Examination cheating was by far the leading offence behind disciplinary action against university students in 2025, accounting for 92.9 per cent of all cases reported to the Commission for University Education.
Universities submitted 3,017 student disciplinary cases through the University Education Management Information System (UEMIS), with 2,803 involving examination irregularities.
The cases were reported by 65 institutions across all five university categories, with the total declining from 3,361 cases in 2024.
“Common violations include cheating using unauthorised written materials, possession of electronic devices (mobile phones) during examinations, impersonation and sitting examinations for units in which the student is not duly registered,” CUE said.
The 92.9 per cent share was higher than the 87.3 per cent recorded in the 2024 report, making examination malpractice the dominant disciplinary challenge facing university administrations.
A seasonal pattern emerged, with the highest monthly volumes recorded during supplementary and main examination periods.
June registered the highest number at 481 cases, followed by May with 382. September recorded 364 cases, while January had 355, corresponding with the annual examination seasons.
“This seasonality confirms that discipline cases are predominantly driven by examination events and that preventive interventions have the potential to significantly reduce the overall caseload.”
CUE said measures such as stricter supervision, randomised seating and checks for electronic devices before examinations could help reduce cheating cases.
Gross misconduct and other violations were the second-largest category, with 154 cases, representing 5.1 per cent of the total.
The University Statistics Report 2025 says these cases covered behaviour such as disorderly conduct, disobedience of university rules and actions that bring an institution into disrepute.
Another 40 cases involved theft, robbery, fraud and forgery, accounting for 1.3 per cent of the total.
These included financial fraud, forgery of academic documents and theft of property on university premises.
CUE said universities should maintain clear reporting channels and work with law enforcement agencies where cases involve suspected criminal conduct.
“Universities are expected to address such cases through their internal disciplinary panels, guided by their statutes and the Universities Act,” the Commission said.
Drug and substance abuse accounted for 12 cases, or 0.4 per cent, while six cases of gender-based violence were reported.
The Commission cautioned that the low numbers in the two categories should not necessarily be taken as evidence of low incidence, citing challenges in detection and reporting.
It said low reports of GBV cases could be driven by victims’ fear of stigma, retaliation or distrust of institutional processes, and called for functional GBV desks, clear reporting channels and support services for survivors.
Only two cases involving breaches of rules governing halls of residence and student elections were reported in 2025.
CUE said the figure could reflect improved management and preventive measures, but could also indicate underreporting.
The report shows that disciplinary cases have remained considerably higher compared with the 1,476 recorded in 2022, when university operations were still affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and many examinations were conducted online or under modified arrangements.
Cases more than doubled to 3,158 in 2023 as universities returned to in-person examinations and reached a four-year peak of 3,361 in 2024 before falling to 3,017 in 2025.
Fines were the most common sanction in 2025, accounting for 1,953 cases, or 64.7 per cent, followed by 562 cases classified as other sanctions, 304 suspensions and 198 expulsions.
CUE recommended stronger examination-integrity measures, including systematic checks for electronic devices before examinations and randomised seating plans.
“A well-regulated student affairs system promotes accountability, protects academic integrity, and enhances the overall reputation of the university while safeguarding the value of its qualifications,” the report said.
