The University of Ibadan (UI) has been declared the best university in Nigeria.
This is according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026.
UI claimed the position ahead of 50 other Nigerian institutions.
According to the ranking, published on Thursday, October 9, UI now sits within the 801–1000 global band, a major improvement from its fourth-place position in 2025. The prestigious Ibadan-based federal university last held the top spot in 2023.
The assessed 2,191 institutions from 115 countries, using 18 performance indicators across five key areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook.
UI’s resurgence dethroned Covenant University (CU), which had been ranked Nigeria’s best in 2024 and 2025. Following UI in the 2026 rankings are the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Bayero University, Kano (BUK), and Covenant University, ranked second, third, and fourth respectively.
The report revealed a global reshuffle in higher education performance, drawing from 174.9 million citations across 18.7 million research publications and survey responses from over 108,000 scholars worldwide.
Among Nigerian universities, UNILAG ranked highest for research quality, scoring 66.7, while BUK led in international outlook. Covenant University achieved the top industry score, reflecting strong links with the private sector.
Out of the 51 Nigerian institutions featured, only UI and UNILAG fall within the 801–1000 range globally. BUK, Covenant University, and Landmark University placed between 1001–1200, while five others — Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMinna), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), University of Jos (UNIJOS), and University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) — ranked between 1201–1500.
A further 14 Nigerian universities were placed above 1501, while 27 institutions were listed but not ranked.
Full list of ranked Nigerian universities (THE 2026):
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+)
Other participating institutions include Admiralty University of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State University, Baze University, Bowen University, Redeemer’s University, Nasarawa State University, and Rivers State University, among others.
The noted that for a university to qualify, it must teach undergraduates, conduct multidisciplinary research, and have published at least 1,000 research papers between 2020 and 2024 (a minimum of 100 annually).
