New JAMB Policy Ends University Degree Programs at Colleges of Education

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially terminated admissions into university degree programmes affiliated with Colleges of Education. This move signifies a significant shift in Nigeria's teacher education landscape, making the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) the exclusive entry qualification for these institutions starting from the 2026/2027 academic session.

This crucial decision is detailed in JAMB’s recently released NCE/ND Agric Registration Guidelines, issued by the Registrar's Office in June 2026. The new policy explicitly states, “no admission into any affiliated programme in any College of Education from 2026/7 Session.” Furthermore, JAMB has disallowed direct entry into 100 and 200 levels in Colleges of Education, mandating that all new students must now enroll through the NCE programme. The Board declared, “With effect from 2026/7 Session, no admission into 100 or 200 Level is allowed into any College of Education. All entrants are through NCE.”

This development marks the end of an era for affiliated degree programmes, which for decades allowed Colleges of Education to confer university degrees through collaborations with conventional universities. The reform is expected to impact thousands of candidates who had applied for degree programmes via affiliated Colleges of Education for the 2026 admission cycle.

To mitigate the effect on affected candidates, particularly those who selected affiliated Colleges of Education for degree programmes through Direct Entry, JAMB has provided several options. According to the Board, these candidates can apply for a change of institution at no cost, transfer to the parent university to which the degree programme is affiliated, or have their second-choice institution automatically become their first choice for admission processing. JAMB stated, “A candidate may choose to be moved to the parent university to which the Degree programme is affiliated.” Candidates wishing to change institutions have until June 22 to finalize the process.

Similarly, candidates seeking 100-level admission into affiliated Colleges of Education via the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have three choices: change their institution, elevate their second-choice institution to first choice, or migrate to the NCE programme. The Board added that candidates opting for the NCE route would need to obtain an O’Level verification code from the relevant examination body and pay a registration fee of only ₦700 on the JAMB portal. JAMB clarified, “The candidate may be moved to the NCE programme of the institution, on the understanding that the choice of the College of Education indicates an interest in pursuing the NCE qualification.”

The guidelines also specify that every NCE admission application is a deliberate choice, and any candidate recommended for NCE admission will have their ongoing UTME or Direct Entry admission process suspended. “Anyone who chooses NCE and s/he is proposed/recommended, would have any ongoing UTME/DE process suspended,” the Board affirmed. For candidates who have already applied through the 2026 UTME mode, JAMB confirmed that their details would be automatically transferred to their chosen first-choice College of Education or Agric-related Non-Technology ND programmes.

Furthermore, the Board has introduced mandatory O’Level verification for all NCE applicants, with a verification fee of ₦1,500 for one sitting and ₦2,000 for two sittings. JAMB has urged Colleges of Education, Institutional Professional Registration Centres (IPRCs), accredited CBT centres, and its officials nationwide to thoroughly review the new guidelines and ensure strict compliance. The Registrar emphasized, “All PRCs, IPRCs and Officers of the Board are to study the guidelines and ensure strict compliance with the information contained therein.”

PUNCH Online previously reported that affiliated degree programmes had long provided a means for Colleges of Education to offer bachelor’s degrees in partnership with universities, allowing students to earn university degrees while studying in these colleges. However, JAMB's new policy effectively terminates this arrangement for new admissions from the 2026/2027 academic session, thereby solidifying the NCE as the primary qualification for teacher education in Nigeria.