Lana Oconnell
Nigeria has a two-tier tertiary education system, consisting of a university sector and a non-university sector. The university sector offers undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate diploma programs. In the 2018/2019 academic year, Nigerian universities had approximately 1.8 million full-time undergraduate students and 242,000 postgraduate students. The National Open University of Nigeria was the country's largest university in terms of student numbers that year, with over half a million students enrolled. The academic year in Nigeria typically runs from September to July, with most universities operating on a semester system of 18 to 20 weeks. A new degree classification system, introduced by the NUC, has eliminated the PASS classification, raising the GPA requirements for graduation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate students | 1.8 million |
| Postgraduate students | 242,000 |
| Undergraduate female students | 44% |
| Master female students | 38% |
| Largest university | National Open University of Nigeria |
| Number of students in the largest university | Over 500,000 |
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What You'll Learn
Undergraduate vs postgraduate numbers
In the 2018/2019 academic year, Nigerian universities had approximately 1.8 million undergraduate students and 242,000 postgraduate students. This data indicates a significant disparity in the number of undergraduates and postgraduates in the country's higher education system.
Undergraduate students in Nigerian universities have a variety of degree options, including bachelor's degree programs. The Nigerian university system employs a degree classification system that ranks students' overall performance in bachelor's degree programs, which is crucial for graduate admissions and employment prospects. To gain university access, students must achieve a minimum score on various certificates, typically obtained at the end of upper secondary education. The academic year typically runs from September to July, with most universities operating on a semester system of 18-20 weeks.
On the other hand, postgraduate education in Nigeria includes master's and doctoral programs. Master's programs enrol both male and female students, with women accounting for 38% of master's students in the 2018/2019 academic year. Doctoral programs, or PhDs, are also offered at Nigerian universities, with enrolment numbers varying by gender and discipline. Postgraduate diplomas are non-degree programs awarded after one year of full-time graduate study following a bachelor's degree.
The discrepancy between undergraduate and postgraduate student numbers in Nigerian universities may be attributed to various factors. One reason could be the sequential nature of higher education, where a larger number of students are expected to pursue undergraduate studies before progressing to postgraduate levels. Additionally, the requirements and selectivity of postgraduate programs may contribute to the smaller cohort sizes.
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Private universities
Nigeria has a total of 149 private universities, compared to 63 state universities and 62 federal universities. Private universities in Nigeria had around 103,000 undergraduate students in 2019. This is a small proportion of the country's total undergraduate population of 1.8 million. The country's largest university, the National Open University of Nigeria, had over half a million students in 2019.
In 2019, there were 5.4 million children enrolled in private primary schools in Nigeria. The gross enrollment rate in primary schools in Nigeria was 68.3%, with an average class size of 51 pupils, rising to 100 in some states. Over seven million students were enrolled in private lower secondary schools in 2019.
In 1992, only 10.3% of university graduates in Nigeria had degrees in science, engineering, agriculture, and technology. The government has since tried to shift the ratio of majors away from the humanities and towards science and technology, with a goal of a 60-40 split.
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Gender breakdown
In the 2018/2019 academic year, Nigerian universities counted 1.8 million undergraduate students and 242,000 postgraduate students. Among master's students, women accounted for 38% of the total, while the female percentage among bachelor's students was 44%.
Women are also well represented in PhD programs in Nigerian universities. In 2019, there were 17,600 full-time PhD students in the country, with a significant proportion being female. While the exact number of female PhD students is not readily available, it is known that in 2019, female staff were present in Nigerian universities.
In terms of faculty gender composition, there are also variations by discipline. For instance, in 2019, the number of female academic employees in Nigerian universities differed across disciplines. Some disciplines had a higher percentage of female staff than others.
While Nigeria has made significant strides in gender equality in education, with female students and staff represented across various levels of tertiary education, there might still be room for improvement in certain areas. The specific gender breakdown within undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programs can vary depending on institutional ownership and discipline.
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Master's enrollment
In the 2018/2019 academic year, Nigerian universities counted 1.8 million undergraduate students and 242,000 postgraduate students. Of these postgraduate students, 121,000 were full-time. Federal universities had the highest number of master's students, with around 62,000 males and 40,000 females. This means that, in 2019, there were approximately 102,000 master's students in federal universities.
Women accounted for 38% of master's students in Nigeria in 2018/2019, while the percentage of female bachelor's students was 44%. The gender breakdown of master's students in 2019 was as follows:
- Federal universities: 62,000 males and 40,000 females
- State universities: 30,000 males and 20,000 females
- Private universities: 13,000 males and 9,000 females
Overall, there were 102,000 male master's students and 69,000 female master's students in Nigeria in 2019, for a total of 171,000 master's students.
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Diploma enrollment
In the 2018/2019 academic year, Nigerian universities counted 1.8 million undergraduate students and 242,000 postgraduate students. The largest Nigerian university is the National Open University of Nigeria, which had over half a million students as of 2019. Nigerian student enrollment at U.S. colleges and universities rose to 20,029 students in 2023/2024, marking a 13.5% increase from the previous year.
Unfortunately, I could not find specific information on diploma enrollment in Nigerian universities. However, I can provide some details on enrollment in undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
Undergraduate Enrollment
In the 2018/2019 academic year, there were 1.8 million undergraduate students enrolled in Nigerian universities. Private universities accounted for around 103,000 of these students. The gender breakdown of undergraduate enrollment showed that women accounted for 44% of bachelor's students.
Postgraduate Enrollment
In the same 2018/2019 academic year, there were 242,000 postgraduate students in Nigeria. Among master's students, women accounted for 38% of the total. Unfortunately, I could not find a gender breakdown for other types of postgraduate programs, such as postgraduate diplomas or Ph.D. programs.
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Frequently asked questions
There are around 150 private and public universities in Nigeria, with a capacity to carry 600,000 students.
The annual dropout rate for all university students in Nigeria is about 18%.
There is limited information on the exact number of students that graduate from Nigerian universities annually. However, in the 1996-1997 academic year, 79,904 students received offers, and 475,923 applied for university places.
