Schools of Nursing in Nigeria: Full List, Portals & How to Apply (2026/2027)

Nigeria runs one of the widest networks of nursing training institutions in West Africa, and NMCN’s own records count roughly 400 approved programmes spread across basic nursing, midwifery, post-basic specialties, and university nursing departments. For an aspiring nurse, the confusing part is rarely finding a school, it is figuring out which category you actually want, whether that specific school needs a JAMB score, and what the entrance process looks like once you have shortlisted a few options. This guide breaks all of that down so you can plan your application with a clear head.

How Nigeria’s nursing schools are categorized

NMCN groups approved institutions by programme type rather than by federal, state, or private ownership, so your first decision is which category fits your goals, and each point below is worth checking carefully against your own documents and plans before you move any further:

• School of Nursing (Basic Nursing): The traditional three-year route to becoming a Registered Nurse, run by federal, state, and teaching hospital-affiliated schools.
• School of Midwifery: A parallel track leading to Registered Midwife status, often taken after or alongside basic nursing.
• Post Basic Nursing Specialties: Advanced programmes for already-registered nurses specializing in areas like public health, psychiatric, or peri-operative nursing.
• Departments of Nursing Sciences (university-based): The BNSc degree route, typically a five-year university programme combining nursing with a full undergraduate curriculum.
• Community Midwifery and Community Nursing Programmes: Shorter, community health-focused tracks aimed at primary healthcare delivery.

Does your target school need JAMB?

This is the single most common point of confusion for applicants, and the honest answer is that it varies by school and even changes from year to year, so you must confirm directly with your chosen institution. That said, here is the general pattern reported by recent applicants:

• Several well-known schools, including UCH School of Nursing Ibadan, the Nigeria Army College of Nursing and Midwifery, Lagos State College of Nursing (LASCON), and a number of state colleges of nursing and midwifery, have been reported to require a JAMB/UTME score as part of admission in various recent cycles.
• Other schools, including some federal colleges of nursing and teaching-hospital-run basic nursing schools, have historically run their own entrance exam and interview without a JAMB requirement.
• University-based nursing science (BNSc) departments almost always require JAMB, since they go through the regular university admission process.
• Reports conflict even for the same institution across sources, so always check your target school’s current admission notice rather than relying on a previous cycle’s requirement.

General admission requirements

Across most basic nursing schools, these requirements tend to repeat even where the JAMB question differs, so read through each item below slowly and tick off the ones that already apply to your own situation:

• A minimum of five O’level credits, typically including English Language, Mathematics, Biology or Health Science, Chemistry, and Physics, obtained in not more than two sittings.
• An age requirement that usually falls within a minimum of around 16 and a maximum in the high thirties, though the exact cut-offs vary by institution.
• A written entrance exam for schools that do not use JAMB, often followed by an interview for shortlisted candidates.
• For JAMB-requiring schools, an institution-specific cut-off mark that has historically ranged widely by competitiveness and location.
• Medical fitness confirmation before final admission.

How to apply, step by step

Once you have picked a school, the application process generally follows this pattern, and working through the list below in order will save you from the most common and avoidable setbacks:

1. Confirm the school’s current admission notice on its official website or verified social media page, since notices are usually released once a year and change in detail from cycle to cycle.
2. Purchase and complete the application form, usually through the school’s own portal or a designated bank/Remita payment reference.
3. Submit your O’level results and other required documents by the stated deadline.
4. Sit the entrance examination if the school does not use JAMB, or confirm your JAMB score meets the school’s cut-off if it does.
5. Attend the interview or screening exercise if shortlisted, bringing original copies of all your documents.
6. Wait for the admission list release and follow the specific instructions given for accepting your offer and paying acceptance fees.

Common mistakes to avoid

A number of avoidable errors account for most failed or delayed applications in this space, and each point below is worth checking carefully against your own documents and plans before you move any further:

• Assuming a school’s JAMB requirement from a previous year still applies without checking the current notice.
• Applying with O’level results spread across more than the permitted number of sittings.
• Missing the narrow application window, since most schools open forms for a few weeks only, once a year.
• Not confirming a school’s accreditation status, since this affects your certificate’s recognition later.
• Paying for forms through unofficial third-party agents rather than the school’s own verified payment channel.

Requirements at a glance

Before you start any application, have these ready, so read through each item below slowly and tick off the ones that already apply to your own situation:

• Your complete O’level result (WAEC or NECO), meeting the subject and sitting requirements.
• A valid means of identification.
• Passport photographs in the format specified by your target school.
• A JAMB registration and score, only if your target school requires it.
• Funds for the application fee and, later, acceptance and tuition fees.

Final thoughts

With around 400 NMCN-approved programmes to choose from, the real work is narrowing down which category and which specific school fits your results, budget, and location, then confirming that school’s exact current requirements rather than going on what you heard from a previous applicant. Treat every JAMB-or-not claim as something to verify directly with the school for the cycle you are applying in, since this detail changes often and getting it wrong can cost you an entire admission cycle.