JAMB Cut-Off Mark for International Relations: What Is Published

We were not able to find a published school cut-off for it that we could verify. That is a finding, not a gap to paper over. There is a national minimum set by JAMB, a separate figure at each school, and a ranking on the day. This page sets out what we could source and what to do about the rest.

Layer one: the JAMB national minimum

At its policy meeting in Abuja on Monday, 11 May 2026, JAMB set the 2026/2027 minimum UTME scores. Legit.ng reported:

Nairametrics reported that the 2025 figures were 150 for universities and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education, and that the 2024 minimum for universities was 140.

Some press reports also list institution-level minimums approved at the same 2026 meeting. AllAfrica's list, for example, reported 200 for the University of Lagos, the University of Ibadan, the University of Nigeria, the University of Benin and Obafemi Awolowo University, and 180 for Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Ilorin. We have only the press list, so treat these as reported figures and confirm them on each school's own notice. They are general minimums for the whole institution, not figures for International Relations.

Layer two: the school's own figure

We did not find an International Relations figure on the University of Lagos list for 2025/2026, and we did not find a verifiable figure at any other school. Some blogs give numbers, but without a link to a school notice we do not repeat them.

The closest context on that list is a related social science. UNILAG's published merit cut-off for Political Science in 2025/2026 was 68.15. This is not an International Relations figure, and UNILAG's page does not state the scale. It only shows how a related course sat at one school in one year.

To get a real number, ask the department you are applying to, or look for the admission notice on the school's website. If a school lists a figure for the course, note the year and the scale, and whether it is a UTME mark or an aggregate.

Layer three: the ranking and the screening

Meeting a school's cut-off puts you among the candidates it will consider. Many universities then add a post-UTME screening and combine your UTME score, screening score and O'level result into an aggregate. Our post-UTME aggregate calculator shows how such a calculation works in principle, and the JAMB score to get admission guide covers the general rules. If a course has more qualified candidates than places, a score at the threshold may not be enough. We cannot publish a "safe score" for International Relations, and we would be wary of anyone who does.

Check your subjects first

A strong score in the wrong subjects is wasted. Read the JAMB subject combination for International Relations page before you register, and see our general subject combination guide for how to compare choices. Compare with the cut-off mark for Political Science and the cut-off mark for Law.

How to plan your score

1. Take 150 as the starting line, not the destination.
2. Pick three or four target schools and read their International Relations admission pages for the most recent session.
3. Check how each school calculates its aggregate, including whether it uses a post-UTME screening and how much weight the O'level result carries.
4. Build a buffer. A comfortable score gives you options if cut-offs rise.
5. Know your alternatives. If International Relations is out of reach, other courses may suit you. Understand how changing your course works before you rely on it.

What about 2027?

No cut-offs for 2027/2028 have been announced. JAMB decides the national minimums after the UTME, at an annual meeting, and each school then publishes its own figures. The proposed 2027 UTME dates are provisional, so follow the JAMB 2027 UTME date and timetable page. Any site that quotes a 2027 International Relations cut-off today is guessing.

Prepare, do not gamble

There is no honest shortcut. Do not pay for leaked questions or "arranged" scores. Instead:

• cover the syllabus in all four subjects;
• practise Government (or History) and Economics regularly;
• do timed four-subject papers in the final weeks;
• track your mistakes and revisit them.

ExamPadi has 46,182 practice questions across JAMB, WAEC, NECO and NABTEB, with a timed CBT mode. Free practice is available, with a Pro tier, on Android, iOS, web and Windows.

Practise JAMB Government free on ExamPadi and build the score that gives you options.