JAMB Ends Direct Degree Admission in Colleges of Education, Introduces New NCE Admission Guidelines

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced major reforms to Nigeria's tertiary education admission process, ending direct admissions into degree programmes offered by colleges of education from the 2026/2027 academic session. 

Under the new policy, candidates seeking admission into colleges of education will now be required to gain entry through the National Certificate in Education (NCE) programme, which will serve as the official pathway into teacher education institutions across the country. 

The development marks a significant shift in the nation's educational system and is expected to reshape the admission process for thousands of prospective students. 

According to the new guidelines released by JAMB and signed by the outgoing Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, admissions into both 100-level and 200-level degree programmes offered directly by colleges of education have been discontinued. 

In addition, the Board announced that admissions into affiliated degree programmes operated by colleges of education will also cease beginning from the 2026/2027 academic session. 

JAMB explained that candidates can only be processed under one admission mode at a time. 

As a result, applicants who apply for NCE programmes and are subsequently recommended by their institutions will automatically have any ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) or Direct Entry application suspended. 

A major component of the new framework is the compulsory verification of O'Level results before admission processing can be completed. 

Candidates will be required to verify their results through recognized examination bodies including the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO), National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), and the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS). 

The Board disclosed that candidates must obtain result verification codes from their examination bodies before completing registration. 

Under the new arrangement, verification fees have been fixed at N1,500 for candidates presenting one sitting result and N2,000 for those combining two sittings. 

JAMB emphasized that admissions will only be processed after successful verification of candidates' academic credentials. 

For applicants seeking admission into NCE programmes during the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 admission cycles, the registration process will attract an application fee of N3,500 and an additional registration charge of N700. 

Payments are expected to be made through accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres or Institutional Professional Registration Centres (IPRCs) established in colleges of education nationwide.