Schools That Accept 120, 130, 140, 150 JAMB Scores — What You Can Do in 2025

You know that feeling when your JAMB score isn’t quite where you hoped, and you’re wondering, “Is that end of my chance?” Spoiler: It’s not. Plenty of schools (federal, state, private, and polytechnics) still accept lower scores — sometimes 120, 130, or 140 — especially for less competitive courses. 

This article is for you. We’re going through what those score bands mean, listing schools by band, giving you fee estimates where possible, and sharing concrete tips so you don’t waste time.

Understanding the Score Bands & What They Mean

Before the list: a quick frame so you know how to use this information well.

• JAMB policy vs school internal cutoffs: JAMB sets general minimums, but each university/polytechnic sets its own departmental cutoff each year. What a school accepted last year might change next year.
• Course competitiveness matters a lot: If your score is low, non-lab, non-professional courses (arts, education, business) are much easier to gain admission into. Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering almost always require higher.
• Other factors count: O’Level WAEC/NECO grades, your state of origin/local government sometimes tilt things, screening processes, and even change of institution/ first-choice status can affect result.

With that in mind, let’s go through the schools.

Read Also: 10 High-Demand Courses to Study in Nigeria for Future Relevance

Schools That Accept 120 JAMB Score

If you have ~120, your options are narrower, but they exist. These schools often accept 120 for less competitive courses or through certain entry paths.

School	Type	Where	What Accepts 120	Estimated Fees / Notes
Wellspring University, Benin City	Private	Edo State	Accepts 120 for courses like Public Admin, Mass Communication, Sociology, etc. Study Guides	Fee data not fully verified; since it’s private, expect moderateest fees (often higher than public schools).
Lead City University, Ibadan	Private	Oyo State	Some departments reportedly accept ~120 for Arts, Social Science programmes. Study Guides	Fees will vary; competitive courses may demand more.
Wesley University, Ondo State	Private	Ondo	Listed among privates that accept ~120 for certain programmes. Study Guides	May have extra levies for freshers, labs, etc.
Novena University, Delta State	Private	Delta	Accepts 120 in less competitive departments. Study Guides	Need to check programme-specific fees.
Samuel Adegboyega University, Ogwa	Private	Edo State	Some arts/business courses accept 120. Study Guides	As private, expect higher than public; check acceptance + registration fees.

What to watch out for:

• Even if the university says they accept 120, often that applies only to specific courses and sometimes only when space remains.
• Freshman or “first time” students often pay extra in registration, ID, etc. These aren’t included in the basic tuition.
• Hostel/accommodation almost always extra.

Schools That Accept 130 JAMB Score

130 gives you a little more breathing room. More schools/ departments open up, especially in private and state universities, and polytechnics.

School	Type	What You Might Get with 130	Fee Notes / Additional Requirements
Private Unis like Caritas University, Benson Idahosa etc. (depending on course)	Private	Social Sciences, Business, some Education courses may accept 130. (Sources report flexible rules in these schools.) infonaija.com.ng+2My Legit School+2	Confirm their current admission notice; check whether screening or post-UTME applies. Fees likely moderate to high in private settings.
Polytechnics & Colleges of Education	Public / State	Many state polytechnics accept 130 for business / arts programmes, sometimes even science depending on the years’ demand. 9jaPolyTv+2Legit.ng – Nigeria news.+2	Course fees in polytechnics are much lower; also check extra levies.

Schools That Accept 140 JAMB Score

This is the band where many more universities open doors for you — especially state and less competitive federal universities.

University / Polytechnic	Type	Example Departments	Notes & Fee Info
Federal University, Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA), Katsina	Federal	Many Arts, Social Sciences, Education courses accept 140. infonaija.com.ng+1	Public university so tuition is lower than private; you’ll still need good O’Levels and meet screening requirements.
Kebbi State University of Science & Technology (KSUSTA), Aliero	State	Some science and tech programmes at this score. Pulse Nigeria	State university; fees lower; lab costs might add up for tech/science programmes.
Sokoto State University (SSU)	State	Arts, Education, etc. Pulse Nigeria	Public/state so fees more affordable; check hostel costs separately.
Taraba State University (TSU)	State	Many non-professional courses accept 140. Pulse Nigeria+1	Good option for students in Northern or middle belt states.

Schools That Accept 150 JAMB Score

If you scored 150, you’re in a safer zone. Many more universities will accept you, especially for less competitive courses; some federal ones even have general cutoffs around this.

