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The University of Ibadan (UI) has once again secured its status as Nigeria’s premier university according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for 2026.
Situated in Ibadan, this federal institution climbed to the 801-1,000 global ranking bracket, improving from its fourth-place position in 2025. This advancement places UI ahead of other top Nigerian universities, a distinction it previously held in 2023.
THE’s comprehensive evaluation covered 2,191 universities across 115 countries, assessing them through 18 distinct metrics that include teaching quality, research output, research environment, collaboration with industry, and international engagement.
In this year’s rankings, UI surpassed Covenant University (CU), which had been Nigeria’s leading university in 2024 and 2025. Trailing UI are the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Bayero University Kano (BUK), and Covenant University, ranking second, third, and fourth nationally, respectively.
The 2026 rankings highlight evolving trends in global academia, analyzing an extensive dataset of 174.9 million citations from 18.7 million research articles, alongside feedback from over 108,000 academics worldwide. UNILAG distinguished itself with the highest score in research quality at 66.7, BUK excelled in international outlook, and CU led in industry partnerships.
Among Nigerian universities, 51 institutions were featured in the rankings. Only UI and UNILAG are positioned within the 801-1,000 global tier; BUK, CU, and Landmark University fall within the 1001-1200 range; while five others, including Ahmadu Bello University, University of Ilorin, and University of Nigeria, are ranked between 1201-1500. Fourteen universities are placed beyond 1501, and 27 institutions did not receive a ranking.
THE is a respected independent organization known for its authoritative data and analysis on higher education, including the globally referenced World University Rankings. To qualify for inclusion, universities must offer undergraduate programs, engage in multidisciplinary research, and have published a minimum of 1,000 research papers between 2020 and 2024.
Top 30 Nigerian Universities in the 2026 THE World University Rankings
- University of Ibadan (UI) – 801-1000
- University of Lagos (UNILAG) – 801-1000
- Bayero University Kano (BUK) – 1001-1200
- Covenant University (CU) – 1001-1200
- Landmark University – 1001-1200
- Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) – 1201-1500
- Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT Minna) – 1201-1500
- University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) – 1201-1500
- University of Jos (UNIJOS) – 1201-1500
- University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) – 1201-1500
- Babcock University – 1501+
- Delta State University, Abraka – 1501+
- Ekiti State University – 1501+
- Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) – 1501+
- Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) – 1501+
- Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) – 1501+
- Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) – 1501+
- Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) – 1501+
- Lagos State University (LASU) – 1501+
- Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) – 1501+
- Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) – 1501+
- University of Benin (UNIBEN) – 1501+
- University of Calabar (UNICAL) – 1501+
- University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) – 1501+
- Admiralty University of Nigeria – 1501+
- Akwa Ibom State University – 1501+
- Al-Hikmah University – 1501+
- Augustine University – 1501+
- Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti – 1501+
- Bauchi State University, Gadau – 1501+