JAMB, WAEC, and admissions guides for Nigerian students
JAMB Brochure 2026: Where to Download and How to Read It
The JAMB 2026 brochure is the official book that lists every accredited Nigerian university, polytechnic, and college of education, the courses each one runs, the JAMB subject combination accepted for each course, and the O Level credits required. JAMB publishes the brochure free on jamb.gov.ng, with an Android app version (the JAMB e-brochure) that mirrors the same data. The brochure is the binding reference; if a school’s brochure entry differs from a blog summary, the brochure entry wins.
Last updated: May 2026 Every JAMB candidate should read the brochure entry for their first-choice and second-choice schools before paying for registration. Most subject-combination errors trace back to candidates who relied on a forwarded WhatsApp summary instead of the official brochure. This guide covers where to download the brochure, how to navigate the structure, the difference between the printed PDF and the e-brochure app, the most-confused entries, and how to use the brochure during Change of Course if you registered wrongly.
The brochure is updated every year. Use only the year that matches your JAMB cycle; the 2025 brochure may have different subject combinations than the 2026 brochure for the same course at the same school.
Where to download the 2026 brochure
JAMB publishes the brochure free on its official portal. There are two formats to access.
The e-brochure on jamb.gov.ng. Browser-searchable, indexed by school name. The fastest way to look up a specific course at a specific school. Available from anywhere with internet, no download needed.
The JAMB e-brochure Android app. Free on the Google Play Store, published by JAMB directly. Works offline once downloaded. Useful when you are at the CBT centre during registration and the centre’s wifi is slow.
The printable PDF. JAMB sometimes publishes a downloadable PDF for printing. Useful as a desk reference; ask your school’s career advisor or guidance counsellor whether they have a printed copy.
Do not download “JAMB brochure” copies from random blogs. Some of those copies are out-of-date or have been modified. Stick to the JAMB-published version. The Play Store app is published by “Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)” as the developer; if the developer name is different, it is not the official app.
How the brochure is structured
The brochure is organised by institution, not by course. Each university, polytechnic, and college of education has its own section. Within a school’s section, courses are listed alphabetically with the following information for each course.
Course name. The exact name as the school registers it (e.g. “Computer Engineering” is different from “Computer Science”).
UTME subjects. The four JAMB subjects accepted for the course at that school. Use of English is always one; the other three vary by course.
O Level requirements. The list of subjects that must be credit passes, and any extras the school weights.
Direct Entry requirements. A Level, IJMB, JUPEB, OND, HND, NCE acceptance with the minimum grade or class.
Special notes. Some courses carry footnotes (medical fitness, language proficiency, additional screening).
To find your course, search the brochure for your first-choice school, then scroll to your course. Cross-check the same course at your second-choice school; combinations sometimes differ between schools.
How to read the brochure entry, step by step
The brochure is dense and terse. Walking through one entry with care prevents most subject-combination errors. Below is how to read a typical entry.
Read the course name in full. Confirm it is the course you want; “Pharmacy” and “Pharmacology” are different programmes.
Read the UTME subjects. Note the four. Use of English is compulsory. The other three should match what you registered for. If they do not, you have a problem to fix.
Read the O Level requirements. Note which subjects need credit passes. Most courses need English, Mathematics, plus three relevant subjects. Some courses specify “first sitting” for certain subjects.
Read the Direct Entry line. Even if you are entering through UTME, the DE line tells you what alternative routes exist if you do not get in this cycle.
Read the special notes. Footnotes carry important caveats: medical fitness for Medicine and Nursing, prior English for Theatre Arts, prior music ability for Music.
Compare with the same course at another school. Always cross-check. Computer Science at UNILAG may take Biology as the fourth subject; the same course at OAU may insist on Chemistry.
Brochure entries that catch candidates out
A handful of brochure entries cause the same confusion every cycle. Be especially careful with these.
Computer Science vs Computer Engineering. Two different programmes with overlapping but distinct subject combinations. Computer Science usually accepts Biology, Agricultural Science, or Economics as the fourth subject. Computer Engineering insists on Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry. Some schools combine the two and call it “Computer Science and Engineering”; check the brochure carefully.
