The University of Ibadan, located in Oyo State, has been recognised as Nigeria’s top university in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026.
According to the latest ranking released on THE’s official website on Thursday, the federal university in Ibadan was placed in the 801–1,000 band globally, ahead of other prominent Nigerian universities—a position it last held in 2023.
For the 2026 edition, THE evaluated 2,191 institutions from 115 countries, using 18 performance indicators covering five major categories: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook.
The University of Ibadan climbed from fourth position in 2025 to reclaim the top spot in Nigeria for 2026, displacing Covenant University, which had maintained first place in both 2024 and 2025.
Following UI in this year’s ranking are the University of Lagos, Bayero University, and Covenant University, which occupy the second, third, and fourth positions, respectively.
The 2026 report also showed a notable shift in global higher education, with more than 174.9 million citations drawn from 18.7 million research publications, and feedback collected from over 108,000 scholars across the world.
According to THE, “the results highlight the strengths of individual institutions.” UNILAG recorded the highest score in research quality (66.7), while BUK ranked best among Nigerian universities for international outlook. Covenant University, on the other hand, “achieved the highest industry score, demonstrating strong ties to the private sector.”
Out of 51 Nigerian universities featured in the 2026 ranking, only UI and UNILAG were placed between 801–1,000 globally. BUK, Covenant University, and Landmark University appeared in the 1001–1200 range, while Ahmadu Bello University, Federal University of Technology, Minna, University of Ilorin, University of Jos, and University of Nigeria, Nsukka ranked between 1201–1500.
Additionally, 14 universities from Nigeria were placed above 1501, while 27 institutions were listed but not ranked.
Full List:
University of Ibadan (801–1000)
University of Lagos (801–1000)
Bayero University (1001–1200)
Covenant University (1001–1200)
Landmark University (1001–1200)
Ahmadu Bello University (1201–1500)
Federal University of Technology, Minna (1201–1500)
University of Ilorin (1201–1500)
University of Jos (1201–1500)
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1201–1500)
Babcock University (1501+)
Delta State University, Abraka (1501+)
Ekiti State University (1501+)
Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (1501+)
Federal University of Technology, Akure (1501+)
Federal University of Technology, Owerri (1501+)
Federal University Oye-Ekiti (1501+)
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (1501+)
Lagos State University (1501+)
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (1501+)
Obafemi Awolowo University (1501+)
University of Benin (1501+)
University of Calabar (1501+)
University of Port Harcourt (1501+)
Admiralty University of Nigeria
Akwa Ibom State University
Al-Hikmah University
Augustine University
Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti
Bauchi State University, Gadau
Bayelsa Medical University
Baze University
Bells University of Technology
Bowen University
Evangel University, Akaeze
Federal University of Lafia
Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun
Fountain University
Godfrey Okoye University
Igbinedion University, Okada
Kaduna State University
Lagos State University of Education
Lagos State University of Science and Technology
Lead City University
Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria
Nasarawa State University, Keffi
Redeemer’s University
Rivers State University
Thomas Adewumi University
University of Cross River State
University of Delta
Times Higher Education (THE) is an internationally recognised organisation that provides independent data and insights for the higher education sector, including the widely used World University Rankings.
Participation in the ranking is open to all universities worldwide. However, to qualify for inclusion in the 2026 edition, an institution must offer undergraduate programmes, conduct research across multiple disciplines, and have published at least 1,000 research papers between 2020 and 2024, averaging a minimum of 100 publications per year.
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