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The University of Ibadan (UI) has regained its position as the highest-ranking university in Nigeria according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for 2026.
The federal university based in Ibadan is now placed in the 801–1,000 global band, an improvement from its fourth-place position in the 2025 edition, overtaking other top institutions in the country—a position it last held in 2023.
THE evaluation of 2,191 universities from 115 countries, using 18 performance indicators across teaching, research quality, research environment, industry partnerships, and international presence.
UI displaced Covenant University (CU), which previously held the top national spot in both 2024 and 2025. After UI, the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Bayero University, and Covenant University are ranked second, third, and fourth, respectively, within Nigeria.
The 2026 listing reflects changes in the global higher education landscape, using data that includes 174.9 million citations from 18.7 million research works, as well as feedback from over 108,000 academics around the world. UNILAG attained the highest score in research quality with 66.7, Bayero University (BUK) led in international representation, while CU came first in industry engagement.
From Nigeria, 51 institutions appeared in the rankings. Only UI and UNILAG are within the 801–1,000 range globally. BUK, CU, and Landmark University fall within the 1001–1200 category, while five others—including Ahmadu Bello University, University of Ilorin, and the University of Nigeria—are listed between 1201 and 1500. Fourteen universities are in the 1501+ group, while 27 institutions were not assigned any rank.
THE is an internationally recognised independent body that offers data and insights on global higher education, including the widely respected World University Rankings. To be considered, a university must offer undergraduate programmes, conduct research in multiple disciplines, and have published a minimum of 1,000 scholarly articles between 2020 and 2024.
Top 30 Nigerian Universities in THE World University Rankings 2026:
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University of Ibadan (UI) – 801–1000
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University of Lagos (UNILAG) – 801–1000
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Bayero University Kano (BUK) – 1001–1200
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Covenant University (CU) – 1001–1200
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Landmark University – 1001–1200
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Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) – 1201–1500
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Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT Minna) – 1201–1500
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University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) – 1201–1500
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University of Jos (UNIJOS) – 1201–1500
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University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) – 1201–1500
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Babcock University – 1501+
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Delta State University, Abraka – 1501+
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Ekiti State University – 1501+
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Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) – 1501+
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Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) – 1501+
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Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) – 1501+
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Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) – 1501+
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Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) – 1501+
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Lagos State University (LASU) – 1501+
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Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) – 1501+
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Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) – 1501+
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University of Benin (UNIBEN) – 1501+
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University of Calabar (UNICAL) – 1501+
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University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) – 1501+
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Admiralty University of Nigeria – 1501+
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Akwa Ibom State University – 1501+
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Al-Hikmah University – 1501+
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Augustine University – 1501+
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Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti – 1501+
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Bauchi State University, Gadau – 1501+
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