JAMB Closes Direct Admissions for 100‑ and 200‑Level Entry into Colleges of Education

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued new admission rules for candidates applying to Colleges of Education and agric‑related National Diploma programmes. The changes will apply from the 2026/2027 academic session.

The guidelines were released in an advisory from JAMB’s Office of the Registrar in June 2026.

Under the new rules, admission to Colleges of Education will be limited to the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) route. Direct entry into 100‑level and 200‑level programmes has been discontinued.

In a statement sent to journalists by Director of Communications Fabian Benjamin, the board said: “With effect from the 2026/7 Session, no admission into 100 or 200 Level is allowed into any College of Education. All entrants are through NCE.”

JAMB also clarified that applicants cannot process multiple admission routes at the same time. “Candidates would be processed for only one mode of entry at a time,” the document added.

Admissions into affiliated programmes in Colleges of Education will also be prohibited from the 2026/2027 academic session. “No admission into any affiliated programme in any College of Education from 2026/7 Session,” the advisory stated.

Applicants entering through the NCE mode must have their O‑Level results verified by the relevant examination bodies—WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS—before completing registration. Verification of one sitting costs N1,500, while two sittings cost N2,000.

During registration, candidates must list only Colleges of Education as their first, second, and third choices under the NCE admission process.

All 2026 UTME applicants who selected Colleges of Education will be automatically migrated to their chosen first‑choice College of Education or an agric‑related non‑technology ND programme.

The guidelines also outline a pathway for candidates who were admitted to Colleges of Education in the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions without proper JAMB processing. Those affected by affiliated programmes can transfer to parent universities or change institutions. They will undergo a condonement process after obtaining O‑Level verification codes and completing registration through approved centres.

Direct Entry candidates who selected affiliated Colleges of Education for degree programmes in 2026 may apply for a change of institution, transfer to the parent university of the affiliated programme, or choose another option provided under the new policy. Affected UTME candidates seeking admission into affiliated Colleges of Education degree programmes may also change institutions, switch to a second‑choice institution, or migrate to NCE programmes.

The board said the new measures aim to ensure proper admission processing, verification of qualifications, and compliance with established procedures across Colleges of Education nationwide.

The guidelines were signed by JAMB Registrar Professor Is‑haq Oloyede.