UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN (UI) TOPS NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES IN 2026 TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION WORLD RANKING

UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN (UI) TOPS NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES IN 2026 TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION WORLD RANKING

The University of Ibadan (UI) has reclaimed its position as Nigeria’s best university in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, reaffirming its reputation as the country’s premier academic institution.

The latest ranking, published on THE’s official website on Thursday, placed the University of Ibadan within the 801–1,000 band globally, ahead of other leading Nigerian universities — a spot it last held in 2023.

According to THE, the 2026 ranking evaluated 2,191 universities across 115 countries, using 18 performance indicators that assess excellence across teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.

UI’s rise marks a remarkable comeback, moving from fourth place in the 2025 edition to the number one position in Nigeria for 2026, dethroning Covenant University, Ota, which had dominated the rankings in 2024 and 2025.

Following the University of Ibadan are the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in second place, Bayero University, Kano (BUK) in third, and Covenant University (CU) in fourth.

The 2026 edition, THE noted, reflects a “major shift in the global higher education landscape,” drawing on an analysis of 174.9 million citations from 18.7 million research publications and survey feedback from over 108,000 scholars worldwide.

A statement from THE highlighted that UNILAG recorded the highest research quality score among Nigerian institutions with 66.7 points, while BUK was rated best in international outlook, and Covenant University maintained the highest industry score, underscoring its strong ties with the private sector.

Out of the 51 Nigerian universities featured in the 2026 ranking, only UI and UNILAG appeared in the 801–1,000 global band.
BUK, CU, and Landmark University ranked between 1001–1200, while Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMinna), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), University of Jos (UNIJOS), and University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) were listed in the 1201–1500 range.

Additionally, 14 Nigerian universities appeared in the 1501+ category, while 27 others were featured but not ranked.