OAU, LASU, Unilag, UI top list of 10 most preferred universities in Nigeria
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the list of the 10 most preferred universities by candidates seeking admission for the 2026 academic session, with Lagos State University (LASU) topping the chart.
The statistics were presented on Monday during JAMB’s ongoing 2026 policy meeting held in Abuja.
According to the board, LASU recorded 84,426 first-choice applications, representing 3.76 per cent of the total applications submitted nationwide for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) came second with 78,240 applications, while Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, ranked third with 60,370 applications.
The University of Ibadan (UI) occupied the fourth position after receiving 58,895 applications, followed by the University of Benin (UNIBEN) with 55,425 applications.
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) emerged sixth with 54,085 applications, while the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) recorded 52,514 applications to place seventh on the list.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), secured the eighth position with 51,660 applications from admission seekers, while the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) and the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) completed the top 10 list with 48,272 and 48,199 applications respectively.
JAMB noted that the latest ranking reflected changing admission preferences among candidates, with some institutions that previously dominated the list dropping in the 2026 application cycle.
