The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released new figures detailing how candidates were placed in Nigerian tertiary institutions during the 2025 admission cycle.
Admission Statistics Overview
The data shows that out of 2,007,312 applicants, a total of 1,009,044 were eventually admitted into various programmes across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. This represents an admission rate of approximately 50.3 percent.
The breakdown was presented at the 2026 National Policy Meeting on admission guidelines and cut-off marks held on Monday, where officials reviewed performance patterns across different score ranges.
Admission Outcomes Across Score Bands
According to reports, Direct Entry candidates accounted for 64,480 applications, with 37,918 gaining admission, representing a 59 percent success rate.
Among high-performing candidates, those who scored 300 and above recorded 17,189 applications, out of which 12,896 secured admission, translating to a 75 percent rate. This group had the highest admission success rate.
Candidates in the 250 to 299 range also recorded strong outcomes, with 101,266 applications and 73,944 admissions, representing 73 percent.
For the 200 to 249 category, 452,838 candidates applied while 268,567 were admitted, reflecting a 59 percent admission rate.
Mid-Range Scores Dominate Admissions
The largest pool of applicants came from candidates scoring between 160 and 199, with 997,811 applications recorded. Out of this number, 494,544 were admitted, representing a 50 percent success rate. This group accounted for nearly half of all admitted students.
In the lower bands, 331,927 candidates scored between 140 and 159, with 113,049 gaining admission, translating to 34 percent.
For those in the 120 to 139 range, 39,204 applied and 7,821 were admitted, representing 20 percent.
The 100 to 119 category recorded 2,597 applications, with only 305 admissions, representing 12 percent.
Performance Pattern in Admissions
The data points to a consistent pattern where candidates with higher UTME scores recorded better chances of gaining admission, particularly those in the 200 and above categories, where admission rates remained relatively strong.
However, the figures also show that admission opportunities were not limited strictly to top scorers. Candidates within the 140 to 199 range still made up a significant portion of admitted students due to variations in institutional cut-off marks and programme requirements across different schools.
Transparency in Admissions
Meanwhile, the Lagos State University (LASU) vowed to uphold transparency and merit in its admission process. LASU was the most preferred institution in the JAMB 2025 UTME application, receiving 79,000 first-choice applications.
LASU asked applicants and the public to resist the temptation of patronizing unscrupulous individuals who may falsely claim to sell admission slots. The institution emphasized that all admissions are conducted through the official JAMB Central Admission Processing System (CAPS).
