB CAPS.

Related

How to check your JAMB result

JAMB regularization

JAMB syllabus

JAMB brochure