JAMB Cut-Off Mark for Political Science: What Is Published

Political Science is a widely offered social science course, and its cut-off is not a single number. There is a national minimum set by JAMB, a separate figure at every university, and a ranking on the day. This page shows what can be sourced for each layer.

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 Political Science.

Layer two: the school's own figure

As one official example, the University of Lagos published its UTME merit cut-offs for 2025/2026 on 3 October 2025. It lists Political Science at 68.15.

Read this table carefully:

• UNILAG's page does not state the scale. The numbers look like aggregate scores, not raw UTME marks out of 400, so do not compare 68.15 with your UTME score.
• The page also lists separate figures for several states (catchment areas), so your state of origin can change the figure that applies to you.
• Among the 11 programmes we compared from that page, Political Science comes 10 from the top. That tells you how the course ranked at that school in that year. It does not tell you how it will rank elsewhere or next year.
• This is one university and one year. Other schools will publish different numbers, and UNILAG itself will change its own.

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 Political Science, 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 Political Science page before you register, and see our general subject combination guide for how to compare choices. Compare with the cut-off mark for International Relations 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 Political Science 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 Political Science 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 Political Science 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) regularly, and choose your two optional subjects early;
• 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.