UI Displaces Covenant, UNILAG, UNN, Others Emerge Best in Nigeria

The University of Ibadan (UI) has reclaimed its position as Nigeria’s highest-ranked university in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, emerging as the country’s top institution in the latest global assessment.

According to the rankings released on Thursday, UI was placed in the 801–1000 global band, making it the leading Nigerian university in the 2026 edition.

The result marks a return to the top for UI, which last led the national rankings in 2023, after slipping to fourth place in 2025.

The 2026 THE rankings evaluated 2,191 universities across 115 countries, using 18 performance indicators grouped into five major areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.

The assessment drew from 174.9 million citations from 18.7 million research publications, alongside survey responses from more than 108,000 academics worldwide.

UI’s rise displaced Covenant University, which had led Nigerian institutions in the 2024 and 2025 editions.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) was the only other Nigerian institution to place in the global top 1000, also ranked in the 801–1000 category.

Three universities, Bayero University Kano (BUK), Covenant University, and Landmark University were listed in the 1001–1200 global band, while several others, including Ahmadu Bello University, Federal University of Technology Minna, University of Ilorin, University of Jos, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, appeared in the 1201–1500 range.

READ ALSO: FULL LIST: Covenant University Tops Africa in 2026 Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings

Performance data showed that UNILAG recorded the highest research quality score among Nigerian institutions with 66.7, BUK led in international outlook, and Covenant University ranked highest nationally in industry engagement, reflecting its strong ties with the private sector.

Overall, 51 Nigerian universities featured in the 2026 rankings. However, only two institutions, UI and UNILAG, made it into the global top 1000, while 14 were ranked in the 1501+ category. A further 27 universities that submitted data were not ranked, highlighting persistent challenges in Nigeria’s global academic competitiveness.

Here is the List of top Nigerian Universities 2026: 

1. University of Ibadan

2. University of Lagos

3. Bayero University Kano

4. Covenant University

5. Landmark University

6. Ahmadu Bello University

7. Federal University of Technology, Minna

8. University of Ilorin

9. University of Jos

10. University of Nigeria, Nsukka

11. Babcock University

12. Delta State University, Abraka

13. Ekiti State University

14. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta

15. Federal University of Technology, Akure

16. Federal University of Technology, Owerri

17. Federal University Oye-Ekiti

18. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

19. Lagos State University

20. Nnamdi Azikiwe University

21. Obafemi Awolowo University

22. University of Benin

23. University of Calabar

24. University of Port Harcourt