The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed Monday, May 11, 2026, to determine the minimum Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) cut-off marks for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The board disclosed this on Sunday through its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, in a statement announcing that the decision would be taken at its annual policy meeting on admissions scheduled to be held in Abuja.
More than 2.2 million candidates registered for this year’s UTME, which was conducted nationwide between April 16 and April 25, 2026.
Benjamin said the meeting would also unveil key policy directions for the new admission cycle, to be presented by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa.
He described the policy meeting as a critical platform where stakeholders deliberate on admission benchmarks and frameworks across tertiary institutions.
“The board’s annual policy meeting on admissions is a crucial gathering where stakeholders decide minimum tolerable UTME marks, admission guidelines, and policies for tertiary institutions,” he said.
He added that the meeting would formally set the tone for the 2026/2027 admission exercise while reinforcing strict compliance with established rules.
Benjamin noted that the event would bring together key actors in the tertiary education system, including heads of institutions and regulatory agencies.
JAMB had earlier announced in January that the UTME would hold from April 16 to April 25, while in March it confirmed that 2,243,816 candidates registered for the examination, with Lagos State recording the highest number of candidates, followed by Kaduna State.
The board began releasing results on April 20, stating that 1,264,940 results had been processed for candidates who sat for the exam between April 17 and 18.
Over the years, JAMB’s cut-off marks have fluctuated. The benchmark remained around 180 between 2008 and 2017 before dropping to 120 between 2017 and 2019. It was later increased to 160 between 2019 and 2021, and subsequently adjusted to 140 between 2021 and 2023.
In 2024, JAMB approved 140 as the minimum cut-off mark for universities, while polytechnics and colleges of education were pegged at 100. In 2025, the board set the thresholds at 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences, reflecting a gradual recalibration of admission benchmarks.
