Breaking: JAMB releases 2025 UTME candidates’ performance breakdown

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the statistical breakdown of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), revealing concerning trends in candidates’ performance across the country.

According to JAMB‘s data, only 12,414 candidates, representing a mere 0.63% of the total 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the examination, scored 300 and above — a benchmark traditionally associated with competitive university courses such as medicine, engineering, and law.

Of this group, 4,756 candidates (0.24%) scored 320 and above, while 7,658 (0.39%) scored between 300 and 319.

In stark contrast, a staggering 983,187 candidates, or 50.29%, fell within the 160–199 score range — the threshold typically considered the minimum cut-off for admission into tertiary institutions.

According to JAMB, another 334,560 candidates (17.11%) scored between 200 and 249, positioning them in the moderate performance bracket.

Even more concerning is the performance of over 550,000 candidates who scored below 160. Among them, 488,197 candidates (24.97%) fell within the 140–159 range, while 57,419 (2.94%) scored between 120 and 139. A total of 5,851 candidates, representing just 0.30%, scored below 120, with 2,031 scoring under 100.

Education analysts say the results reflect deep-rooted systemic challenges in Nigeria’s secondary education sector.

More than three-quarters of the candidates scored below 200.

The performance trend mirrors those of previous years, but this year’s data underscores the urgency of reform more than ever. While the number of registered candidates continues to grow, the proportion achieving elite scores remains disturbingly low.

JAMB has yet to announce the official cut-off marks for university admissions in 2025, but institutions are likely to maintain a cautious outlook, given the national performance landscape.