The University of Ibadan (UI) has emerged as Nigeria’s highest-ranked university in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, reclaiming its position at the top after two years.
According to the latest rankings released on Thursday on THE’s official website, UI was placed in the 801–1000 global band, making it the best-ranked Nigerian institution in the 2026 edition. This milestone marks a return to the summit for the institution, which last led the national rankings in 2023.
The 2026 assessment evaluated more than 2,191 universities across 115 countries using 18 performance indicators grouped into five key pillars: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook. The ranking methodology drew on over 174.9 million citations from 18.7 million research publications, alongside survey responses from more than 108,000 scholars worldwide.
UI climbed from fourth place among Nigerian universities in the 2025 rankings to reclaim the top spot, displacing Covenant University, which had led Nigerian institutions in both the 2024 and 2025 editions.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) was the only other Nigerian university to appear in the global top 1000, also ranked within the 801–1000 category. This means that just two Nigerian institutions made it into the world’s top 1000 universities in 2026.
Bayero University Kano (BUK), Covenant University, and Landmark University were ranked in the 1001–1200 global band, placing them just outside the top 1000 but still among the country’s strongest performers.
In terms of specific strengths, UNILAG recorded the highest research quality score among Nigerian universities with a score of 66.7. Bayero University Kano led nationally in international outlook, while Covenant University topped the industry engagement category, reflecting its strong ties with the private sector and industry partners.
Several other Nigerian universities were ranked in the 1201–1500 global band, including Ahmadu Bello University, Federal University of Technology, Minna, University of Ilorin, University of Jos, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. A larger number of institutions fell into the 1501+ category, highlighting ongoing challenges with global competitiveness despite increased participation in international rankings.
In total, 51 Nigerian universities featured in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026. However, only UI and UNILAG made it into the global top 1000. Fourteen institutions were ranked in the 1501+ category, while 27 universities that submitted data were not ranked.
FULL LIST OF RANKED NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES
1. University of Ibadan
2. University of Lagos
3. Bayero University Kano
4. Covenant University
5. Landmark University
6. Ahmadu Bello University
7. Federal University of Technology, Minna
8. University of Ilorin
9. University of Jos
10. University of Nigeria, Nsukka
11. Babcock University
12. Delta State University, Abraka
13. Ekiti State University
14. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
15. Federal University of Technology, Akure
16. Federal University of Technology, Owerri
17. Federal University Oye-Ekiti
18. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
19. Lagos State University
20. Nnamdi Azikiwe University
21. Obafemi Awolowo University
22. University of Benin
23. University of Calabar
24. University of Port Harcourt
Is your school on the list, and do you agree with the rankings? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
