The University of Ilorin, (UNILORIN) has again emerged the 2017 most sought after university in the country among candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
The UNILORIN last year also emerged the highest with 103,238 student-applicants.
According to a report by the Economic Intelligence magazine from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, on the preferred first university of choice in 2017, the University of Ilorin has the highest applications with 104,038 student-applicants. The figure represents almost about 10 per cent of the 1,212,818 total applicants seeking admissions into the 40 federal universities in Nigeria.
UNILORIN is followed by Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria in Kaduna with student-applicants of 89,688.
University of Benin, Edo State, is third in the ranking with 85,486 applicants; University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu, is the fourth with 79,073 applicants, University of Lagos, UNILAG, is the fifth with 78,899 while Bayero University Kano, BUK, comes sixth with 68,241 students applicants.
Federal University Dutsima Katsina, Federal University Gashua Yobe, and National Open University have the lowest number of applicants among the Federal Universities in the country. These were which are ranked as 38th, 39th and 40th and have student-applicants of 3807, 1897 and 110 respectively.
Among the current 41 State Universities, Lagos State University, LASU, is number one with 36,119 applicants; followed by Kaduna State University with 28,914 applicants; Delta State University Abraka, is third with 28,672 student applicants, Nasarawa State University is fourth with 29,142 applicants; Benue State University Makurdi, and Adekunle Ajasin University Ondo came fifth and sixth with 27, 611 and 27,579 student-applicants respectively.
Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Edo University, Iyamho, and Eastern Palm University, Ogboko in Imo State ranked the lowest in terms of applicants with 39th, 40th and 41st positions and have student-applicants of 399; 165 and 12 respectively.
Among the 67 Private Universities, Covenant University, Canaan Land, Ota is leading with 2,438 applicants, followed by Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State 1,599, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State 1,455 and Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State with 485 students applicants. The fifth and sixth positions go to Abuja based Nigerian Turkish Nile University with 478 and Baze University with 476 student applicants.
Chrisland University, Owode Ogun State; Koladaisi University Ibadan, Oyo State and Legacy University Okija, Anambra State occupy low positions with 5 applicants each while the 67th (last position) goes to Kwararafa University, Wukari, Taraba State with just 4 applicants.
