Nursing is one of the most competitive courses in Nigerian tertiary education, and most top universities set their departmental cut off mark well above the national minimum. Candidates whose UTME score does not reach the benchmark of the most competitive schools still have realistic options. This article explains how the cut off mark system for nursing actually works, lists the categories of institutions that tend to admit at lower scores, and gives a practical guide for choosing where to apply.
Understanding the Cut Off Mark System for Nursing
Nigeria’s admission system for nursing operates on three layers, and a candidate needs to understand all three before deciding where to apply based on a “low cut off mark.”
The first layer is the national minimum, which JAMB and tertiary institution heads agree on at the annual Policy Meeting on Admissions. For the 2026 admission cycle, stakeholders at this meeting set 150 as the national minimum admissible score for both universities and Colleges of Nursing Sciences. This figure is a floor, not a target. No institution can legally admit a candidate below this score into a nursing-related programme, but very few institutions actually admit at exactly this level for nursing, because demand for the course consistently exceeds available slots.
The second layer is the departmental cut off mark, which each university or college sets on its own once the JAMB national minimum is published. This is where the real variation appears. A federal university with strong name recognition might set its nursing departmental cut off at 220 or higher, while a newer or less internationally known institution might set its bar at 160 to 180.
The third layer is the post-UTME screening and O’ Level aggregate. Meeting an institution’s cut off mark only qualifies a candidate for screening; it does not guarantee admission. Final placement depends on a combined score built from the UTME result, the post-UTME or institutional screening performance, and O’ Level grades in the required subjects, so a candidate who barely meets the cut off mark but performs weakly at screening can still be ranked below the admission line.
Why Some Schools Set a Lower Nursing Cut Off Mark
Several factors explain why certain institutions consistently admit nursing candidates at lower UTME scores than others.
- Applicant volume: Universities that attract fewer first-choice applicants for nursing naturally set a lower bar, since they are not filtering from an oversized pool.
- Institutional age and visibility: Newer universities, or institutions less known nationally, tend to receive fewer applications relative to their available slots, which keeps the cut off lower.
- Location and catchment status: Some states and regions are classified as educationally less developed, and universities located there, or drawing from those catchment areas, may apply a reduced benchmark for indigenes of those states under federal character guidelines.
- Ownership type: Private universities generally set lower JAMB-based cut off marks than federal or leading state universities because private institutions rely more heavily on their own screening process and tuition capacity than on UTME competition to select candidates.
- Programme capacity: A school with more available bed spaces for clinical rotation and a larger teaching staff can safely admit more nursing students, which allows it to accept a wider score range.
Categories of Schools That Typically Have Lower Nursing Cut Off Marks
Rather than treating any single number as fixed, it helps to think in terms of institution categories, since cut off marks shift slightly from one admission cycle to the next.
Newer or Less Competitive State Universities
Some state universities that have introduced nursing programmes more recently, or that draw applications mainly from within their own state, tend to set departmental cut off marks in the 160 to 190 range. These institutions still deliver NMCN-accredited training but face less national competition for available slots than older, more established state universities.
Private Universities
Private universities are consistently among the more accessible options for nursing in terms of JAMB score requirements. Because private institutions rely on tuition-paying students rather than purely on UTME ranking, several of them set their nursing cut off mark at or close to the national minimum, typically between 140 and 170, while still requiring candidates to pass their own entrance screening and meet O’ Level requirements. Institutions frequently cited in this category include Madonna University, Achievers University, and Rhema University, among other privately owned universities that run NMCN-accredited nursing programmes.
Colleges of Nursing Sciences and Schools of Nursing
Outside the university system entirely, state and federal Colleges of Nursing Sciences and standalone Schools of Nursing generally admit at a lower threshold than university-based Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc) programmes. Several of these institutions accept the JAMB national minimum of around 140 to 160, and some conduct their own entrance examination instead of relying on JAMB at all. This route leads to a Registered Nurse (RN) diploma rather than a degree, and it typically takes three years to complete rather than the four to five years required for a BNSc.
A Few Frequently Cited Federal and Specialised Institutions
A small number of federal universities and specialised health-focused universities are commonly referenced across admission guides as having comparatively lower nursing departmental cut off marks than the most sought-after federal universities. Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, in Kogi State, is one of the institutions most consistently mentioned in this category, with its nursing cut off mark reported in the 140 to 160 range across recent admission cycles. Newer Federal Universities of Health Sciences and select second-generation federal universities also tend to sit below the 220-plus range charged by the most competitive federal institutions.
