JAMB Scraps Affiliated Degree Programmes in Colleges of Education

• JAMB Affiliated Degree Programmes have been discontinued from the 2026/2027 academic session, with the Board making the NCE the only admission pathway into Colleges of Education nationwide.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the end of admissions into JAMB affiliated degree programmes in Colleges of Education across Nigeria, introducing a major reform that will take effect from the 2026/2027 academic session.

The decision, contained in JAMB’s newly released NCE/ND Agric Registration Guidelines issued by the Office of the Registrar in June 2026, effectively makes the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) the sole admission route into Colleges of Education.

Under the new policy, JAMB stated that there would be “no admission into any affiliated programme in any College of Education from the 2026/2027 session.”

The announcement marks the end of JAMB affiliated degree programmes, which for several decades allowed Colleges of Education to award university degrees through partnerships with conventional universities across the country.

In addition to ending admissions into affiliated degree programmes, JAMB also prohibited direct admission into 100 and 200 levels in Colleges of Education.

“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 new policy is expected to impact thousands of admission seekers who applied for degree programmes through affiliated Colleges of Education during the 2026 admission exercise.

To address concerns from affected candidates, JAMB outlined several alternatives. According to the Board, candidates who had already selected Colleges of Education for degree programmes through Direct Entry may apply for a change of institution without any additional cost, transfer to the parent university affiliated with the programme, or allow their second-choice institution to become their first-choice institution for admission processing.

“A candidate may choose to be moved to the parent university to which the Degree programme is affiliated,” JAMB explained.

The Board further disclosed that candidates wishing to change institutions had been given until June 22 to complete the process.

For candidates seeking admission through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), JAMB also provided three options. They may change institutions, elevate their second-choice institution to first choice, or migrate to the NCE programme offered by the College of Education.

JAMB explained that candidates choosing the NCE route would need to obtain an O’Level verification code from the relevant examination body and pay a registration fee of ₦700 through the JAMB portal.

“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 Board stated.

The guidelines also emphasised that every NCE application would be treated as a deliberate choice by the candidate. Consequently, any applicant who accepts NCE admission and is recommended for placement will automatically have any 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,” JAMB noted.

As part of the reforms accompanying the end of JAMB affiliated degree programmes, the Board introduced mandatory O’Level verification for all NCE applicants. The verification fee has been fixed at ₦1,500 for one sitting and ₦2,000 for two sittings.

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JAMB further directed Colleges of Education, Institutional Professional Registration Centres (IPRCs), accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres and Board officials nationwide to familiarise themselves with the new guidelines and ensure full compliance.

“All PRCs, IPRCs and Officers of the Board are to study the guidelines and ensure strict compliance with the information contained therein,” the Registrar stated.

The discontinuation of JAMB affiliated degree programmes represents one of the most significant changes in Nigeria’s teacher education system in recent years. By making the NCE the exclusive entry route into Colleges of Education, the Board aims to reinforce the certificate as the foundational qualification for teacher training and professional development in the country.

With the policy set to take effect from the 2026/2027 academic session, prospective students seeking admission into Colleges of Education will now have to pursue the NCE pathway before advancing to higher qualifications.