The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has recorded more than 22.5 million registrations for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry between 2015 and 2026, according to official data released by the board.
A report obtained by The PUNCH showed that a total of 22,537,451 candidates registered during the 11-year period, with the statistics compiled while the 2026 Direct Entry registration exercise was still ongoing.
According to the figures, the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination accounted for the larger share of registrations, with approximately 21.26 million candidates, while about 1.28 million applicants registered through Direct Entry.
The data indicated that in 2015, the board registered 1,644,072 candidates, comprising 1,475,600 UTME candidates and 168,472 Direct Entry applicants.
Registration figures rose in 2016 to 1,764,859, with 1,592,462 candidates applying for UTME and 172,397 for Direct Entry.
Similarly, 2017 recorded 1,882,559 registrations, including 1,722,269 UTME candidates and 160,290 Direct Entry applicants.
However, the number dropped slightly in 2018, when a total of 1,793,018 candidates registered, made up of 1,653,127 UTME candidates and 139,891 Direct Entry applicants.
In 2019, registrations increased again to 1,989,682, with 1,886,509 UTME candidates and 103,173 Direct Entry applicants.
The upward trend continued in 2020, as the board recorded 2,110,623 registrations, including 1,949,983 UTME candidates and 160,640 Direct Entry applicants.
A significant decline was observed in 2021, when total registrations fell to 1,428,209. Of the figure, 1,351,284 were UTME candidates, while 76,925 registered through Direct Entry.
The board, however, witnessed a recovery in 2022 with 1,859,532 candidates, consisting of 1,761,262 UTME registrations and 98,270 Direct Entry applicants.
In 2023, the figure dipped again to 1,635,673, including 1,595,779 UTME candidates and 39,894 Direct Entry applicants.
The number increased sharply in 2024 to 2,040,018 registrations, comprising 1,992,660 UTME candidates and 47,358 Direct Entry applicants.
For 2025, the board recorded 2,093,329 registrations, made up of 2,031,754 UTME candidates and 62,205 Direct Entry applicants.
The highest figure within the period was recorded in 2026, with 2,295,877 total registrations, including 2,243,245 UTME candidates and 52,632 Direct Entry applicants.
A senior official of the examination body, who spoke on the development, said the steady rise in candidate registration reflected increasing demand for tertiary education in the country.
“The figures show that more young Nigerians are seeking access to higher education despite existing economic and infrastructural challenges,” the source said.
The official added that the board remained committed to improving the examination and admission process through technology-driven reforms.
Meanwhile, 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 held in Abuja, where participants also approved a minimum score of 100 for admissions into polytechnics and colleges of education, while colleges of nursing adopted 150 as their benchmark.
