Which Schools Accept Second Choice in JAMB 2026: What Nigerian Aspirants Must Know

As the 2026 UTME registration draws closer, many students and parents are turning to Google with urgent questions like: “Which schools accept second choice in JAMB?”, “Does FUOYE accept second choice?” and “List of federal universities that accept second choice.”These searches show one clear thing: many candidates are hoping second choice will serve as a backup plan. Unfortunately, most of the answers found online do not reflect how admission actually works today — and believing them has caused many students to miss admission.This article explains — clearly and honestly — how second choice really works in JAMB, which schools actually consider it, and what aspirants should do to avoid losing admission.

What Does Second Choice Mean in JAMB?

If you’re a student filling JAMB — or a parent guiding your child — this part is crucial.During JAMB registration, you’re asked to select:

• a First choice institution, and
• a Second choice institution.

Naturally, many people assume the second choice is a safe backup. Sadly, that’s not how admission works in reality. For most universities, second choice has little or no value at all.The reason is simple: JAMB CAPS prioritises FIRST CHOICE institutions. Most universities only screen, consider, and admit candidates who selected them as first choice. If a school is chosen as second choice, it is often ignored completely unless a change of institution is done.

Do Schools Accept Second Choice in JAMB?

If you’re a student hoping your second choice will “save” you — or a parent counting on it as a backup — you need to hear this clearly.Very few schools truly accept second choice, and most do not admit candidates directly as second choice at all.What actually happens in practice is this:Universities focus almost entirely on first-choice candidates.If your child picked a school as second choice, the school will likely ask them to change it to first choice.If that change is not done, the application is often ignored completely on JAMB CAPS.So when you hear that a school accepts second choice, what it usually means is:You must first change that school to FIRST CHOICE before admission can happen.That is not real second-choice admission — and relying on it has cost many students their admission.

Which Federal Universities Accept Second Choice?

If you’re searching online because you want a backup plan, you need to know the truth:There is no reliable list of federal universities that truly admit second-choice candidates directly. Most federal universities in Nigeria — including UNILAG, UI, UNIBEN, UNIABUJA, UNIUYO, UNILORIN, UNICAL, UNIJOS, UNIPORT, UNN, BUK, FUTA, FUTO, FUTMINNA, FUNAAB, FUAM, FUPRE, and many others — only admit candidates who chose them as first choice.So, if your child picked a federal university as second choice, their chances of admission are very low unless they change the institution to first choice.Here is the real situation for some commonly mentioned federal universities:FUOYE does NOT truly accept second choice.AE-FUNAI accepts first choice only.FUDMA (FUTMA) requires change to first choice before screening.FUGUS does not recognise second choice; change of institution is required.UNIMAID is strictly first choice; second choice is ignored.FULAFIA requires change to first choice.FUWUKARI is first choice driven.FULOKOJA accepts first choice only.FUD (Federal University, Dutse) does not admit second choice directly.

FUBK (Federal University, Birnin Kebbi) does not accept second choice directly.FUGASHUA (Federal University, Gashua) does not admit second choice directly.FUKASHERE (Federal University, Kashere) does not admit second choice directly.FUOTUOKE (Federal University, Otuoke) does not admit second choice directly.FUPRE (Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun) accepts first choice only.NDA (Nigerian Defence Academy) accepts first choice only.AFIT (Air Force Institute of Technology) accepts first choice only.NAUB (Nigerian Army University Biu) accepts first choice only.NNU (Nigerian Navy University, Okerenkoko) accepts first choice only.

Does UNILAG Accept Second Choice?

No.UNILAG admits strictly first-choice candidates. Second choice is completely ignored. Even meeting cut-off does not help.If UNILAG is your target, it must be your FIRST CHOICE.

Does UNIBEN Accept Second Choice?

No.UNIBEN operates a first-choice-only admission system. Second-choice candidates are not screened.

Do State Universities Accept Second Choice in Nigeria?

Many aspirants believe state universities freely accept second choice. This is only partly true.Reality:Some state universities appear flexibleMost still require candidates to change to first choiceCAPS processing still favours first choiceFlexibility does not mean guaranteed second-choice admission.Second choice exists on the JAMB form. Second choice rarely works for university admissionChange of Institution is usually required. Treating second choice as a backup plan is not advisable.

Key takeaway If you genuinely want admission into any Nigerian university:Choose that institution as your FIRST CHOICE.Second choice is not a reliable backup. In most cases, it is ignored unless you change the institution to first choice.Making the right decision early can save you a whole academic year.