No fewer than 5,658 candidates who scored 300 and above in Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examinations missed out on admissions into tertiary institutions between 2019 and 2023, recent data obtained from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has revealed.

It was reports that while tertiary institutions are at liberty to determine their respective benchmarks for admission, there is a widely held belief that candidates who score higher marks have advantages over those with poor UTME scores.

In 2018, JAMB noted that though a total of 4,683 candidates scored 300 and above, only 3,683 gained admission while 1,000 candidates were unable to gain admission.

In 2019, a total of 2,967 candidates scored 300 and above, while 2,288 candidates got admitted 679 were denied admission.

In 2020, a total of 4,948 students scored 300 and above, while 3,492 candidates were admitted, and 1,456 were denied admission.

A total of 715 candidates scored 300 and above in the 2021 examinations. Out of the 715, JAMB noted that only 590 were admitted, while out of the 125 who were denied admissions, JAMB noted that 35 of them applied for Medicine.

A total of 64 applied for Engineering-related courses; one for education; 18 for science-related courses.

Furthermore, the board revealed that four of the candidates applied for programmes in the social sciences.

In 2022, a total of 5,833 scored 300 and above. While 3,708 were admitted, a total of 2,125 failed to secure admission into tertiary institutions.

The recent data from the 2023 admission revealed that 5,261 scored 300 and above, adding that while 3988 were admitted, 1,273 missed out on admissions.

Commenting on the reasons why candidates, especially high scorers, fail to get admitted, the board in the documents obtained by Sunday PUNCH listed “wrong O’Level subject combination; low post-UTME screening score; non-acceptance of admission offer; duplication of application; absence from post-UTME screening and mismatch of catchment.”

PUNCH