LASU Becomes Nigeria’s Most Preferred University for 2025 Admissions

The Lagos State University (LASU) has officially emerged as the most preferred university in Nigeria for the 2025/2026 academic session, displacing the long-standing leader, the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), from the top position.

This was revealed by the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, during the board’s annual Policy Meeting on Admissions, held on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Abuja.

According to data presented at the meeting, LASU received the highest number of first-choice applications from candidates seeking university admission across the country. It was followed by the University of Lagos (UNILAG), which received 58,645 applications, while UNILORIN came in third with 56,758 applications.

For over a decade, UNILORIN had maintained the top spot as the most sought-after university in Nigeria, a position largely attributed to its uninterrupted academic calendar and limited incidence of industrial action—an advantage it held over many public universities.

In the 2024 admission cycle, UNILORIN led the list, followed by UNILAG and LASU in second and third positions respectively. The Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), came fourth, with the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in fifth place. Others in the top 10 included the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN); Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK); the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna; and the University of Ibadan (UI).

This year, however, LASU made a significant leap, overtaking UNILAG and UNILORIN to become the most preferred institution among candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The development has sparked discussions in academic and policy circles, given that LASU only recently entered the top ten ranking in previous years. Its rise to the top is being attributed to recent reforms, improved academic offerings, and growing reputation within and outside Lagos State.

Meanwhile, UNILAG, which had fallen to third place in 2022 after ranking second in both 2020 and 2021, appears to have regained its footing as the second-most preferred institution in the current cycle.