Are you having a hard time deciding which one is more suitable for you between UNILAG and UI? Trust me when I say you’re not alone.
In a country like Nigeria where there is no stability in the University rankings, choosing the best University to attend can be a quite tricky and daunting effort.
The best University today may be in the 9th position today. That is why we need to approach things from a different standpoint, rather than depend on just rankings, especially when it comes to UNILAG vs UI.
UNILAG (University of Lagos) and UI (University of Ibadan) are among the top-rated Universities in Nigeria, in African, and in the world. Picking one of these giants can be extremely difficult as one is known to be “purely academic” while the other is said to be a mix of social life and academic.
We will present you with some of the unique similarities and differences between both Universities, including their fees, rankings, ease of admission, and so on. The final decisions, however, will be yours make.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG)
Note: scroll to the side for a complete view if you are using your mobile phone.
| University of Lagos | |
|---|---|
| SchoolAmebo Score | 9.5 out of 10 |
| Ranking (Overall) | #501 – 600 World University 2022 #2 in Nigeria 2022 #10 in Africa 2022 |
| Subject Strength | Ranked 301–400 in Clinical and Health Ranked 1001+ in Engineering Ranked 1001+ in Physical Sciences Ranked 601+ in Social Sciences |
| Academics | 86 – Departments 12 – Faculties |
| Acceptance Rate | 15 % |
| Admission Requirements | UTME + 5 Olevel credits Direct Entry + 5 Olevel credits Advanced (‘A’) level |
| JAMB Cut-Off Mark | 200 |
| Post UTME | Mathematics, English and General Paper 40 Questions 30mins |
| Cost of Study | New Students [Science] – N66,000 New Students [Non-Science] – N55,000 Returning Students [Science] – N19,500 Returning Students [Non-Science] – N14,500 |
| O’level Sittings | Accepts only one sitting |
| Grading system | 5-point grading system |
| First Class Graduates | 281 out of 7,754 (2021) |
The University of Ibadan (UI)
| University of Ibadan | |
|---|---|
| SchoolAmebo Score | 9.8 out of 10 |
| Ranking (Overall) | #401 – 500 World University 2022 #1 in Nigeria 2022 #7 in Africa 2022 |
| Subject Strength | Ranked 251–300 in Clinical, pre-clinical & health Mathematics, Veterinery Ranked 1001+ in Physical Sciences Ranked 601+ in Social Sciences |
| Academics | 92 Departments 17 Faculties |
| Acceptance Rate | 45 % |
| Admission Requirements | UTME + 5 Olevel credits Direct Entry + 5 Olevel credits Advanced (‘A’) level |
| JAMB Cut-Off Mark | 200 |
| Post UTME | UTME Combinations 100 Questions 1hr 30mins |
| Cost of Study | New Students N57,250 Returning Students- N20,650 |
| O’level Sittings | Accepts two sittings |
| Grading system | 7-point grading system |
| First Class | 265 out of 8,474 (2021) |
General comparisons between UNILAG and UI
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| General | UNILAG | UI |
|---|---|---|
| Landmass | 324.6 hectares | 1,032 hectares |
| Type | Federal | Federal |
| Established | 1962 | 1948 |
| Enrollment | Over 45000 | 30,000-35000 |
| Staff:Student Ratio | 20:1 | 23:1 |
| Male:Female | 55% Male, 45% Female | 52% Male, 48% Female |
| Hostel | 15 Hostels N25,000 |
12 Hostels N30,000 |
| Campus Life | Radio station, Athletic teams, Lagoon front | Zoo, Student clubs, Athletic teams |
| Famous Alumni | Pastor E.A Adeboye, Genevieve Nnaji, Yemi Alade, Yemi Osinbajo, Funke Akindele, Akinwunmi Ambode | Chinua Achebe, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Wole Soyinka, Benedict Ayade, Eniola Badmus, Dr SID |
| Website | www.unilag.edu.ng | www.ui.edu.ng |
According to the 2022 statistic reports by THE World University Ranking, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the University of Ibadan (UI) rank within the top 10 Universities in Nigeria. UI ranks a bit higher with 1st place in Nigeria and 7th in Africa. UNILAG is not far behind with 2nd place in Nigeria and ranking 10th in Africa.
What are the Similarities between UNILAG and UI?
- Both are federal Universities
- They require Post UTME screening for undergraduate admission.
- Both accept only First choice for admission.
- Admission cut-off mark for UNILAG and UI is 200
- Both Universities have created great minds across the world.
Differences between UNILAG and UI
- With a low acceptance rate of 15%, UNILAG is more difficult to get into than UI which has an acceptance rate of 45%.
- UNILAG operates on 5-point grade system while UI uses the 7-point system
- The percentage of international students in UI is 1% compared to UNILAG with 0%.
- UNILAG has about 10,000 more students than UI.
