JAMB abolishes degree admissions in colleges of education, makes NCE sole entry route

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the discontinuation of admissions into affiliated degree programmes offered by Colleges of Education across Nigeria, effectively making the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) the only entry route into the institutions from the 2026/2027 academic session.

The decision was contained in JAMB’s newly released NCE/ND Agric Registration Guidelines issued by the Office of the Registrar in June 2026.

Under the new policy, the Board stated that no admissions would be conducted into any affiliated degree programme in Colleges of Education beginning from the 2026/2027 academic session.

JAMB also directed that admissions into 100 and 200 levels of degree programmes within Colleges of Education would no longer be permitted, insisting that all new entrants must now be admitted through the NCE programme.

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“With effect from the 2026/2027 session, no admission into 100 or 200 level is allowed into any College of Education. All entrants are through NCE,” the Board stated.

The development marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s teacher education system and effectively brings an end to the long-standing affiliated degree arrangement through which Colleges of Education partnered with universities to award bachelor’s degrees.

The new policy is expected to affect thousands of candidates who had applied for degree programmes through affiliated Colleges of Education for the 2026 admission cycle.

To address the transition, JAMB outlined alternative options for affected candidates. According to the Board, candidates who applied through Direct Entry may change their institutions at no cost, transfer to the parent university affiliated with the degree programme, or allow their second-choice institution to become their first choice for admission processing.

The Board further disclosed that candidates seeking admission into affiliated degree programmes through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) may either change institutions, upgrade their second-choice institution to first choice, or migrate to the NCE programme.

JAMB explained that candidates opting for the NCE pathway would be required to obtain an O’Level verification code from the appropriate examination body and pay a registration fee of ₦700 through the Board’s portal.

According to the guidelines, candidates who choose the NCE route and are recommended for admission will automatically have any ongoing UTME or Direct Entry admission process suspended.

The Board also announced mandatory O’Level verification for all NCE applicants, with verification fees fixed at ₦1,500 for one sitting and ₦2,000 for two sittings.

JAMB stated that candidates who had already applied through the 2026 UTME would have their details automatically migrated to their chosen first-choice College of Education or Agric-related National Diploma programmes where applicable.

The Board subsequently directed Colleges of Education, Institutional Professional Registration Centres (IPRCs), accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres and JAMB officials nationwide to study the new guidelines and ensure strict compliance.

The reform is widely regarded as one of the most significant changes in Nigeria’s teacher education system in recent years and is expected to reshape admission processes into Colleges of Education across the country.

JAMB maintained that the policy is aimed at strengthening the NCE qualification pathway while streamlining admissions into teacher-training institutions nationwide.