2026 UTME Top Scorer Chooses UNILAG as First Choice Institution

By Iman Aiyeola

The 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination (UTME) top scorer, Daniella Owoeye, has selected the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as her first-choice institution.

The Ekiti-born scholar emerged with a total score of 372 out of 400 marks, ranking as the highest-scoring candidate.

According to the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, Owoeye applied to study Medicine and Surgery as her first choice course at UNILAG.

Speaking on Monday at JAMB’s 2026 policy meeting in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, revealed that the minimum age of admission for this year’s admission exercise is 16 years.

JAMB also pegged 150 as the cut-off point for universities, 140 for Colleges of Nursing, and 100 for Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.

The board also set deadlines for all admissions exercises as follows: public universities by October 31, 2026, private universities by November 30, 2026, and polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education by December 31, 2026.

Successful candidates must also accept their admission offers within four weeks, or risk having the offer withdrawn and becoming ineligible for further consideration this session.

LASU, UNILAG TOP AS MOST SOUGHT AFTER SCHOOLS

Statistics released at the meeting showed that UNILAG came second in the 2026 first-choice application rankings with 78,240 applications, behind Lagos State University (LASU), which topped the list with 84,426.

Obafemi Awolowo University came third with 60,370.

In a significant change, candidates applying for Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes and non-technology agricultural courses are no longer required to sit for the UTME, provided they have a minimum of four O-level credit passes.

However, they must still register with JAMB and be processed through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).

The board also warned that admissions conducted outside CAPS are illegal.

Oloyede also stated that institutions wishing to conduct Post-UTME screening exercises may begin doing so immediately after the policy meeting, warning that the charge must not exceed ₦2,000.