Application of MANOVA and Hotelling's T square on Academic Performance of University Students Based on Mode of Entry

The study aimed to investigate the relationship between students' entry mode into the University of Ilorin and their academic performance. Two faculties, Education and Physical Science, were selected, and a total of seven departments were chosen: four from the Faculty of Physical Science (Zoology, Biochemistry, Statistics, and Mathematics) and three from the Faculty of Education (Guidance & Counseling, Education & Management, and Agricultural Education). A total of 45 students' results were randomly selected from each department, comprising 15 from Remedial/Pre-degree, 15 from Jamb/UTME, and 15 from Direct Entry. Six null hypotheses were formulated and tested using various statistical tests such as Boxs M test, Shapiro Wilk test , Mardia test, MANOVA, and Hotelling T square, all at a 0.05 level of significance. The analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in the performance of students based on their mode of entry in all selected departments and between the faculties. However, the paper shows that students admitted through Direct Entry had the highest mean performance, indicating that they performed better than students admitted through Jamb/UTME and Remedial/Pre-Degree modes. The recommendation is for Nigerian universities to prioritize students entering through the Direct Entry program for admissions. This is because these students tend to exhibit more mature thinking and behavior, which would result in less stress for lecturers in the classrooms.