The JAMB cut off mark for all schools refers to the minimum Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) score a candidate must reach before an institution can legally consider them for admission. Every year, following the release of UTME results, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board holds a policy meeting with representatives from universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across Nigeria, where a national minimum score is agreed upon, and individual institutions submit their own approved cut off marks above that minimum. This article explains how these cut off marks work, breaks down the confirmed figures across federal, state, private, and polytechnic institutions, and includes a detailed table so candidates can quickly locate where their score stands.
What a Cut Off Mark Actually Means
A cut off mark operates on two levels. The first is the national minimum, set by JAMB itself, which represents the absolute lowest score any institution is permitted to use when considering candidates for admission. The second is the institutional cut off mark, which each university, polytechnic, or college sets on its own, and this figure is almost always higher than the national minimum, particularly for well-known or highly competitive schools.
Meeting the national minimum does not guarantee admission anywhere. It only means a candidate is eligible to proceed to the next stage, which is typically the Post-UTME screening or direct departmental selection process conducted by the specific institution. A candidate must clear both the national minimum and their target institution’s specific cut off mark, and in many cases, a third layer applies as well: the departmental cut off mark, which can sit even higher than the general institutional figure for competitive courses like Medicine, Law, Pharmacy, and Engineering.
The 2026/2027 National Minimum Cut Off Marks
Following the JAMB policy meeting held in Abuja, the national minimum benchmarks were confirmed as follows for the current admission cycle, and these figures are expected to guide the framework going into the 2027 cycle as well, subject to confirmation at the next policy meeting:
- Universities and Colleges of Nursing/Specialized Health Institutions: 150
- Polytechnics: 100
- Colleges of Education: 100, with candidates pursuing Education-based NCE programmes and non-engineering Agriculture programmes now exempted from sitting the UTME entirely, provided they still register through JAMB’s designated process.
These numbers represent the floor, not a typical admission score. Reputable institutions, especially older federal universities and select private universities, set their own cut off marks well above this minimum, sometimes by 50 points or more.
Cut Off Marks for Federal Universities
Federal universities generally set some of the highest cut off marks in the country, particularly the older, more established institutions. Based on the officially approved figures for the current admission cycle, several federal universities adopted 200 as their minimum benchmark, including the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, University of Benin, University of Nigeria Nsukka, and Obafemi Awolowo University. Other federal universities, particularly newer or less oversubscribed ones, set their cut off marks lower, closer to the 160-to-180 range.
| Federal University | Approved Cut Off Mark |
|---|---|
| University of Lagos (UNILAG) | 200 |
| University of Ibadan (UI) | 200 |
| University of Benin (UNIBEN) | 200 |
| University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) | 200 |
| Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) | 200 |
| Air Force Institute of Technology | 200 |
| Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) | 180 |
| University of Abuja | 180 |
| University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) | 180 |
| University of Jos (UNIJOS) | 170 |
| Federal University, Lafia | 170 |
| Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) | 160 |
| Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) | 160 |
Candidates should note that these figures represent the general institutional minimum. Departments like Medicine and Surgery, Law, and Pharmacy at these same universities typically require considerably higher scores, often in the range of 250 to 300, since these courses receive far more applications than available spaces.
Cut Off Marks for State Universities
State-owned universities show a wide spread of cut off marks, largely because their level of competitiveness and reputation varies significantly from state to state. Some state universities, particularly those in Lagos and the South-West, rival federal universities in competitiveness, while many others set their cut off close to the national minimum to attract more applicants.
| State University | Approved Cut Off Mark |
|---|---|
| Lagos State University (LASU) | 195 |
| Lagos State University of Science and Technology | 195 |
| Lagos State University of Education | 185 |
| Kaduna State University (KASU) | 170 |
| Nasarawa State University | 170 |
| Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) | 170 |
| Bayero University, Kano (BUK) | 160 |
| Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) | 160 |
| Imo State University | 160 |
| Kwara State University | 160 |
| Osun State University | 160 |
| Plateau State University | 160 |
| Adamawa State University | 150 |
As with federal universities, state universities set higher departmental cut off marks for competitive courses, so a general institutional figure of 150 or 160 does not automatically apply to programmes like Nursing, Medicine, or Law within the same institution.
Cut Off Marks for Private Universities
Private universities in Nigeria show considerable variation as well, and unlike the common assumption that private schools are always easier to enter, several of them set cut off marks that match or exceed many federal universities. This is especially true for private universities known for strong academic reputations or highly sought-after professional programmes.
| Private University | Approved Cut Off Mark |
|---|---|
| Pan-Atlantic University | 220 |
| Covenant University | 220 |
| Afe Babalola University | 180 |
| Babcock University | 170 |
| Augustine University | 170 |
| Landmark University | 160 |
| Redeemer’s University | 160 |
| Bells University of Technology | 160 |
| Al-Hikmah University | 160 |
| Caleb University | 160 |
| Lead City University | 160 |
| Adeleke University | 150 |
Pan-Atlantic University currently holds the highest confirmed minimum cut off mark among all universities in the country, reflecting its selective admission process and smaller class sizes. Candidates aiming for private universities should still confirm each school’s specific departmental requirements, since general institutional minimums like those listed above often rise significantly for programmes such as Business Administration, Law, or Computer Science at the more selective private institutions.
