JAMB Cut-Off Mark for Medicine and Surgery: What Is Published

"What is the cut-off mark for Medicine?" is one of the most searched questions in Nigerian admissions, and the honest answer has three layers. There is a national minimum, a school-level cut-off that is much higher, and a ranking on the day that decides who actually gets in. This page explains each layer with figures that can be traced to a source.

Layer one: the JAMB national minimum

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

For comparison, Nairametrics reported that the 2025 minimum was 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences, and that the 2024 minimum for universities was 140.

This is the lowest score at which a university may consider you. It says nothing about Medicine specifically. No score at the national floor is likely to be enough for a competitive course.

Layer two: each school's cut-off

Individual universities publish their own cut-offs for each programme, and these differ from school to school and from year to year. There is no single published "Medicine cut-off" for Nigeria.

One official example is the University of Lagos. In October 2025 it published its UTME merit admission cut-off marks for 2025/2026, by programme:

Two cautions when reading this table. First, UNILAG's page does not state what the scale is. The figures look like aggregate scores rather than raw UTME marks out of 400, so do not compare 85.025 with your UTME score. Second, the page also lists separate, lower figures for several states, which shows that where you come from can affect the threshold at some schools.

The point of the example is the ordering and the gap: at UNILAG for 2025/2026, Medicine and Surgery had the highest of the three published health-science cut-offs. That fits the general picture that Medicine is among the most competitive courses, though other schools will differ.

Layer three: the ranking on the day

A school's published cut-off is a threshold, not a guarantee. Admission lists are built by ranking candidates who meet the threshold and filling the available places. In a competitive course, meeting the cut-off exactly may not be enough if more candidates qualify than there are places. We cannot publish a national "safe score", and anyone who offers you one with total certainty is guessing.

How schools combine your scores

Many universities use an aggregate that combines your UTME score with a post-UTME screening score, and sometimes your O'level result. Formulas differ by school, which is why you should check your own target. The post-UTME aggregate calculator post explains how to work out an aggregate once you have your school's formula, and what JAMB score you need to get admission looks at the wider picture.

What the numbers mean for your plan

1. Aim well above 150. Treat it as the entry ticket, not the target.
2. Check the cut-offs of three or four schools you actually want, on their own websites, for the latest session.
3. Prepare for the screening too. In many schools, the post-UTME can move you up or down.
4. Have a backup. If your first choice is out of reach, a related course may be possible. Read about changing your course, and remember the subject combination must fit the new course.

Cut-offs for 2027/2028 have not been announced. JAMB decides the minimums at its annual policy meeting after the UTME, and the proposed 2027 UTME window is 15 to 25 March 2027 (see the JAMB 2027 UTME date and timetable page). Do not rely on any website that claims to know the 2027 figure.

Make sure you have the right subjects

None of this matters if your UTME subjects are wrong. The combination reported for Medicine is Use of English, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Read the full explanation in JAMB subject combination for Medicine and Surgery.

No guarantees

We cannot promise any score will get you into Medicine. What you can control is your preparation: cover the syllabus, practise under time pressure and fix your weak topics.

A hypothetical aggregate, to show the arithmetic

Schools use different formulas, so this example is invented purely to show how aggregates work. Suppose a school gave 50 marks to the UTME and 50 to its screening. A candidate with a UTME score of 330 out of 400 would get 330 divided by 400 times 50, which is 41.25. If the same candidate scored 80 out of 100 in screening, that adds 40, for an aggregate of 81.25. Your school's weights, scales and extra components will differ, so always use its own formula before comparing yourself to a published cut-off.

Questions to put to a school's admissions office

• Which session does the published cut-off cover?
• Is the figure an aggregate or a raw UTME mark?
• Are there separate merit and catchment thresholds?
• Is there a post-UTME screening, and how much weight does it carry?
• Does the O'level result count towards the ranking, or only as a requirement?

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