Not everyone scores 250 and above in the UTME. If your score is close to the 150 minimum, you can still get into university. The trick is to choose courses and schools where demand is lower, and to consider other routes into a degree.
What the 2026/2027 cut-off lists tell us
Official departmental cut-offs show a big gap between the most and least competitive courses at the same school:
| University | Highest cut-offs | Lower cut-offs |
|---|---|---|
| UNILAG (merit) | Medicine 83.425, Computer Engineering 82.175 | Education Economics 49.65, Meteorology & Climate Science 51.725, Human Kinetics 52.525 |
| UI | Medicine 80.00, Software Engineering 75.375 | Many Arts, Education and Agriculture courses at 50.00 |
| UNIBEN (merit) | Medicine 81.25, Law 73.88 | Anatomy, Physiology, Architecture and Agricultural Engineering at 50.00 |
These are aggregate scores, combining UTME and Post-UTME. A strong Post-UTME performance can lift a modest UTME score into a less competitive course.
Course groups that are usually less competitive
- Education courses (Education Biology, Education Mathematics, Educational Administration, Adult Education).
- Agriculture (Animal Science, Crop Protection, Soil Science).
- Some sciences (Botany, Zoology, Physics, Industrial Chemistry).
- Some arts (History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, languages).
- Environmental courses (Urban & Regional Planning, Estate Management) at some schools.
Many of these lead to good careers, postgraduate study or professional exams. Some students also transfer internally after their first year, although transfers into competitive courses are hard and not guaranteed.
Other routes into a degree
- Polytechnics: minimum UTME score of 100 for 2026/2027. An ND, then Direct Entry into a university.
- Colleges of education: from 2026/2027, NCE candidates with four credits no longer need the UTME. See our NCE exemption explainer.
- JUPEB or IJMB: a one-year A’Level programme leading to Direct Entry at 200 level.
- State and newer federal universities: often have lower cut-offs than the oldest federal universities.
- Private universities: admission deadline for 2026/2027 is 30 November 2026.
How to decide
- Use our aggregate calculator to estimate your chances in different courses.
- Compare cut-offs on our school pages under Universities.
- Check that your UTME subjects fit the new course before changing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get admission with 160?
Yes, at some universities and in less competitive courses, especially if your Post-UTME and O’Level grades are strong.
Is it better to rewrite JAMB?
If you are set on a highly competitive course like Medicine, preparing for the next UTME may be the better choice. Otherwise, accepting a related course now can save a year.