Cut Off Marks for Polytechnics
Polytechnics operate under a lower national minimum than universities, and most individual polytechnics set their own cut off mark at or slightly above this floor rather than pushing it dramatically higher, since polytechnic admission tends to be less oversubscribed than university admission for equivalent courses.
| Polytechnic | Approved Cut Off Mark |
|---|---|
| Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) | 150 for National Diploma, 180 for HND Degree-mode |
| Kaduna Polytechnic | 150 |
| The Polytechnic, Ibadan | 150 |
| Federal Polytechnic, Offa | 150 |
| Enugu State Polytechnic | 150 |
| Rufus Giwa Polytechnic | 150 |
| Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu (IMT) | 150 |
| Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic | 150 |
| Benue State Polytechnic | 150 |
| Abia State Polytechnic | 150 |
| Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology | 130 |
Most federal and state polytechnics currently converge around the 150 mark for their general National Diploma programmes, even though the JAMB national floor for polytechnics is set at 100. This shows that, similar to universities, polytechnics use their institutional autonomy to raise the bar above JAMB’s stated minimum, particularly for popular technical and business-related courses.
Why Cut Off Marks Differ So Much Between Institutions
Several factors explain why one university’s cut off mark can sit 50 or more points above another’s, even though both operate under the same national minimum:
- Number of applicants versus available slots: Older, well-known institutions like UNILAG, UI, and OAU receive significantly more applications than they have space for, which pushes their cut off marks upward as a natural filtering mechanism.
- Institutional reputation and perceived quality: Universities with a longer academic track record, stronger accreditation status, or better-known faculty tend to attract more competitive applicants, which allows them to set higher entry thresholds.
- Course-specific demand: Even within the same university, a course like Computer Science or Medicine typically has a much higher cut off than a less popular course like Religious Studies or Library Science, because demand for the former significantly exceeds available spaces.
- Institution type and mission: Institutions with a narrower or more specialized focus, such as certain private universities built around specific professional pipelines, may set unusually high cut off marks to maintain smaller, more selective class sizes.
How to Check Whether Your Score Meets a Specific School’s Cut Off
Candidates should follow a clear sequence when trying to determine if their UTME score qualifies them for a specific institution:
- Confirm the national minimum for the institution type (150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education).
- Check the institution’s own general cut off mark, since this is usually higher than the national minimum and applies across most courses at that school.
- Confirm the departmental or course-specific cut off mark for the exact programme of interest, since competitive courses within the same institution almost always carry a higher threshold than the general institutional figure.
- Monitor the JAMB Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) platform for updates, since institutions release their Post-UTME screening requirements and admission decisions through this system after the cut off marks are confirmed.
What Happens If Your Score Falls Below a School’s Cut Off
Candidates whose scores fall below their preferred institution’s cut off mark still have several legitimate options rather than losing the admission cycle entirely. These include applying to a different institution with a lower cut off mark that still offers the same course, switching to a related course within the same institution that carries a lower departmental threshold, considering polytechnic or college of education alternatives where the national minimum is lower, or preparing to rewrite the UTME in the next admission cycle with a stronger score. Candidates should avoid institutions or agents promising “guaranteed admission” below the approved cut off mark, since no institution is legally permitted to admit a candidate below the minimum threshold set by JAMB and confirmed at the institution’s own approved level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the JAMB cut off mark the same for every university? No. JAMB sets a national minimum that applies to all universities, but each institution sets its own cut off mark above that minimum, and these figures vary considerably depending on the university’s competitiveness and course demand.
Does meeting a university’s cut off mark guarantee admission? No. Meeting the cut off mark only qualifies a candidate to proceed to the next stage, typically Post-UTME screening or departmental selection, where further competition based on total available slots determines final admission.
Are polytechnic cut off marks always lower than university cut off marks? Generally, yes, since the JAMB national minimum for polytechnics (100) is lower than the university minimum (150). However, some competitive polytechnic programmes, particularly HND-level courses, can carry cut off marks that match or exceed the general minimum used by some universities.
Do private universities always have lower cut off marks than public universities? Not necessarily. Some private universities, such as Pan-Atlantic University and Covenant University, currently have cut off marks that exceed many federal and state universities, showing that ownership type alone does not determine how competitive an institution’s admission threshold is.
What should a candidate do if their score is below their target school’s cut off mark? They can apply to another institution offering the same course with a lower cut off mark, consider a related course with a lower departmental threshold, explore polytechnic or college of education options, or prepare to rewrite the UTME in the next admission cycle.