How JAMB Admission is Distributed

Authorities of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB has revealed the metrics it uses to determine its Admission Quota.

The board disclosed this in an illustration published on JAMB’s official website following the commencement of the 2021/2022 UTME/DE registration.

According to JAMB, admission into all federal higher institutions in Nigeria via UTME is based on three (3) quotas namely;

1. Merit
2. Catchment Area
3. Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS)

Before you proceed, you may want to see: You Can’t Gain Admission If You Don’t Do These 5 Things

Admission Based on Merit

This category is for candidates with very high UTME scores. JAMB offers Admission based on the performance of a candidate regardless of their state of origin.

JAMB reveals that 45% of admission into all federal institutions of learning in Nigeria is reserved for candidates who fall in this category.

Merit Admission Quota

Admission Based on Catchment Area

Admission Based on Catchment Area in Nigeria refers to certain states that are identified as special areas for federal higher institutions in the country.

Every federal higher institution in Nigeria has a list of these catchment areas. If a candidate’s state of origin is on the catchment list of the institution they want to attend, they receive special consideration during the admission process.

According to JAMB metrics, 35% of admissions into all federal institutions in Nigeria are reserved for candidates from these catchment areas.

This means that eligible students from these states have a better chance of getting admitted to their desired federal higher institution.

Catchment Area Admission Quota

Admission Based on Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS)

Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS) refer to states that are perceived to have a lesser academic interest. In a bid to encourage education, candidates from these states are given special consideration.

The board has identified twenty-three (23) states as Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS). JAMB equally awards 20% of available admission space to eligible candidates who fall in this category.

Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS)

These states include;

1. Adamawa
2. Bauchi
3. Bayelsa
4. Benue
5. Borno
6. Cross River
7. Ebonyi
8. Gombe
9. Jigawa
10. Kaduna
11. Kano
12. Katsina
13. Kebbi
14. Kogi
15. Kwara
16. Nasarawa
17. Niger
18. Plateau
19. Rivers
20. Sokoto
21. Taraba
22. Yobe, and
23. Zamfara

Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS) Admission Quota

Kindly note that every candidate who fall under any of the categories mentioned above still has to meet the minimum requirement to be considered for admission.

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