FULL LIST: UI, UNILAG, BUK, CU rank 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th best varsities in Nigeria

The University of Ibadan (UI) has been ranked as Nigeria’s best university in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, reclaiming a position it last held in 2023.

The ranking, released on Thursday, October 9, 2025, placed UI in the 801–1,000 band globally, ahead of other leading Nigerian institutions.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG), Bayero University, Kano (BUK), and Covenant University (CU) followed in second, third, and fourth positions, respectively.

According to THE, the 2026 rankings assessed 2,191 institutions across 115 countries, using 18 performance indicators that measure excellence in five key areas — teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.

UI’s rise marks a significant improvement from its fourth-place position in 2025, overtaking Covenant University, which had dominated the top spot in the previous two years.

The 2026 edition also reflects a major global shift in higher education performance, based on the analysis of 174.9 million citations from 18.7 million research publications and survey responses from over 108,000 scholars worldwide.

“The rankings highlight the strength of individual institutions. UNILAG recorded the highest score in research quality, with 66.7 points,” THE noted.

Similarly, BUK was recognised as Nigeria’s most internationally oriented university, while Covenant University maintained the country’s highest industry score, reflecting strong partnerships with the private sector.

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Out of 51 Nigerian universities featured in the 2026 list, only UI and UNILAG made it into the 801–1,000 global category, reinforcing their status as Nigeria’s leading centres of academic excellence.

See the full list of Nigerian universities in THE 2026 ranking below:

University of Ibadan (801–1000)

University of Lagos (801–1000)

Bayero University (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)

Babcock University (1501+)

Delta State University, Abraka (1501+)

Ekiti State University (1501+)

Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (1501+)

Federal University of Technology, Akure (1501+)

Federal University of Technology, Owerri (1501+)

Federal University Oye-Ekiti (1501+)

Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (1501+)

Lagos State University (1501+)

Nnamdi Azikiwe University (1501+)

Obafemi Awolowo University (1501+)

University of Benin (1501+)

University of Calabar (1501+)

University of Port Harcourt (1501+)

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

THE is a globally recognised independent organisation that provides data and analysis for the higher education sector, including the widely adopted World University Rankings.

The Star