This list shows every Nigerian institution-course combination on file for the 2026 admission cycle. Each row shows the institution, the course, the 2026 UTME cut-off, the estimated aggregate on the 100-point scale, and the institution type. Click an institution to open its profile, or a course to compare cut-offs at other institutions running the same programme. The full list is the fastest way to translate a UTME score into a realistic shortlist.
Sort by clicking any column header. Federal universities are colour-coded green, state universities amber, private universities red, to make institution-type filtering visual. The filter chips below let you narrow the list to a single institution type or a single course category. The full unfiltered view shows every row across the 50 institutions and 25 courses tracked here.
Use this list to build a shortlist, to compare peer institutions before committing to a first choice on the JAMB portal, and to find lower-cut-off alternatives for the same course if your UTME falls short of the leading institution. Combined with the score checker, this list is what most candidates need to plan a complete 2026 application strategy.
How cut-offs work in Nigeria
National minimum vs course minimum vs institutional cut-off
The Nigerian admission system applies three layered cut-offs. The JAMB national minimum for university admission is 150 for 2026: candidates scoring below this number cannot be admitted to any degree programme at a Nigerian university. Above the national minimum sit course-specific minimums set by JAMB at the policy meeting, with Medicine and Law typically requiring 200 and most other courses 180. The third layer is the institutional course cut-off, set by each university each cycle and published per programme. The list above shows institutional course cut-offs; the other two layers exist as floors beneath every row.
Why cut-offs move year to year
Cut-offs respond to candidate volume and strength. When JAMB records a stronger pool of high-scoring candidates nationally, institutional cut-offs at competitive programmes rise to manage the qualifying field down to the available places. When a programme's applicant volume drops, cut-offs ease. The 2026 cycle saw cut-offs rise modestly at most federal universities for the competitive programmes, consistent with a stronger overall candidate pool and stable course quotas.
What a cut-off actually means
A cut-off is the UTME threshold to be considered for admission. Clearing it gets your application into the post-UTME pool. Admission requires four things in sequence: clearing the cut-off, clearing the post-UTME or institutional screening, meeting the O'level subject and grade requirements, and ranking high enough on the post-UTME aggregate to win one of the available places. The cut-off is the first of these gates, not all of them. Plan around all four.
Reading the list strategically
To find the cheapest entry point for a target programme, filter by course category and sort the resulting table ascending by UTME cut-off. The bottom of the list is the most accessible institution offering the programme; the top is the most competitive. This sweep is the single most useful operation on the page.
To audit a single institution's catalogue, sort the list descending by UTME cut-off and read the contiguous rows for that institution. The pattern of cut-offs across programmes reveals where the institution's competitive strength lies. Strong showings in engineering with weaker arts cut-offs typically mark a former technology university; even spread across faculties signals a comprehensive university.
The filter pages let you narrow further. The federal universities filter isolates the federal slice; the medicine filter isolates a single course category across all institution types. Combining the filters with sort order produces highly specific shortlists in seconds. The estimated aggregate column gives a sense of the post-UTME score you need; treat it as a target rather than a fixed threshold.
2026 cycle highlights
Across all 958 institution-course combinations on file for 2026, the average UTME cut-off sits at 230.6. Federal universities lead with an average of 230.5, state universities sit at 229.1, and private universities at 234.3. Private universities are not, contrary to common assumption, the cheapest entry route at average - their selective catalogues often match or exceed state averages.
The most competitive 2026 cut-offs in the guide are UNILAG Medicine and Surgery (295), UI Medicine and Surgery (293), OAU Medicine and Surgery (290). These figures anchor the upper bound and reflect the strongest candidate pools nationally.
On the accessible end of the federal-university spectrum, FUGashua Agricultural Science (197), FUBK Agricultural Science (198), FUDMA Agricultural Science (198) offer the lowest federal-university cut-offs in this guide. These are realistic targets for candidates with UTME scores at or just above the national minimum.
Compared to 2025, the picture is mixed: most institutions raised cut-offs slightly across the competitive programmes, a smaller number eased cut-offs at the less contested courses, and a handful held steady. The institution-course pages on this guide show the year-on-year change per row.
Common cut-off questions
What is the JAMB cut-off mark for 2026?
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board retained the national minimum admissible score for universities at 150 for the 2026 cycle. This is the floor below which no university may admit a candidate; it is not a pass mark and it is not a guarantee of admission to any specific course. Above this floor sit course-specific minimums (Medicine 200, Law 200) and institutional cut-offs that decide actual consideration for screening.
How is the JAMB cut-off mark decided?
Cut-offs are set at the annual JAMB policy meeting, which brings JAMB, the National Universities Commission and institutional heads together to agree the national minimum. Each institution then sets its own general and course-specific cut-offs above the national floor, taking into account candidate volume, applicant strength, available places per programme and the institution's strategic priorities. The course cut-off is the figure that actually decides whether your application proceeds.
Which Nigerian university has the lowest cut-off in 2026?
Cut-offs vary dramatically by institution type and programme. State universities and newer federal universities tend to set the most accessible institutional general cut-offs at or close to the national minimum of 150. The lowest course-specific cut-offs in this guide for 2026 sit at the less competitive arts and social science programmes at less selective institutions. Use the list above sorted ascending by UTME cut-off to see the bottom of the range.
Which Nigerian university has the highest cut-off in 2026?
The highest 2026 cut-offs in this guide sit at the top federal universities for Medicine and Surgery: UNILAG at 295, UI and OAU at 290, UNN at 285. These figures define the competitive ceiling for the cycle. A handful of competitive engineering and law programmes at the same institutions sit slightly below this band. Sort the list by UTME cut-off descending to see the top of the range at a glance.
Is the cut-off mark the same as the admission score?
No. The cut-off mark is the UTME threshold to be considered for admission to a programme. It opens the door to post-UTME or screening. The admission score is the post-UTME aggregate, calculated from UTME, post-UTME and O'level grades, that ranks candidates from the qualifying pool. Candidates are admitted from the top of the aggregate list downward until course places are filled, so clearing the cut-off is the start, not the end.
Why do private universities sometimes have higher cut-offs than federal ones?
Private universities such as Covenant, ABUAD, Babcock, Pan-Atlantic and Bowen often match or exceed federal cut-offs for the courses they offer. The reason is selectivity, not cost. Private universities tend to focus on a narrower programme catalogue with smaller intakes per course, which lets them set high cut-offs without compromising fee revenue. Some private universities replace post-UTME with internal aptitude testing, which further filters the candidate pool.
How often does the cut-off mark change?
Cut-offs are set annually for each admission cycle. The national minimum is announced at the JAMB policy meeting, typically held in the second quarter of the year. Institutional general cut-offs follow soon after, and course-specific cut-offs are published once institutions assess the candidate pool from the UTME. Mid-cycle adjustments do happen at individual institutions if the qualifying pool turns out smaller than expected; these are usually downward.
What is the difference between cut-off and aggregate?
The cut-off mark is the UTME-only threshold; the aggregate is the composite score that combines UTME, post-UTME and O'level. The cut-off decides whether your application is considered at all; the aggregate decides where you rank within the considered pool. Universities publish both, and admission depends on clearing the cut-off and then ranking high enough on the aggregate to win one of the available places for the course.