JAMB result statistics from 2012-2023

“Lowest JAMB scores”. “JAMB result statistics”. Did it make your heart flip? Calm down!

Everybody can’t come out on top in the JAMB examinations. Everybody can’t have low scores in JAMB too. There are many reasons why candidates get low or high scores in JAMB, and they include factors like: Not reading enough, studying with the wrong materials, and inability to attempt every question in the JAMB UTME screening.

In this article, we will not just be talking about the candidates who graced the JAMB top scores tier, but also those who are going to probably change their preferred school or course, to be able to go to a tertiary education ground. If candidates refuse to take up these available choices that can increase their chances of going to a school, they have the option of sitting the rest of that year’s admission processes and going to read harder or learning a skill for the time being.

JAMB Statistics: Highest and Lowest JAMB Scores

Every year, JAMB releases figures from the statistics of people who registered and sat for the annual JAMB UTME examination. JAMB usually drops these statistics which specify the percentage of students whose scores fell into different score brackets. 

We are going to list out all the statistics of students who fell into the different score categories in JAMB, from 2012 to date.

JAMB result statistics for 2012

S/N	JAMB Score Range	Number of candidates
1	300 and above	3
2	Between 270 – 299	901
3	Between 250 – 269	71,339
4	Between 200 – 249	601,151
5	Between 170 – 199	374, 920
6	Below 170	336, 330

The JAMB cut-off mark was:

• 180 for Universities
• 160 for Polytechnics, colleges, and other degree awarding institutions.

JAMB result statistics for 2013

The 2013 JAMB statistics came with a new flow, the public was told the total figures of everything except the detailed breakdown of the marks, based on the template used the year before. JAMB released the following statistics:

A total of 1,629,102 candidates applied to sit for the Paper Pencil Test (PPT), and altogether  1,644,110 is the total number of candidates that sat for the exam. 

•  47,974 candidates were absent
• 15,008 candidates applied for the Dual Based Test
• 40,692 candidates” results were invalid due to either multiple shading or no shading at all.
• 40 centres would be screened to ascertain their culpability
• 127,017 candidates scored between 1-159 marks
• 10 candidates scored 300 marks and above

• The JAMB cut-off mark was 180 for Universities
• The JAMB cutoff mark was 150 for Polytechnics, colleges, and other degree-awarding institutions.

JAMB result statistics 2014

 There was a pattern that was being used in JAMB in 2014, even though it was in use as of 2013, but the JAMB score statistics were announced in two batches:

• Dual Based Test (DBT)
• Pen and Pencil type (PPT)

Below is a table showing the JAMB scores from students who sat for the exams in both methods.

S/N	JAMB Score Range	Number of DBT candidates	Number of PPT candidates
1	Above 250	23	24
2	Between 200-249	1,309	108,488
3	Between 170-199	6,678	315,401
4	Between 160-169	3,808	115,456
5	Between 150-159	2,830	122,157
6	Below 150	2,471	275,282

This means that a total of 990,179 candidates applied for PPT while 25,325 candidates applied for DBT which amounts to 1,015,504 applicants.

• The JAMB cut-off mark was 180 for Universities
• The JAMB cutoff mark was 150 for Polytechnics, colleges, and other degree-awarding institutions.

JAMB result statistics 2015

The 2015 JAMB score breakdown is as follows:

S/N	JAMB score Range	Number of candidates
1	Above 200	154,347
2	Above 190	224,291
3	Above 180	287,742
4	Above 170	372,884
5	Above 160	402,838
6	Above 150	NA

The JAMB cut-off mark for 2015 continued in the same length as the years preceding it.

The JAMB cut-off mark was

• 180 for Universities, but the cutoff mark for other tiers went low than it was in the previous year.
• The JAMB cutoff mark was 150 for Polytechnics, colleges, and other degree-awarding institutions.

JAMB result statistics 2016

The JAMB score statistics for 2016 are listed below.

