2026 Most Sought After Institutions by UTME Candidates According to JAMB

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the UTME exam regulatory body, has announced the 2024 most sought-after institutions in Nigeria by Nigerian students seeking to gain admission in the 2026/2027 academic year. 

So, in this post, you will see the names of the institutions as provided by JAMB, which they derived from students' data during the 2026 UTME process. 

This list was presented by the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, during the 2024 policy meeting. The top 10 institutions were recognized due to the attraction of a high number of applicants during the 2026 UTME application period.

However, the prestigious Lagos State University (LASU) took the lead, while the University of Lagos (UNILAG) followed. Nonetheless, other institutions made it to the list, and we'll list them out according to their position. 

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2026 Most Sought After Institutions by UTME Candidates According to JAMB

Below is the list of the top 10 most sought-after institutions in Nigeria in the 2024 Admission race.

1. Lagos State University — 84,426
2. University of Lagos — 78,240
3. Obafemi Awolowo University — 60,370
4. University of Ibadan — 58,895
5. University of Benin — 55,425
6. Nnamdi Azikiwe University — 54,085
7. University of Ilorin — 52,514
8. University of Nigeria, Nsukka — 51,660
9. Federal University Oye-Ekiti — 48,272
10. University of Port Harcourt — 48,199