JAMB Sets 150 UTME Cut-Off And 16 As Minimum Age For 2025 University Admissions

‎The 2025 JAMB Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, was declared open by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, at 9:00 AM WAT.
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‎Attended by vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, and representatives from the National Universities Commission (NUC) and National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the meeting established key admission guidelines for the 2025/2026 academic session.
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‎Dr. Alausa emphasized transparency and compliance, stating, “We must ensure a fair and credible admission process that upholds quality education.”
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‎He confirmed the minimum admission age of 16, adding, “Institutions admitting candidates below this age without approval will face sanctions.”
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‎Deadlines were set: public universities must complete admissions by October 31, 2025, private universities by November 30, 2025, and other institutions by December 31, 2025.
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‎JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, announced minimum UTME cut-off marks: 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education, 140 for colleges of nursing sciences, and 100 for colleges of agriculture.
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‎“These are baseline scores; institutions may set higher cut-offs for competitive programs,” he said.
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‎He reported that 1,955,069 candidates took the 2025 UTME, with over 50% scoring below 200, and only 4,756 scoring 320 or above.
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‎Addressing 2025 UTME technical issues, Oloyede said, “We regret the glitches that affected candidates. A mop-up exam was held on June 28 for 96,838 students, though participation was low.”
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‎He outlined improvements, including delisting 130 CBT centres for malpractice and verifying Direct Entry qualifications. “No DE candidate with less than two A’Level points will be admitted,” he stated.
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‎The meeting debated the age limit. Prof. Kayode Ijiadunola, Vice-Chancellor of Elizade University, argued, “Merit should guide admissions, not just age.”
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‎Oloyede countered, “Education is not a race,” but agreed exceptional candidates under 16 scoring 80% in UTME and post-UTME could be considered with JAMB’s approval.
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‎The National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit Awards recognized institutions like the University of Ilorin for compliance.
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‎“These awards promote best practices,” Oloyede said. He warned, “Irregular admissions outside CAPS will attract penalties.” Dr. Alausa added, “Compliance strengthens our education system.”
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‎Post-UTME screenings were discussed, with a cap of N2,000 on fees. “Screenings should use JAMB’s data to reduce costs,” Oloyede noted.
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‎The meeting concluded with Dr. Alausa urging, “Let’s ensure a seamless admission process.” Candidates were advised to check www.jamb.gov.ng or CAPS for updates.