The study investigated factors hindering timely graduation of postgraduate students in federal universities in Nigeria. Four objectives and four null hypotheses were raised. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Four hundred postgraduate students from four federal universities were used for the study. Four rating scale questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument was validation by four experts. A pilot was conducted using 40 postgraduate students in Kaduna state university. The reliability coefficient obtained was 0.88. Direct Delivery Technique was used for data collection. Data collected were coded into Statistical Package of Social Sciences. The package was used to run multiple regression analysis at significance level of 0.05. The result showed among others that students’ factors and supervisor factors significantly affect the timely graduation of postgraduate students in federal universities in Nigeria. It was concluded that the effort of institutions to enhance timely graduation of students will continue to be a nightmare if the present condition remains unchanged. One of the recommendations postulated was that school of postgraduate studies should personally develop strategies of assessing, monitory, and controlling what is happening in various departments in the institutions regarding postgraduate programmes.