The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), and the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have remained the most applied to in Nigeria for higher institution by the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates from 2020 to 2023.
This was made known by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) during an ongoing policy meeting chaired by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education Andrew Adejoh.
On the list, UNILORIN emerged as the highest first choice applied to in the same year of review. In 2020, the university had 103,582 applications in 2020, and was closely followed by Ahmadu Bello University with 82,984 applications.
The university was also on top in the UTME applications with 78,466 in 2021, and 73,749 in 2023.
Since 2021, UNILAG have been second with 59,190, UNILAG was also the second highest applied for institution in 2022 and 2023 with 61, 606 applications. It however came third in 2020 behind UNILORIN and ABU.
In the top 10 universities chosen by candidates during the 2023 UTME, UNILORIN and UNILAG keep their first and second positions, while the Lagos State University, LASU held third position with 55,964 applications.
The Federal University, Oye Ekiti with 53,235 candidates is placed fourth, while the University of Benin 48, 026 applicants, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka with 43,660 candidates are in the fifth and sixth position respectively.
Others are the Obafemi Awolowo University with 41,959 candidates in the seventh ranking, Nnamdi Azikwe University with 41,759 placed eighth, while Nigerian Defence Academy with 41, 323, and the University of Ibadan in the ninth and tenth positions respectively.
UNILORIN is believed to be preferred by most UTME candidates because the institution has not had any form of strike in a very long time unlike other public tertiary institutions in the country.
