UI Tops Nigeria’s 2026 University Rankings
The University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State has been named Nigeria’s best university in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026.
Published on Thursday on THE’s website, the report places UI in the 801–1,000 range globally—returning to a spot it last held in 2023. The university climbed from fourth place in 2025 to reclaim the top national position, overtaking Covenant University, which led in 2024 and 2025.
How the Ranking Works
This year, THE evaluated 2,191 universities across 115 countries, using 18 performance indicators grouped into five areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.
Globally, the analysis covered 174.9 million citations drawn from 18.7 million research papers, along with survey responses from more than 108,000 scholars.
Nigeria’s Top Performers
UI leads the Nigerian list, followed by the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Bayero University, and Covenant University. Landmark University ranks fifth.
UNILAG stands out for its research quality, scoring 66.7—the highest among Nigerian universities. Bayero University (BUK) earned top marks for international outlook, while Covenant University scored highest for industry links, showing strong collaboration with the private sector.
Where Nigerian Universities Stand Globally
Of the 51 Nigerian universities featured this year, only UI and UNILAG ranked between 801–1,000. BUK, Covenant, and Landmark Universities followed in the 1001–1200 band.
Five others—Ahmadu Bello University, Federal University of Technology Minna, University of Ilorin, University of Jos, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka—ranked between 1201–1500. Fourteen universities were placed above 1501, and 27 others were not ranked.
Full Nigerian List (By Global Band)
801–1000:
University of Ibadan
University of Lagos
1001–1200:
Bayero University
Covenant University
Landmark University
1201–1500:
Ahmadu Bello University
Federal University of Technology, Minna
University of Ilorin
University of Jos
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
1501+:
Babcock University
Delta State University, Abraka
Ekiti State University
Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
Federal University of Technology, Akure
Federal University of Technology, Owerri
Federal University Oye-Ekiti
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
Lagos State University
Nnamdi Azikiwe University
Obafemi Awolowo University
University of Benin
University of Calabar
University of Port Harcourt
Unranked:
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
About THE Rankings
Times Higher Education is a respected independent body that analyses data from higher education worldwide. To be included in the 2026 rankings, a university must teach undergraduates, publish research across several fields, and have produced at least 1,000 research papers between 2020 and 2024 (no fewer than 100 each year).
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