FULL LIST: UI, UNILAG, BUK, CU Rank 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Best Universities in Nigeria

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

The ranking, released on Thursday, October 9, 2025, placed IU in the 801-1,000 range globally, ahead of other leading Nigerian institutions.

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

According to THE, the 2026 rankings evaluated 2,191 institutions in 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 ranking in 2025, surpassing Covenant University, which had dominated the top spot the previous two years.

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

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

Likewise, BUK has been recognized as Nigeria’s most internationally oriented university, while Covenant University has maintained the highest industry ranking in the country, reflecting strong partnerships with the private sector.

Of the 51 Nigerian universities on the 2026 list, only UI and UNILAG made it into the global 801-1,000 category, reinforcing their status as Nigeria’s leading centers of academic excellence.

See the full list of Nigerian Universities in 2026 Rankings below:

University of Ibadan (801-1000)

University of Lagos (801-1000)

University of Bayero (1001-1200)

Alliance 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

Augustinian 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

Fontana University

Godfrey Okoye University

Igbinedion University, Okada

Kaduna State University

Lagos State University of Education.

Lagos State University of Science and Technology

University of the main city

Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria

Nasarawa State University, Keffi

Redeemer University

Rivers State University

Thomas Adewumi University

Cross River State University

Delta University

THE is a globally recognized independent organization that provides data and analysis for the higher education sector, including widely adopted global university rankings.

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