01/10/2026
2027 World University Rankings: See The 3 Nigerian Universities That Made Top 1,000
Covenant University, the University of Ibadan (UI) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have jointly emerged as Nigeria’s highest-ranked universities in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.
The three universities were placed in the 801–1000 band globally in the latest rankings released by THE on Wednesday.
They were followed by Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and Bayero University, Kano (BUK), which were both ranked within the 1001–1200 band.
The latest edition also recorded a rise in the number of Nigerian universities included in the global rankings, with 29 institutions featured, compared with 24 in the previous edition.
Five universities made their first appearance in the rankings. They are Osun State University, University of Maiduguri, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Kwara State University and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
Covenant University returned to the top tier among Nigerian universities after it was placed third in the 2026 edition, when UI and UNILAG jointly occupied the leading position.
The 2027 edition, however, placed Covenant University, UI and UNILAG in the same 801–1000 global band.
ABU and BUK were next, with both institutions occupying the 1001–1200 band.
THE rankings assess research-intensive universities based on five broad areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry.
For the 2027 edition, THE assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories, using 17 performance indicators across the five areas.
At the global level, the University of Oxford maintained its position as the world’s top-ranked university for the 11th consecutive year.
The University of Cape Town also retained its position as the highest-ranked university in sub-Saharan Africa, improving from joint 164th position in the previous edition to joint 147th.
“The number of ranked institutions in sub-Saharan increased from 55 last year to 69 this year. Nigeria has the most universities ranked, with 29 in total,” THE said.
The ranking further showed differences in the performance of Nigerian universities across individual indicators.
UNILAG recorded the highest research quality score among Nigerian universities, with 67.8.
BUK had the highest international outlook score among Nigerian institutions, while Covenant University recorded the highest industry score.
Full List Of Ranked Nigerian Universities
Covenant University — 801–1000
University of Ibadan — 801–1000
University of Lagos — 801–1000
Ahmadu Bello University — 1001–1200
Bayero University — 1001–1200
Landmark University — 1001–1200
University of Ilorin — 1001–1200
Babcock University — 1201–1400
Osun State University — 1201–1400
University of Nigeria, Nsukka — 1201–1400
Federal University of Technology, Minna — 1401–1600
Nnamdi Azikiwe University — 1401–1600
Obafemi Awolowo University — 1401–1600
University of Benin — 1401–1600
University of Jos — 1401–1600
University of Maiduguri — 1401–1600
Federal University of Technology, Akure — 1601–1800
Federal University of Technology, Owerri — 1801–2000
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology — 1801–2000
Lagos State University — 1801–2000
Olabisi Onabanjo University — 1801–2000
University of Calabar — 1801–2000
Delta State University, Abraka — 2001+
Ekiti State University — 2001+
Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta — 2001+
Federal University Oye-Ekiti — 2001+
Kwara State University — 2001+
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike — 2001+
University of Port Harcourt — 2001+
33 Nigerian Universities Listed As Reporters
Beyond the 29 universities that received rankings, THE listed 33 other Nigerian universities as “reporter” institutions.
The ranking body said the institutions submitted data for consideration but did not meet the eligibility requirements required to receive a ranking.
゚viralシ
