The Ugandan government will assume control of all university and tertiary institution admissions starting July 1, marking the end of institutional autonomy that has existed for more than three decades. The sweeping reform affects both public and private institutions across the country.
Under the new centralised system, outlined in the upcoming National Development Plan IV (NDP IV), the government will establish a National Central Admission System to manage all higher education placements, aligning student intake with the country’s critical skills needs.
“This is a fundamental shift in how our higher education sector operates,” said a senior Ministry of Education official who requested anonymity as the plan awaits final approval from Education Minister Janet Museveni. “For too long, we’ve seen a disconnect between what our institutions produce and what our economy needs.”
The reform comes amid growing concern over graduate unemployment, with government data indicating only about 15 percent of the 400,000 annual graduates possess skills that match market demands. The majority face limited job prospects due to qualifications deemed unmarketable by employers.
Currently, the Public Universities Joint Admissions Board (PUJAB) handles government-sponsored students at public universities, while private institutions manage their admissions independently. The new system will standardise entry requirements across all institutions, even for competitive programmes like law and medicine.
Officials believe centralised admissions will help eliminate inefficiencies in the current system, including multiple admissions where students secure places at several institutions but fail to enroll. A recent report revealed that 8,000 government-sponsored students never showed up for their places since 2012, costing taxpayers billions in wasted funds.
“We need to ensure our resources are allocated efficiently,” the education official explained. “The new system will provide better tracking of actual enrollment and prevent the wastage we’ve seen in the past.”
The higher education sector has responded with mixed reactions. Prof. Celestino Obua, former Vice Chancellor of Mbarara University of Science and Technology, called it “a good innovation” that could solve persistent problems, though he stressed the need for clear implementation guidelines.
Meanwhile, Prof. Eriabu Lugujjo, Executive Director of the Uganda Vice-Chancellors’ Forum, raised concerns that the system could disadvantage students who currently access private institutions through more flexible entry criteria unless the government revises its requirements.
If successfully implemented, Uganda will join Tanzania, Hungary, Thailand, and Slovakia, which already use centralised systems to manage higher education admissions.
The government maintains that this reform is critical for achieving the ambitious goals of Uganda Vision 2040, which aims for tenfold economic growth over the next 15 years by ensuring educational output aligns with development priorities.
Education stakeholders expect more details on implementation as the July launch date approaches.