- UNILAG has a beautiful Lagoon front while UI has a standard Zoological garden
Few Subject Rankings in Nigeria
| Subject Ranking | UNILAG | UI |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | 6th | 3rd |
| Pharmacy | 1st | 3rd |
| Political Science | 4th | 1st |
| Law | 4th | 1st |
Both schools have very high status, especially in Nigeria. Gaining admission into either of them is a matter of pride for any Nigerian or foreign student.
So, which University is better between UNILAG and UI?
Given the fact that both schools are almost tied to our head-to-head, it is difficult to pick the better one. However, we are going to consider things from different categories:
UNILAG and UI Acceptance Rates
With a low acceptance rate of 15%, it is very difficult to get into UNILAG. What 15% acceptance translates to is that out of every 100,000 applicants, only 15000 students can get lucky for admission.
UNILAG is the University with the highest number of applications every year. At least 1 out of every 10 candidates wants to study in UNILAG. Considering its landmass, however, the university cannot admit everyone.
On the other hand, the University of Ibadan has an acceptance rate of 45%. This means that for every 100,000 applicants, 45000 students will be given admission. Likewise, if 60,000 students apply for admission into the institution, 27,000 will be offered admission.
Comparing UNILAG and UI School Fees
From the school fees perspective, there is little to no difference between the two Universities. As a matter of fact, Federal Universities are the best Universities in Nigeria when it comes to low school fees.
The total school fees for all fresh students in UNILAG are N66,000 for science N56,0000 for non-science students. Returning students, however, are to pay N19,000 (science) and N14,000 (non-science).
On the other hand, the UI school fees for new students differ from department to department. But on average, the school fee for a fresh student is N57,250 while for returning students, it is N20,650.
The school fees for both schools is easily affordable compared to many other schools, especially the private institution. More on this in another article.
Admission Requirements for UNILAG and UI
Both the University of Lagos and the University of Ibadan organize post UTME screening for their applicants.
- They accept a minimum of 5 O’level credits in relevant subjects, including Mathematics and English Language. While UI accepts 2 O’level Sittings, UNILAG does not.
- The JAMB cut-off marks for both institution is 200.
| Aggregate | UNILAG | UI |
|---|---|---|
| JAMB | 50% | 50% |
| O’level | 20% | – |
| Post UTME | 30% | 50% |
The University of Ibadan does not use the point grade system, whereas UNILAG does.
How UNILAG calculates its aggregate
The formula is O’level + UTME + Post UTME = 100%
A1 = 4.0 points, B2 = 3.6 points, B3 = 3.2 points, C4 = 2.8 points, C5 = 2.4 points, C6 = 2.0 points. This makes up 20% of the aggregate score.
UTME: 400/8 = 50%
Post UTME = 30% (No division)
The UNILAG post UTME is an online test consisting of 40 questions: 15 Mathematics, 15 English Language, and 10 General paper. The test duration is 30mins.
How UI calculates its aggregate
The formula is UTME + Post UTME = 100%
The University of Ibadan Uses only the UTME and Post UTME for its aggregate. It requires 5 Olevel credits in relevant subjects, but it does not use a point grade system.
UTME: 400/8 = 50
Post UTME: post UTME score/2
Imagine a candidate that scores 240 in JAMB and 70 in the UI post UTME. To calculate the student’s aggregate, we will do the following:
UTME: 240/8 = 30
Post UTME: 70/2 = 35
Aggregate score: 30 + 35 =65
Like UNILAG, UI post UTME is also an online test consisting of 100 questions. The subject combination is the same as your JAMB’s. There are a total of 100 questions for a duration of 1 hour 30mins.
Social life in UNILAG vs UI
All work and no play make everyone dull, not just Jack. To succeed in many areas of life, including academics, one has to combine hard work with a sprinkle of social activities.
Most people, especially those watching from distance, think the University of Ibadan is all about studying, studying, and studying. This is not true. There’s a really wide variety of possible social experiences at UI, and these depend majorly on who you end up being friends with.
The word UNILAG, on the other hand, is now almost synonymous with “Fun”. When it comes to social life, UNILAG has an edge over every other school in Nigeria, not just UI alone. Well, why is this possible? there is only one word to describe the reason: Lagos.
Lagos is a city with wonderful beaches, skyscrapers, amazing parks, best entertainment, you name it. The strength of Unilag isn’t the school itself but where the school is.
In UNILAG, you can spread your wings and be ‘You’. The institution has a good balance of work and fun.
Note: By social life, we don’t mean doing drugs and joining cultism. We are talking about a healthy life.
Oops! This has been a long post and we are going to be updating it when need be.
Final Words
So far, we have made comparisons between two of the Universities in Nigeria today. We’ve looked at everything from their rankings, cost of study, acceptance rate, and social life.
Academic-wise, you can pick any of the institutions as they both offer a good academic environment. Their lecturers are well exposed too.
If you want to mix social life with academics, then UNILAG is the better option.
When it comes to admission, the University of Ibadan is easier to get into than UNILAG.
If there is any point/category we did not include, kindly drop it for us in the comment box below.