Over 1.5 Million Candidates Score Below 200 In 2025 UTME As JAMB Releases Detailed Statistics

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially released a comprehensive statistical report of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), revealing that more than 1.5 million candidates scored below the 200-mark threshold widely used by Nigerian universities for admission consideration.

According to the breakdown of the 1,955,069 results processed and released on Monday, only 420,415 candidates managed to score above 200. Even more striking, only 12,414 candidates-or just 0.63%-were able to achieve a score of 300 and above, placing them in the high-performance bracket.

Out of this top-tier group, just 4,756 candidates scored 320 and above, while another 7,658 candidates earned scores between 300 and 319.

The statement from JAMB also highlighted the performance of underage candidates permitted to take the exam under special consideration.

"40,247 underage candidates were permitted to demonstrate their exceptional abilities.

"However, only 467 of these candidates (1.16%) achieved scores that meet the threshold for exceptional ability as defined for the UTME, with their performance in the subsequent three stages still pending," JAMB noted.

This special category of underage candidates was further addressed in a post by the Board via its official handle on ­ØòÅ (@JAMBHQ), confirming that while they were granted the opportunity to showcase their academic strengths, "their performance in the subsequent three stages is still pending," suggesting that further assessments are underway before final judgments can be made.

Aside from performance data, JAMB's report also underscored other challenges that marred the 2025 UTME exercise.

The Board revealed that "a total of 97 candidates were involved in examination infractions," while "2,157 others are currently undergoing investigations for suspected malpractices."

Furthermore, "71,701 candidates were absent," the Board stated, though reasons for non-attendance were not immediately disclosed.

Biometric verification issues, which have plagued previous exam cycles, also surfaced again in 2025. According to JAMB, "Candidates facing biometric challenges are under investigation, and those who are cleared will be rescheduled for examination at designated centres."

Some categories of results also remain pending as of the time of the report. "A few of the results, including those of blind candidates and others in the JEOG group, are still being processed," JAMB confirmed.

The Board has scheduled a press briefing where further clarifications will be made, and candidates will be able to access their results via dedicated portals after the address.
Breakdown of 2025 UTME Performance
A deeper look into the data reveals concerning trends:

4,756 candidates (0.24%) scored 320 and above
7,658 candidates (0.39%) scored 300-319
73,441 candidates (3.76%) scored 250-299
334,560 candidates (17.11%) scored 200-249
983,187 candidates (50.29%) scored 160-199
488,197 candidates (24.97%) scored 140-159
57,419 candidates (2.94%) scored 120-139
3,820 candidates (0.20%) scored 100-119
2,031 candidates (0.10%) scored below 100

Key Insights:

More than 75% of all candidates scored below 200.
Less than 1% reached the 300+ elite performance range.
The largest share of results fell within the 160-199 range, representing over half of the candidates, a trend that may affect admission competitiveness across Nigerian tertiary institutions.