The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has disclosed that more than 22.5 million candidates registered for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry between 2015 and 2026.
According to statistics released by the board and obtained on Saturday, a total of 22,537,451 candidates registered during the period, although the 2026 Direct Entry registration exercise was still ongoing at the time the figures were compiled.
The data showed that UTME candidates accounted for the overwhelming majority of registrations, with about 21.26 million applicants, while roughly 1.28 million candidates applied through Direct Entry.
JAMB’s records indicated that 1,644,072 candidates registered in 2015, including 1,475,600 UTME applicants and 168,472 Direct Entry candidates.
In 2016, the number increased to 1,764,859, made up of 1,592,462 UTME candidates and 172,397 DE applicants.
The 2017 registration cycle recorded 1,882,559 candidates, comprising 1,722,269 for UTME and 160,290 for Direct Entry.
Registrations dropped slightly in 2018, with a total of 1,793,018 candidates, including 1,653,127 UTME applicants and 139,891 DE candidates.
The figures rose again in 2019 to 1,989,682, with 1,886,509 candidates registering for UTME and 103,173 through Direct Entry.
In 2020, JAMB recorded 2,110,623 registrations, consisting of 1,949,983 UTME candidates and 160,640 DE applicants.
A significant decline was recorded in 2021, when total registrations fell to 1,428,209, including 1,351,284 UTME candidates and 76,925 Direct Entry applicants.
The board, however, recorded a recovery in 2022, with 1,859,532 candidates registering, made up of 1,761,262 UTME and 98,270 DE applicants.
In 2023, registrations dropped again to 1,635,673, comprising 1,595,779 UTME candidates and 39,894 Direct Entry applicants.
The trend reversed in 2024 as registrations climbed to 2,040,018, including 1,992,660 UTME candidates and 47,358 DE applicants.
For 2025, JAMB recorded 2,093,329 registrations, with 2,031,754 candidates applying through UTME and 62,205 through Direct Entry.
In 2026, the board registered 2,295,877 candidates, consisting of 2,243,245 UTME applicants and 52,632 Direct Entry candidates.
Meanwhile, JAMB, alongside stakeholders in the tertiary education sector, recently approved 150 as the minimum admission benchmark for universities for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The decision was reached during the board’s annual policy meeting on admissions into tertiary institutions held in Abuja.
The stakeholders also adopted 100 as the minimum benchmark for admission into polytechnics and colleges of education, while Colleges of Nursing fixed their minimum admission score at 150.
