The Vice Chancellor of Kogi State University, Kabba, Prof. Kehinde Eniola, has defended the university’s decision to set a 170 cut-off mark for admission, exceeding the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) recommended benchmark of 140. Speaking at the institution’s campus during the conclusion of its first academic year, Prof. Eniola explained that lowering the cut-off mark would compromise the university’s commitment to high academic standards.
Prof. Eniola acknowledged that adhering to the JAMB cut-off of 140 would attract a larger number of students, but stated that the university’s goal is to prioritize quality education over student numbers or revenue generation. “Setting 170 as the admission benchmark is not excessive,” he said. “Our aim is not to simply generate revenue but to maintain a standard of education that we can be proud of.”
He emphasized that the institution’s motto, “Beating the best to become the best,” reflects its commitment to high standards. Lowering admission requirements, he argued, would undermine that mission and support mediocrity. Prof. Eniola pointed out that some universities refuse to admit students with JAMB scores below 200, even though JAMB has set the cut-off at 140.
For students who did not meet the 170 cut-off but are still interested in attending Kogi State University, Prof. Eniola advised them to apply for ‘A’ level courses, assuring that such students would be given priority in the next academic session.
The Vice Chancellor also revealed that for the 2024/2025 academic year, the university plans to admit 1,750 students from the 3,500 candidates who selected KSU as their first choice. The institution, which began its academic activities in January 2023, started with 1,200 students in its inaugural session.
