JAMB Admission Rules: What Candidates Must Know About College of Education Degrees

Prospective students considering colleges of education have been advised to pay close attention to the admission route for their preferred programmes following reports about changes affecting affiliated degree programmes. The development has raised questions among applicants who previously expected to obtain university degrees through arrangements involving colleges of education and affiliated universities. Education-related reports have indicated that JAMB’s 2026/2027 admission arrangements include changes affecting these programmes. JAMB issued two linked directives, quoted verbatim across Punch, Channels TV and other outlets:1. “No admission into any affiliated programme in any College of Education from 2026/7 Session.” 2. “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,” the board stated. The same wording appears as: “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” Programmes affectedAll affiliated degree programmes — that is, any Bachelor’s degree run by a College of Education under an affiliation arrangement where a university awards the degree. This is described as formally ended admissions into affiliated degree programmes run by colleges of education, marking a major shift in Nigeria’s teacher education system. For decades these programmes enabled colleges to award university degrees through partnerships.