Comparative Table of Nursing Cut Off Mark Ranges by Institution Type
The table below summarises the typical range different categories of institutions have reported for nursing in recent admission cycles. These are ranges observed across multiple cycles, not a fixed guarantee for any single session, since every institution reviews its departmental cut off mark yearly based on that year’s applicant pool.
| Institution Type | Typical Nursing Cut Off Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Top-tier federal universities (e.g., Ahmadu Bello University) | 210 – 290 | Highest competition; catchment area candidates may see a slightly reduced threshold |
| Established state universities (e.g., Lagos State University) | 190 – 220 | Competitive within the state; indigene status can be an advantage |
| Newer or less competitive state universities | 160 – 190 | Lower national competition; still NMCN accredited |
| Private universities (e.g., Madonna, Achievers, Rhema) | 140 – 170 | Rely more on internal screening than raw UTME ranking |
| Specialised/newer federal institutions (e.g., PAAU) | 140 – 160 | Frequently cited as among the lowest for nursing nationally |
| Colleges/Schools of Nursing Sciences (non-degree, RN route) | 140 – 160 | Some conduct independent entrance exams instead of relying solely on JAMB |
What “Lowest Cut Off Mark” Does Not Mean
A lower cut off mark does not translate to a lower quality of training or a weaker professional outcome. Every institution referenced in this article that offers nursing must hold current accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) to legally train and certify nurses, and for university-based programmes, additional accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC). A lower cut off mark simply reflects lower applicant competition for that specific school or programme in a given year, not a lower accreditation standard. Candidates should always verify an institution’s current accreditation status directly before applying, rather than assuming that a school appearing on any “low cut off mark” list is automatically a safe or valid choice.
It is equally important to understand that a published cut off mark is not an admission guarantee. Two candidates can meet the same institution’s cut off mark, yet only one is admitted, because the final decision depends on the combined aggregate of UTME score, post-UTME or screening performance, and O’ Level grades. A candidate targeting a school with a lower cut off mark should still aim to perform strongly at the screening stage, since departmental competition for the available slots continues even after the cut off threshold is met.
How to Use This Information When Choosing Where to Apply
A candidate deciding where to apply for nursing based on cut off mark should follow a structured approach rather than picking a school at random from any list.
- Confirm your actual UTME score against the current session’s published national minimum, which stakeholders set at 150 for the 2026 cycle, before assuming any specific university’s requirement.
- Shortlist two or three institutions across different competition tiers — one aligned with established, more competitive universities, and one or two from the newer, less competitive, or private categories — to increase the realistic chance of securing a slot.
- Verify each shortlisted school’s current NMCN and, where applicable, NUC accreditation status directly through the institution’s admissions office rather than relying solely on third-party rankings.
- Register for post-UTME or the institution’s own screening exercise as soon as it opens, since many schools with lower JAMB-based cut off marks still run a rigorous internal screening that filters out a large share of applicants.
- Prepare strong O’ Level results in the required subjects — typically English Language, Mathematics, Biology, and Chemistry — since these carry real weight in the final aggregate score regardless of how low a school’s JAMB cut off mark appears to be.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the national minimum cut off mark for nursing in Nigeria for 2026? Stakeholders at the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions set 150 as the national minimum admissible score for both universities and Colleges of Nursing Sciences. Individual institutions may set their departmental requirement higher than this.
Which university is commonly cited as having the lowest nursing cut off mark in Nigeria? Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, in Kogi State, is frequently referenced across recent admission guides as one of the most accessible universities for nursing, with a departmental cut off mark reported in the 140 to 160 range. Candidates should confirm the exact current figure directly with the university before applying.
Do private universities generally have lower nursing cut off marks than public universities? Yes, in general. Private universities typically set their JAMB-based nursing requirement lower, often between 140 and 170, because admission depends more heavily on their own entrance screening and tuition capacity than on national UTME competition.
Can I study nursing without meeting a university’s cut off mark? Not through the standard university BNSc route. However, a candidate can consider a College or School of Nursing Sciences, several of which admit at the national minimum or run independent entrance examinations rather than relying solely on JAMB.
Does a lower cut off mark mean a lower-quality nursing programme? No. A lower cut off mark reflects lower applicant competition for that institution in a given year, not lower training standards. Any accredited nursing programme, regardless of its cut off mark, must meet the same NMCN training and examination requirements as every other accredited programme in the country.