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University of Ghana Maintains Admission Cut-Offs Despite Decline in 2025 WASSCE Results

The University of Ghana (UG), popularly known as Legon, has taken an uncompromising stand: admission cut-off points for the 2025/2026 academic year will not be lowered, even though the just-released 2025 WASSCE results are the worst in recent memory.

On Tuesday the Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Gordon Awandare said that in no uncertain terms that standards will be upheld. The message to thousands of disappointed candidates was clear: if you want Legon, improve your grades and try again.

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The Scale of the 2025 WASSCE Collapse

The numbers are brutal.

Core Mathematics A1–C6 passes dropped from 305,132 in 2024 to 209,068 in 2025 — a decline of 96,064 candidates (approximately 31.5% fewer credits in one year).
Overall national pass rate (A1–C6 in at least the required subjects for tertiary consideration): 48.73%.
More than 51% of candidates nationally now fall below the minimum grades needed for university consideration.
Nearly one in four candidates (≈25%) failed both Core Mathematics and Social Studies — effectively shutting them out of almost all degree programmes.

For context, in recent years Ghana had been celebrating consistent improvement in WASSCE performance, with credit passes in core subjects regularly exceeding 60–70%. The 2025 results represent the sharpest single-year drop since the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) began releasing detailed subject statistics.

Why Legon Is Not Budging

Speaking, Prof. Gordon Awandare was blunt:

“At the University of Ghana, every year, we have many more students making the cut-off but not getting the opportunity to be admitted because of the limited number of spaces.

So, it is not likely that we will need to move the cut-off to get sufficient numbers for each programme. We will advise that if they really want to come to Legon, they should re-sit some of the papers and improve their aggregates and try again.”

Translation: Legon is heavily oversubscribed. Even in years when results were strong, thousands who met the official cut-off were turned away because there simply aren’t enough places. Lowering standards now would mean displacing better-prepared applicants and compromising the quality that has made a Legon degree respected across Africa and beyond.

What This Means for 2025 Applicants

If you meet the cut-off (typically aggregate 06–14 depending on programme in previous years), your chances are actually better than usual because fewer candidates will qualify overall.
If you are below the cut-off, especially if you have D7–F9 in Core Maths, English, or Integrated Science, Legon is effectively telling you: → Register for NOV/DEC 2025 (private WASSCE) and resit the failed subjects. → Many successful Legon students in the past did exactly that.
Alternative pathways remain open:
- Technical Universities (e.g., Accra Technical University, Kumasi Technical University) historically accept higher aggregates.
- Nursing Training Colleges, Teacher Training Colleges, and other Colleges of Education.
- Private universities (Ashesi, Central, Valley View, Pentecost, etc.) which often have more flexible cut-offs or their own entrance exams.
- HND/Diploma programmes as a mature entry route later.

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The Bigger Question: Why Did Results Crash So Badly?

While WAEC has not given an official reason yet, education analysts are pointing to several factors:

Stricter invigilation and anti-malpractice measures introduced in recent years finally showing full effect (fewer “expo” opportunities).
Lingering learning gaps from the COVID-19 disruptions that affected this cohort during JHS/Basic Education.
Overstretched teachers and infrastructure under Free SHS — larger class sizes, inadequate contact hours in core subjects.
Possible harder grading to align more closely with international standards.

Whatever the cause, the 2025 results have exposed the fragility of the “massive passes” narrative of the past few years.