S/N	JAMB score Range	%  of candidates
1	Above 200	35.76%
2	Above 190	51.88%
3	Above 180	66.56%
4	Above 170	86.51%
5	Above 160	93.08%
6	Above 150	92.57%

The total number of candidates who sat for the exam in 2016 is 1,592,905.

JAMB’s cutoff mark was:

• 180 for Universities
• 150 for Polytechnics, colleges, and other degree awarding institutions.

JAMB result statistics 2017

The 2017 JAMB score breakdown is as follows:

S/N	JAMB score Range	%  of candidates
1	Above 200	27.00%
2	Above 190	35.76%
3	Above 180	46.57%
4	Above 170	59.49%
5	Above 160	71.52%
6	Above 150	82.40%

The total number of candidates who sat for the exam in 2016 is 1,722,236. This is the largest number JAMB has ever recorded in its existence of over 40 years.

JAMB cut-off mark was:

• 180 for Universities
• 150 for Polytechnics, colleges, and other degree-awarding institutions.

JAMB result statistics of 2018

S/N	JAMB score Range	Number  of candidates
1	Above 300	4,683
2	Between 250-299	64,120
3	Between 180-199	325,152
4	Between 160-179	494,484
5	Between 140-159	346,825
6	Between 100-139	64,712

In 2018, The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede disclosed that at least 1,178,665 candidates scored 100 and above in the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB cut-off mark was:

• 180 for Universities
• 150 for Polytechnics, colleges, and other degree awarding institutions.

JAMB result statistics of 2019

S/N	JAMB score Range	Number  of candidates
1	Above 300	2,906
2	Between 250-299	57,579
3	Between 200-249	366,757
4	Between 180-199	361,718
5	Between 160-179	455,898
6	Between 140-159	410,844
7	Between 100-139	99,463

The JAMB cutoff mark for 2019 are as follows:

• Public universities: 160
• Private universities: 140
• Public polytechnic: 120
• Private polytechnic: 110

 JAMB result statistics for 2020

The 2020 JAMB score breakdown is as follows:

S/N	JAMB score Range	Number  of candidates
1	Above 200	404,542
2	Above 190	568,842
3	Above 180	781,327
4	Above 170	1,041,234
5	Above 160	1,329,289
6	Above 130	1,866,444
7	Above 120	1,889,801

JAMB cut-off mark for 2020

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have approved the following cutoff marks for the 2020 UTME admission exercise;

• 160 for university admissions.
• 120 for Polytechnic
• 100 for the Colleges of Education and Innovative institutions.

JAMB result statistics for 2021

The 2021 JAMB score breakdown is as follows:

S/N	JAMB score Range	Number  of candidates
1	Above 200	168,613
2	Above 190	168,613
3	Above 180	327,624
4	Above 170	445,597
5	Above 150	772,463
6	Above 130	1,134,854
7	Above 120	1,245,449

JAMB cutoff marks for 2021:

• Universities –140
• Polytechnics – 100
• Colleges of education – 100

JAMB result statistics for 2022

The 2022 JAMB score breakdown is as follows:

S/N	JAMB score Range	Number  of candidates
1	Above 200	378,639
2	Above 190	520,596
3	Above 180	704,991
4	Above 170	934,103
5	Above 160	1,192, 057

JAMB cut off mark for 2022 are as follows:

• Universities –140
• Polytechnics – 100
• Colleges of education – 140

Finally, dear reader, in this article, you must have noticed the fluctuating number of JAMB candidates every year, and the downward trend of the general cutoff marks. The reasons for the staggering movement of the numbers can’t be explained in this article.

However, I hope you have been able to get the evolution of the JAMB cutoff marks in the past decade, and the statistics of candidates who sit at the apex of the JAMB score table i.e the 250+ category.

To join the top score bracket in, it’s achievable! We have compiled top tips on how you can grace that top place in JAMB.

Read, rest, sit for your examination and get your deserved marks.

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