JAMB Cut-Off Mark 2026/2027: Universities, Polytechnics, NCE
The JAMB cut-off mark for the 2026/2027 session is 150 for universities, 150 for colleges of nursing and 100 for polytechnics, out of a possible 400. Candidates for colleges of education (NCE) no longer sit the UTME at all. Those figures were agreed at the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held in Abuja on Monday 11 May 2026.
That is the short answer. The longer answer matters more, because 150 is the lowest score any university is allowed to accept, not the score most universities actually ask for. This guide explains what the national minimum does, what changed this year, and how to use it if you are planning for the 2027 UTME.
The official 2026/2027 minimums at a glance
- Universities: 150
- Colleges of nursing: 150
- Polytechnics: 100
- Colleges of education (NCE): no UTME required from the 2026/2027 cycle; candidates still register with JAMB and are admitted through CAPS
- National Diploma in non-technology agriculture courses: also exempt from the UTME, on the same terms as NCE
Institutions are free to set a higher mark. What they cannot do is admit anyone below the national minimum. So if you scored 140, no university in Nigeria can lawfully offer you a UTME-based place this session, however much a website or agent promises otherwise.
How JAMB decides the cut-off mark
The national minimum is not set by JAMB alone. Every year JAMB convenes a policy meeting chaired by the Minister of Education, this year Dr Tunji Alausa, with vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts and other heads of tertiary institutions. After the UTME results are out, the heads of institutions agree the lowest score that each type of institution may admit.
That timing explains something candidates often find confusing: the cut-off is fixed after you write the exam, not before. You cannot know this year's minimum when you register. What you can know is roughly where it has sat, and where the schools you want set their own bar, which is usually far more useful.
What changed this year: NCE without the UTME
The biggest change from the 2026 meeting is for colleges of education. Candidates applying for the Nigeria Certificate in Education, and for National Diploma programmes in non-technology agriculture and agriculture-related courses, no longer write the UTME.
They do not skip JAMB entirely. They still register with the board, their O'level results are screened and verified, and the admission is processed and the letter issued through CAPS, the same Central Admissions Processing System every other candidate goes through. According to reports of the meeting, the minister said these candidates need a minimum of four credit passes. Confirm the exact O'level subjects your college and course require before you apply, because a college can ask for specific subjects within those credits.
If you want an NCE, that is genuinely good news: one exam fewer, and admission based on results you may already have. If you were using a college of education as a fallback for a low UTME score, it changes your planning, because the route now runs through your O'level results rather than your JAMB score.
Why most universities ask for more than 150
Because demand is enormous. 2,243,816 candidates registered for the 2026 UTME. A popular university cannot screen every candidate who reached 150, so it sets its own eligibility mark for post-UTME, and that is the number that decides whether you can even apply.
In their 2026/2027 post-UTME notices, UNILAG, UI, OAU and UNIBEN each set 200. LASU set 195, the University of Abuja 180, and UNN, OOU and AAUA 160. UNIUYO kept to the national 150. We have the full list, with registration windows, in post-UTME cut-off marks for 2026/2027.
Above that sits a third layer: the departmental or course cut-off, which competitive courses push higher still once screening is over. The pillar guide on what a cut-off mark really means explains how those three layers stack, and why reaching the cut-off only puts you in the queue.
Other rules from the 2026 policy meeting
Minimum age is still 16
The minimum age for admission remains 16. Candidates who were under 16 as at 30 September 2026 can only be considered under an "exceptional" category, after strict screening. JAMB released underage candidates' 2026 UTME results around 5 September 2026.
All admissions go through CAPS
Any admission given outside CAPS is illegal and will not be recognised. When an offer appears on your CAPS page you have four weeks to accept or reject it. Leave it longer and you risk losing the place to someone else.
Change of course or institution opened in May
JAMB opened the 2026 change of course and institution window on 15 May 2026, days after the meeting, with changes made at accredited CBT centres. If your score misses your first choice's mark, that window is the moment to move to a school whose mark you meet, ideally before that school's screening closes.
Admission deadlines
Public universities had until 31 October 2026 to finish admitting for the session. Other institution types were given later deadlines, running to 31 December 2026 for colleges of education. If you are still waiting, check CAPS regularly rather than waiting for a phone call.
A worked example: what 150 actually buys you
Take a hypothetical candidate, Tobi, who scored 172 and wants Microbiology. At 172 Tobi clears the national university minimum, but not the 200 that UNILAG, UI, OAU or UNIBEN asked for in 2026, and not LASU's 195. Tobi could have applied to UNN, OOU or AAUA, whose eligibility mark was 160, or to UNIUYO at 150.
Even then, being allowed to apply is not the same as being admitted. Tobi's post-UTME score, combined with the UTME score into an aggregate, decides the ranking. The guide to calculating your aggregate score shows how that conversion usually works. The lesson is not "172 is bad". It is that the school you choose matters as much as the score you get.
What this means if you are writing the 2027 UTME
The 2027/2028 minimums will be set at next year's policy meeting, after the 2027 results are out. Plan as though they will be similar, but plan around the schools, not the national floor.
- Pick your target school and course first, then look up the eligibility mark it set in 2026. That, not 150, is your first target.
- Add a margin. Marks move with demand, and a single bad paper can cost 20 marks.
- Get your subject combination right. A good score in the wrong subjects counts for nothing. Check the subject combination for your course.
- Watch the calendar. The Federal Ministry of Education has proposed holding the 2027 UTME between 15 and 25 March 2027, earlier than usual. If that holds, you have less time than previous candidates did.
Frequently asked questions
What is the JAMB cut-off mark for 2026/2027?
150 for universities and colleges of nursing, and 100 for polytechnics. NCE candidates and those applying for ND in non-technology agriculture courses no longer write the UTME.
Can a university admit me with 140?
No. No institution may admit a candidate below the national minimum for its category, and admissions outside CAPS are not recognised.
Is 150 enough to get into a federal university?
It meets the legal minimum, but many federal universities set a higher eligibility mark. UNILAG, UI, OAU and UNIBEN set 200 for 2026/2027, so check your school's own notice.
When will the 2027 cut-off mark be announced?
At the next policy meeting, which is held after the UTME results are released. Until then, use the 2026 marks as your planning guide.
The surest way to stop worrying about cut-off marks is to score well clear of them. EasyPoint lets you practise timed JAMB CBT papers and past questions in your exact subjects, so you know where you stand long before exam day. Create a free account and sit your first timed paper today.
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