Nigeria’s 10 most sought-after universities in 2026 UTME revealed

The list of Nigeria’s 10 most sought-after universities in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has been unveiled, highlighting the institutions that attracted the highest number of admission seekers across the country amid growing competition for tertiary education placements.

According to data released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday, during the 2026 policy meeting in Abuja.  Lagos State University (LASU) recorded the highest number of first-choice applications in the 2026 UTME.

The statistics from the board indicated that LASU received a total of 84,426 applications from candidates seeking admission for the 2026 academic session, representing 3.76 percent of the total first-choice applications submitted nationwide.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) came second with a total of 78,240 applications, while Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, placed third with 60,370 applications.

JAMB’s data further revealed that the University of Ibadan (UI) secured the fourth position with 58,895 applications, while the University of Benin (UNIBEN), recorded 55,425 applications, placing fifth on the list.

The Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, emerged sixth on the list with 54,085 applications, while the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), which had previously topped the list some years ago,  ranked seventh with 52,514 applications.

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), recorded 51,660 applications to occupy the eighth position.

The ninth position went to the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), which got a total of 48,272 applications, while the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), with 48,199 applications, completed the top 10 list.

The figures were displayed in a photograph presented to journalists and representatives of tertiary institutions attending the policy meeting.

JAMB noted that the latest ranking reflects changing admission preferences among candidates, with some institutions that previously dominated the list dropping positions in the 2026 application cycle.