Education and X. Education courses follow the subject combination of the subject you intend to teach. Education and Biology takes the science combination, Education and English takes the arts combination. Some candidates assume Education has a generic combination; the brochure shows it does not.
Engineering branches. Most schools admit into the Faculty of Engineering at 100 level with a single combination (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry). A few schools admit directly into a specific branch and may apply slightly different combinations. Check whether your school is a faculty-first or branch-first admitter.
Theatre Arts and Music. Some schools require auditions or prior demonstrated ability in the discipline. The brochure carries a footnote about this; skipping the footnote can mean a wasted application.
Using the brochure during Change of Course
If your registered combination does not match the course you want, the brochure is your tool for picking the right replacement. The brochure tells you which courses accept your existing combination, so you can switch within bounds.
For example, a candidate who registered with Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry intending Engineering, but with O Level missing a credit in Chemistry, can use the brochure to find Mathematics-Physics-X courses that accept the combination she actually has.
Bring up the e-brochure during the Change of Course window (May to June for the current cycle). Search by school, look for courses that accept your subjects, and pay the ₦2,500 change fee on the JAMB portal.
Do not change in panic. A poorly-chosen new course locks you in just as much as the original wrong choice did.
Common mistakes when reading the brochure
Using last year’s brochure. Subject combinations and admission requirements can change between years. Use the current cycle’s brochure.
Reading only one school’s entry. Always cross-check first and second choices. The combination may differ.
Ignoring footnotes. Footnotes carry the strictest rules (audition, medical fitness, first-sitting English). Skipping them means skipping the rule.
Trusting a forwarded summary instead of the brochure. Summaries get out of date, especially when forwarded year on year. The JAMB-published brochure is the binding source.
Confusing similar course names. “Computer Science” vs “Computer Engineering” vs “Information Technology” are three different programmes. Read the full name carefully.
Frequently asked questions
Is the JAMB brochure the same as the JAMB syllabus?
No. The brochure lists subject combinations and admission requirements for each course at each school. The syllabus is the list of topics tested in each UTME subject. The two are separate documents and both are free on jamb.gov.ng. The brochure tells you what to register for; the syllabus tells you what to study.
Can I read the brochure on my phone?
Yes. The e-brochure works in any mobile browser at jamb.gov.ng, and the JAMB e-brochure Android app is free on the Play Store. The app works offline once downloaded, which is useful when you are sitting at a CBT centre with poor wifi during registration. iOS users do not have a dedicated app yet but can use the browser e-brochure.
Does the brochure change every year?
Yes. JAMB publishes a fresh brochure each year. Most courses and combinations are stable across years, but specific schools sometimes change a fourth-subject acceptance or a footnote rule. Use the brochure year that matches your JAMB cycle; the 2026 brochure applies to the 2026 UTME, the 2027 brochure to the 2027 UTME, and so on.
What if the brochure entry for my course is different from my school teacher’s advice?
The brochure overrides any other source, including a school teacher, a CBT centre operator, or a forwarded WhatsApp message. The brochure is the JAMB-published binding reference. If your teacher’s advice differs from the brochure, follow the brochure and politely flag the difference to the teacher. Sometimes the school teacher is reading last year’s brochure or a different school’s entry.
How long is the JAMB brochure?
The printable PDF is several hundred pages, covering all accredited institutions. You do not need to read the whole thing; you only need the entries for your two or three target schools. The e-brochure on the portal and the Android app are search-indexed so you jump straight to the school you want; no scrolling through hundreds of pages.
What do I do if the e-brochure does not list my course?
Check whether the course is accredited at that school. JAMB only lists courses that the school is licensed to run by the National Universities Commission (NUC) or the appropriate accrediting body. If the course is not in the brochure, the school cannot admit you for that course in that cycle. Look for the same course at another accredited school. If you believe the omission is an error, write to the JAMB state office through your school principal.
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About the editor
Written by Chinedu Okafor
Lagos-based education writer covering JAMB, WAEC and NECO, and tertiary admissions across Nigeria. Chinedu tracks cut-off marks, admission lists, and school portal updates so students and parents do not have to.
