The University of Ibadan (UI) has reclaimed its position as Nigeria’s best university in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, moving up from fourth place last year.
According to the ranking released on Thursday via THE’s official website, UI is placed within the 801–1,000 global bracket, making it Nigeria’s top-ranked institution ahead of the University of Lagos, Bayero University Kano, and Covenant University, which came second, third, and fourth respectively.
This marks UI’s return to the top spot it last held in 2023, after Covenant University dominated the rankings for two consecutive years (2024 and 2025).
THE assessed 2,191 universities from 115 countries, evaluating them using 18 performance indicators under five major criteria — teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.
The 2026 results reveal significant shifts in global higher education performance, with THE analysing over 18.7 million research publications generating 174.9 million citations, and collecting input from 108,000 scholars worldwide.
In Nigeria’s case, UI and UNILAG were the only universities ranked within the top 1,000 globally. BUK, Covenant, and Landmark University followed in the 1,001–1,200 range, while Ahmadu Bello University, Federal University of Technology, Minna, University of Ilorin, University of Jos, and University of Nigeria, Nsukka were ranked between 1,201–1,500 globally.
BUK led Nigerian universities in international outlook, while Covenant University had the highest industry engagement score, reflecting strong ties with corporate partners. UNILAG scored highest in research quality with 66.7 points, highlighting its academic impact.
Out of the 51 Nigerian institutions featured in the rankings, 14 were placed above the 1,500+ band, and 27 were listed but unranked.
Top 10 Nigerian Universities in THE 2026 Ranking:
- University of Ibadan (801–1000)
- University of Lagos (801–1000)
- Bayero University Kano (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)
Other institutions in the 1501+ category include Babcock University, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Federal University of Technology Akure, Lagos State University, Obafemi Awolowo University, and University of Benin, among others.
THE, a globally recognised body for higher education data and analysis, noted that universities must meet strict criteria to be included — including teaching undergraduates, conducting multidisciplinary research, and publishing at least 1,000 research papers between 2020 and 2024.
The latest results reaffirm UI’s leadership in academic excellence and research output, further cementing its legacy as Nigeria’s premier university.