School / Institution	Type	What you Can Expect	Fee & Admission Notes
Federal University, Dutse (FUD), Jigawa	Federal	Expected cutoff ~150 in many courses. LN247+1	Public; lower fees. Check departmental cutoff.
Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi	State	Many social sciences, education, business will accept 150. LN247+1	Fees state-level; may vary by department.
Yobe State University (YSU)	State	General cutoff ~150; some departments require more. Nigeria University+1	Look at hostel/accommodation; they often have decent documentation of admission requirements.
Private Universities like: Bingham University; Ajayi Crowther University; Veritas University; etc.	Private	Many private schools have 150 as institutional minimum for several programmes. Nigeria University	Fees generally higher; some require higher cutoffs for things like Law/Medicine.

Polytechnics & Colleges of Education You Can Check

If universities seem tight, polytechnics & colleges of education often have lower bar, more flexible criteria, and cheaper fees. Some examples:

• The Polytechnic, Ibadan — Accepts ~120 for several programmes. CampusCybercafe
• Abia State Polytechnic, Aba — 120 cutoff reported. CampusCybercafe
• Federal Polytechnic, Daura; Niger State Polytechnic, etc. CampusCybercafe
• Colleges of Nursing: Several schools accept 150 with reasonable fees. CampusCybercafe

Examples: Real Schools + What They Require (2025 Snapshots)

Here are detailed examples of what some schools are doing right now — helps you see how it plays out in practice.

• Federal University, Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA), Katsina accepts applicants with UTME/ JAMB scores starting ~140 for many faculties (Arts, Education, Social Science). infonaija.com.ng+1
• Kebbi State University of Science & Technology (KSUSTA) often accepts 140 for Science & Tech programmes; less competitive courses may have that as official or internal cutoff. Pulse Nigeria
• Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) likewise advertises 140+ cutoffs for many departments. CampusCybercafe
• Private school example: Novena University, Delta State accepts ~120 for certain non-professional courses. Study Guides

Fee Estimates & What They Usually Include (Where Info Found)

Info is patchy here, but I collected what I could. Use these as rough guidelines, then confirm with the school.

• Nursing schools with low JAMB cutoffs (e.g. state colleges) often have sessional fees between ₦150,000 to ₦300,000. CampusCybercafe
• Polytechnics tend to be cheaper — programme fees (tuition + levies) maybe ₦80,000 to ₦200,000 depending on type, course load, and state.
• Public universities accepting 140 or 150 usually have fees below ₦500,000 for many non-science courses; science/lab-heavy departments push above that.

What to Do If Your Score Is Low But You Want University

Here are smart moves:

1. Apply to several schools in the bands above. Don’t put all your hopes on one.
2. Target less competitive departments first (Education, Arts, Humanities, Basic Sciences).
3. Check for alternate entry paths: IJMB, Remedial/Foundation, Diploma → Direct Entry.
4. Monitor schools’ official admission portals for recent cutoff notices. Sometimes tuition and cutoffs are listed.
5. Track your O’Level result quality — good WAEC/NECO grades matter a lot more when UTME score is low.
6. Prepare very well for screening or Post-UTME, because if your UTME is low, your performance in screening counts extra.

Limitations & What You Must Confirm

• Cutoff marks change yearly, sometimes every semester, depending on how many applicants apply, how many seats are available, and JAMB / university policy.
• Sometimes “accepts 140” means for certain departments only, not the whole school.
• Fee quotes are often out of date, or missing “hidden” charges (registration, health, labs, ID, hostel).
• Private schools often charge more for certain course types or facilities; public/state schools vary by your status (indigene or non-indigene), location.

A Sample Plan If You Have 130 JAMB Score

Here’s how you could use this info if you scored 130:

• Look at private universities listed under “120 and above” (e.g. Wellspring, Lead City, Novena) for departments like Business Studies, Public Admin, Mass Comm.
• Apply also to state universities/polytechnics where 130 is accepted for some courses (Arts, Education).
• Start gathering your O’Level results, get your documents ready, pay screening fees early.
• If none of your first choices accept 130 in your desired course, have a backup plan (change of course, private uni, or polytechnic).

Final Thoughts

Scoring 120, 130, 140, or 150 doesn’t close the door to university in Nigeria. It just means you’ve got to aim wisely. Pick schools and courses that match your score, know the fee landscape, and confirm every detail with the school’s admission portal.