JAMB Cut-Off Mark for Software Engineering

"What is the cut-off mark for Software Engineering?" has three layers: a national minimum, a school-level cut-off, and a ranking on the day. This page is candid about what we could verify. The national minimum is reported by the press. A school-level Software Engineering figure we could trace to a university's own page was not available to us.

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:

The Legit.ng report did not give a figure for colleges of education, so check JAMB's own announcement if that is your route. These are reported figures; the official notice is on jamb.gov.ng.

This is the lowest score at which a university may consider you. It says nothing about Software Engineering specifically, and a score at the national floor is not likely to be enough for a course that more candidates want than there are places for.

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 "Software Engineering cut-off" for Nigeria.

We looked for an official, programme-level figure for Software Engineering that we could trace to a university's own notice, and did not find one we could verify. The University of Lagos table for 2025/2026, the official example we could read, does not list this programme. Some blogs publish numbers for other universities, but they mix raw UTME marks, post-UTME scores and aggregates on different scales, so we have not reproduced them. For context only: UNILAG's table does list Computer Science, with 83.425 as its first figure for 2025/2026 on an unstated scale. That is a different programme and not a substitute for a Software Engineering figure. See our Computer Science cut-off page.

The honest advice is to go to the source:

1. Open the admissions page of each university you are considering and look for the cut-off notice for the latest session.
2. Check whether it covers merit, catchment or both, and whether the figure is a raw UTME mark or an aggregate.
3. Confirm that the university actually offers the programme, since some courses are offered at only a few institutions.
4. If a school has not published a figure, ask its admissions office rather than guessing.

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 course where more candidates qualify than there are places, meeting the cut-off exactly may not be enough. 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. Confirm the school offers the programme. Software Engineering is offered under different names and departments.
3. Check three or four schools on their own websites for the latest session.
4. Prepare for the screening too. In many schools, the post-UTME can move you up or down.

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. One 2026 guide reports Use of English, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry or Economics, and other sources differ. Read the full explanation, including where sources disagree, in JAMB subject combination for Software Engineering.

No guarantees

We cannot promise any score will get you into this course. 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 300 out of 400 would get 300 divided by 400 times 50, which is 37.5. If the same candidate scored 70 out of 100 in screening, that adds 35, for an aggregate of 72.5. 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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