The University of Ibadan in Oyo State has been ranked Nigeria’s top university in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026.
The ranking, released on THE’s website on Thursday, placed the university- located in Ibadan- between 801 and 1,000 globally, ranking it above other leading Nigerian universities, a position it last held in 2023.
THE examined 2,191 institutions from 115 countries using 18 performance indicators across five main areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry connections, and international outlook.
UI improved from fourth place in 2025 to become Nigeria’s best in 2026, surpassing Covenant University, which held the top spot in 2024 and 2025.
BUK is recognised as Nigeria’s top university for international outlook, while Covenant has the highest industry score, reflecting its strong industry links.
Among 51 Nigerian schools in THE 2026 rankings, only UI and UNILAG are between 801–1000; BUK, CU, and Landmark University are between 1001–1200; five universities—Ahmadu Bello University, Federal University of Technology Minna, University of Ilorin, University of Jos, and University of Nigeria—rank between 1201–1500. Additionally, 14 Nigerian universities are ranked above 1501, and 27 institutions are unranked.
