The benchmarks were arrived at during the 2025 annual policy meeting of the on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions in Abuja on Tuesday.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the tertiary education stakeholders have approved the National Minimum Tolerable UTME Score (NTMUS), also known as the cut-off point for 2024 admission into the nation's universities.

At this year's annual policy meeting on admissions into tertiary institutions held in Abuja on Tuesday, the meeting adopted 150 as the benchmark for admission into universities and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education. The meeting adopted 140 for Colleges of Nursing across the country. This means that no tertiary institutions should admit students who score below the approved scores, while institutions can still fix higher cut-off marks for their applicants.

Last year, 140 was adopted for universities and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

Decision-making process

The decision was adopted after the heads of the institutions voted. The Vice-Chancellors voted for the benchmarks for universities, Rectors for the polytechnics and Provosts for the colleges of education.

The JAMB Registrar and the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, wanted the institutions to increase the minimum tolerable score to at least 160. However, most of the heads of institutions were quite adamant about increasing the minimum tolerable scores.

During the conversation, the Vice-Chancellor of the Michael Lawrence University Abuja, Ernest Izevbigie, a professor, proposed 140 and that of Lighthouse University proposed 130.

Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ayodeji Agboola, a professor, proposed 160. He received very little support.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port-Harcourt, Owunari Georgewill, a professor, proposed 150.

The vice-chancellors voted overwhelmingly for 150 to be adopted.

Explanation

JAMB Registrar Is-haq Oloyede, a professor, explained that all institutions that had proposed lower minimum scores must now increase their benchmarks to at least the agreed minimum points.

"Every institution should maintain its own approved minimum," he said.