By Boluwatife Oshadiya
Key Points
- JAMB has approved 150 as the minimum admissible score for universities and nursing colleges for the 2026 admission exercise.
- Polytechnics and monotechnics will admit candidates with a minimum score of 100.
- Public universities must conclude admissions by October 31, 2026.
- Candidates must accept admission offers within four weeks or risk losing them.
Main Story
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into universities and colleges of nursing for the 2026 academic session.
The board also fixed 100 as the minimum admissible score for polytechnics and monotechnics across the country. The decisions were reached during the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions held on Monday in Abuja.
The annual policy meeting, which brings together heads of tertiary institutions, education stakeholders, and regulatory agencies, is responsible for determining admission guidelines and timelines for the upcoming academic session.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who chaired the meeting, said the approved cut-off marks represented the minimum benchmark for admissions and must be strictly adhered to by all institutions.
“Candidates seeking admission must meet the approved minimum standards set for the 2026 admission exercise,” Alausa stated.
Stakeholders at the meeting also agreed on timelines for the completion of admissions across tertiary institutions nationwide.
Under the approved schedule, public universities are expected to conclude admissions on or before October 31, 2026, while private universities have until November 30, 2026 to complete their admission processes. Polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education are expected to finalise admissions by December 31, 2026.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, directed all institutions to strictly comply with the approved timelines, warning that institutions that fail to conclude admissions within the stipulated period would lose access to candidates on the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
“Once the deadline expires, any institution that fails to conclude its admission exercise will no longer have access to candidates for that session,” Oloyede warned.
The registrar also announced a new compliance measure requiring successful candidates to accept admission offers within four weeks.
According to him, candidates who fail to accept their admission within the specified period risk losing the offer and may become ineligible for further admission consideration during the session.
JAMB said the policy is designed to improve transparency, reduce delays, and ensure a more efficient admission process across tertiary institutions.
The development comes as Nigeria continues to record rising demand for university admissions amid limited institutional capacity and increasing competition for placement into federal and state-owned universities.
Education analysts say the enforcement of stricter admission timelines could help reduce prolonged admission delays that have affected academic calendars in recent years.
What’s Being Said
Education stakeholders have welcomed the decision to introduce clearer admission timelines, arguing that it could improve efficiency and reduce uncertainty for candidates.
However, some stakeholders continue to express concerns over admission capacity constraints, particularly in highly competitive courses such as medicine, law, nursing, and engineering.
What’s Next
Tertiary institutions are expected to commence admission processing in line with the approved guidelines and timelines. JAMB will continue monitoring compliance through its Central Admissions Processing System, while candidates are advised to regularly monitor their admission status and promptly accept offers when issued.
Further directives on post-UTME screenings and institutional admission procedures are expected from individual institutions in the coming months.
Bottom Line
JAMB’s latest admission guidelines aim to standardise the 2026 admission process, improve transparency, and ensure timely completion of admissions across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. The enforcement of stricter timelines could help reduce administrative delays and improve coordination within the education sector.
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