Overlooked or overemphasized? An evaluation of admission criteria and access to higher education in Nigeria
Segun Michael Ojetunde 1 * , Ikmat Olanrewaju Junaid 2 , Lydia Titilayo Dada 3
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1 Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA2 Institute of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, NIGERIA3 Department of Nursing, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, NIGERIA* Corresponding Author

Abstract

The study examined the influence of admission criteria on access to higher education in Nigeria. This investigation was prompted by a recent surge in the number of candidates who were denied admission to universities. Data on admissions from various higher education institutions in Nigeria, spanning the years 2015 to 2022, were collected and analyzed, focusing on gender, region, and type of institution. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in the analysis. The findings revealed that many Nigerian universities overemphasized admission criteria due to high demand, a trend less pronounced in polytechnics and colleges of education. Moreover, disparities in access to higher education were noted based on gender, region, and institution type. The study recommended that stakeholders enhance the capabilities of colleges of education and polytechnics, and called on universities, particularly in southwestern Nigeria, to adopt a more equitable approach to their admission criteria.

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

MEDITERR J SOC BEH RES, Volume 10, Issue 1, May 2026, 13-22

https://doi.org/10.29333/mjosbr/17560

Publication date: 01 Jan 2026

Online publication date: 16 Dec 2025

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Article Downloads: 58

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