JAMB Cut-Off Mark for Nursing: Universities and Colleges

Nursing is a popular choice, and it is also one of the courses where "cut-off mark" can mean different things depending on the kind of institution. This page separates the national minimum from the school-level figure, using sources you can check.

The JAMB national minimum

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

Legit.ng said the heads of tertiary institutions agreed the figure for colleges of nursing unanimously, and that the 150 for universities was retained after a vote by vice-chancellors. Nairametrics' mop-up results report gives the same three numbers.

For comparison, Nairametrics reported that in 2025 the minimum for colleges of nursing sciences was 140, against 150 for universities and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education. So the nursing college floor went up by ten points between the two sessions, if the reports are accurate.

A national minimum is not a school's cut-off

The minimum is the lowest score at which an institution may consider you. Each school then decides what it wants for each course. For Nursing, schools differ by type, by catchment policy and by how many places they offer.

One official example is the University of Lagos, which published its UTME merit cut-offs for the 2025/2026 session on 3 October 2025:

Note the cautions. UNILAG's page does not state what scale it uses. The figures look like aggregates, not raw UTME marks out of 400, so do not compare 79.8 with your UTME score. The same page also lists separate, lower figures for several states.

Within that one university's list, Nursing sat below Medicine and Surgery but above Pharmacy. That is a single school in a single year; it is not a rule for other schools.

Nursing college or university?

You can pursue nursing at a university or at a college of nursing, and the two routes can have different timelines, fees and qualifications. We do not compare them here beyond the cut-off, because we did not find a source that covers all the differences. When you compare, read each institution's own pages for:

• the qualification awarded;
• the admission requirements, including the UTME subjects and O'level results;
• the screening process and dates;
• the application route (through JAMB's system, or the school's own portal).

Subjects first, score second

A high score in the wrong subjects will not help. The combination reported for Nursing in 2026 is Use of English, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Our guide to the JAMB subject combination for Nursing goes through it.

What happens after the UTME

After JAMB releases results, admission usually runs through a mix of your UTME score, your O'level result and, for many schools, a post-UTME screening. For nursing-specific advice, read post-UTME for Nursing. For the wider picture on scores, read what JAMB score you need to get admission.

Plan your score

1. Treat 150 as a floor, not a target. Aim comfortably above it.
2. Look up two or three schools on their own sites, and compare their requirements for the current session.
3. Prepare for the screening. Where it exists, it can change your position.
4. Keep a backup route and understand how changing your course works.

What about 2027?

The 2027/2028 minimums have not been announced. JAMB sets them at its annual meeting after the UTME, and the proposed UTME window is 15 to 25 March 2027. That window is a proposal. See the JAMB 2027 UTME date and timetable for updates. Ignore sites that claim to know next year's cut-off.

No guarantees

No score guarantees a place. What you can control is how well you prepare. Cover the syllabus, practise under time, 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 300 out of 400 would get 300 divided by 400 times 50, which is 37.5. If the same candidate scored 72 out of 100 in screening, that adds 36, for an aggregate of 73.5. Your school's weights and extra components will differ, so use its formula before comparing yourself to any published cut-off.

Questions to put to the admissions office

• Which session does the published cut-off cover?
• Is the figure an aggregate or a raw UTME mark?
• Does the school admit through JAMB's system alone, or does it also run its own application?
• How much weight does screening carry?
• What are the O'level requirements, and how many sittings are accepted?

Common misreadings

• "150 is the nursing cut-off." It is the national floor for colleges of nursing and universities in 2026/2027, not any single school's figure.
• "Last year's number will repeat." UNILAG's 2025/2026 list is a snapshot for one session. Applicants, places and policy change.
• "A list on a blog is official." If a page does not link to the school's own notice, treat it as unverified.
• "My score alone decides it." Screening, O'level results and available places all play a part, depending on the school.

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