There are various interesting ways to group and regroup the Nigerian Tertiary institutions


According to age of existence

Pre-independence schools. These are schools that were founded during the colonial period. Some of the higher schools at that time were usually affiliates to schools in foreign countries mainly England and mostly offered foreign diplomas. But today, they have been converted into full fledged higher schools. They usually adopt the academic pattern of the school they were formally affiliated to.

First generation schools. This categorizes the higher institutions that were founded between 1948-1970. Most of the federal schools in Nigeria were set up as a result of the report of the Ashby commission of 1959 which was to advice the federal government on the higher education needs for the country in the first two decades. Most of these institutions have in the years, built a strong recognition nationally and internationally. The first generation higher schools are usually the most popular in the system and this has brought about a high rate of application yearly. It is more challenging to secure admission into a first generation university than the others.

Second generation schools. The third national development plan brought about the development of more tertiary institutions between 1975-1980. The schools set up within this period are referred to as second generation schools. Some schools found shortly after these periods are sometimes referred to as second generation schools but they are actually of the third generation.

Third generation schools. The third generation school were established mainly to complement the effort of other institutions established earlier. This is the period of birth for most technological schools existing today. Technological schools were set up in Nigeria at this period to boost national research for advancement in science and technology with the aim to bring prosperity and progress to the nation. Some state schools were also established within the boundaries of the state to alleviate her people from difficulties experience from the federal school.
Other generations emerged later e.g the burst of private schools but will not be discussed here


According to ownership structure

Federal government schools. The federal government of Nigeria intervenes in higher school education to cushion the effect of mass literacy. Higher schools are created by the federal government through decrees (in the military era) and Acts (in democracy). The schools are funded by the federal government and are known to be relatively the cheapest and to have more stable procedures and operations than the other schools.

State government schools. Due to cases arising from the scene of federal schools on how various natives were handled, state governments have set up their own higher schools to meet the higher education need of their state. State schools are relatively more expensive than the federal schools this is because the state does not get involved in funding their schools as the federal government does. Locals are considered greatly for admission into most state universities and fees are in some cases reduced for them.

Private schools. These are schools set up by the bodies or individuals other than the federal or state government. Private individuals, religious institutions and other bodies have come into the higher education problems by setting up higher institutions. The primary aim of setting up private institutions in Nigeria is to ease the admission problems experience from their public counterpart while earning revenue from fees. The private school is relatively the most expensive. Private schools are very unique in their quest to trying to train manpower for national development by a direct transition of knowledge rather than making them study while contributing to the pool of knowledge as traditional universities do. They have a very steady academic calendar that is not easily set back by strikes and are known to be more convenient in academic and accommodation facilities. Private


According to specialty

General/regular schools. Some schools have been set up to teach and research on every possible field of education as it deems fit. This must be restricted to only within the type of education qualification they award. General school usually offer a wide range of courses and are relatively larger in size and population. They are normally the most common in their area; this is because they tend to meet various study needs over time.

Science/Technical schools. These are schools set up to specialize in teaching and researching on science and technological related courses for national advancement. They offer a wide range of course options in their area than the general schools. Science and technology school usually have their names ending with “of science and technology”, “of technology” or “of agriculture”. Most of them have in recent times drifted a little to operate like general school by adopting departments related to to fields like management.

Schools of education: these are schools that teach and research in fields that train teachers, lecturers, educational policy makers, researchers and administrators. It is an institution that is seen as the factory of teachers. They build teachers and other administrators ready to coordinate the process of impacting education and transferring same to the younger generations. S

Vocational schools: these are institutions that offer certificate courses to their graduates in specialized fields. Their certificates are of very little popularity in various industry of the labour market but are very powerful in their industry of specialization. The duration of study in these institutes are relatively shorter and studies are stressed along a narrow faculty path. Vocational institutes are mainly referred to as Innovative enterprise institutions and graduates may be awarded a Diploma in the area studied


According to the qualification they award

Universities: These are institutions that teach and test candidates for the award of higher degrees and to conduct research in contribution to education and humanity. They offer courses that lead to the award of bachelors. Bachelors are referred to as first university degrees and they are important for their use in employment as a middle and lower administrator and as a prerequisite for the study of the Masters degree. A degree simply means a rank of education that is being awarded to students that have completed a higher level of education. Degrees are sometimes given as an honour to non-students for their great contributions or societal achievements
The university is the most preferred tertiary educational institution in Nigeria because of the Bachelors degree they offer. It is generally believed that a graduate with bachelors will be more successful after schooling than others and this has led to the large numbers that apply yearly. It is a real problem that this huge number is so much than our universities can carry and so there is always a serious competition in getting admission into the Nigerian University.
Note: Students applying for bachelors must wake to the reality of the great competition in its admission process and therefore should plan and prepare very seriously for it. A good percentage of UTME candidate do not get into higher school because they have applied for a university without good preparation in reading, having a good plan or strategy.

[b]Polytechnics: [/b]These are also higher institutions that teach advanced educational and vocational courses. The polytechnics mainly award Diplomas of various ranks; the Higher Diploma and National or Ordinary National Diploma. A diploma equips one to serve in various fields as a supervisor and technician. The National or Ordinary National Diploma (popularly known as N.D or O.N.D) is awarded to successful candidates that completes the first two years in a course. After which he or she is expected to go for a year Industrial training as an attaché to acquire on-the-job training from the industry in his field. A successful completion of the Industrial Training prepares the candidate for the next two years of study where the Higher Diploma would be awarded on successful completion.
The polytechnics are not popular in Nigeria because of the perceived fact that their Diplomas are ranked lower than Bachelors amongst employers.
Note: Securing admission into the polytechnics in Nigeria is relatively easier. And outstanding performance in a course of study in this institution brings the candidate at per in consideration with a graduate of Bachelors

Colleges of education: These are institutions that make teachers. Because of their affiliation to some universities, some colleges of education award university degrees to students who have studied for an extended length of time. The basic qualification awarded by the college of education is a National Certificate of Education (NCE). This a two year study that equips one to teach in schools and educational centers. Bachelors of Education is a prerequisite to teach in some secondary schools while Masters of Education (MEd) and PhD is a prerequisite for an assistant lecturer and a lecturer respectively in a tertiary institution.

culled from the book "Getting Admission into higher school through JAMB-UTME"