The University of Ibadan (UI) has been named Nigeria’s top university in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026.
The Ibadan-based federal institution, ranked between 801 and 1,000 globally, rose from fourth place in 2025, overtaking Covenant University, which had led Nigeria in 2024 and 2025. The assessment of 2,191 universities from 115 countries, using 18 performance indicators covering teaching, research, industry impact, and international outlook.
Following UI are the University of Lagos, Bayero University, and Covenant University, ranked second, third, and fourth nationally. UNILAG scored highest for research quality, while BUK led in international outlook, and Covenant University topped the industry impact category.
In total, 51 Nigerian universities featured in the 2026 rankings. Besides UI and UNILAG, which were placed in the 801–1,000 bracket, BUK, CU, and Landmark University fell between 1,001–1,200, while five others, including Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Nigeria, were ranked 1,201–1,500. Fourteen universities were placed above 1,501, with 27 institutions unranked.
THE, a globally recognised independent organisation, evaluates universities based on teaching, research output, and global impact. Institutions must meet minimum publication thresholds to qualify for the rankings.
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