Vice Chancellors of universities at the 2025 policy meeting organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) set the 2025 minimum admission benchmark for universities at 150 on Tuesday.
This means that JAMB will not allow any university in the country to admit a candidate who scores less than 150 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination.
Certain universities, such as the University of Ibadan, Pan-Atlantic University, and the University of Lagos, among others, have set a standard of 200.
It was gathered that certain newly established private universities proposed UTME scores of 120.
However, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of JAMB, suggested 160.
This comes after The Federal Government officially set the minimum age for entry into Nigerian tertiary institutions at 16 years, warning that underage admissions will no longer be tolerated.
Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the new directive in Abuja on Tuesday during the 2025 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) policy meeting.
Alausa said the decision was made to uphold academic integrity and ensure that students are emotionally and mentally mature enough to handle the rigours of higher education.
“We must discourage premature entry into tertiary institutions. Universities, polytechnics and colleges of education must strictly enforce the age limit,” he stated.
The move comes amid rising concerns about students gaining admission into universities before reaching a reasonable level of maturity. Education stakeholders at the event echoed support for the policy, urging institutions to align with global best practices.
JAMB Registrer reaffirmed the board’s commitment to enforcing the new age requirement through its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
The new policy means students below 16 will have to wait an extra year before sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) or gaining entry unless they meet the age requirement by the time of admission.
The announcement is expected to spark conversations among parents, school administrators, and education reform advocates, especially in private schools known for accelerating students’ academic progress.
