The University of Ibadan (UI) has retained its position as Nigeria’s leading university in the newly released Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026.
According to the rankings, UI placed within the 801–1000 global band, emerging ahead of other Nigerian institutions on the prestigious list. Universities ranked behind UI include the University of Lagos, Bayero University Kano, Covenant University, Landmark University, Ahmadu Bello University, Federal University of Technology Minna, University of Ilorin, University of Jos, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings, produced in partnership with Elsevier, are globally recognised and widely trusted by students, academics, governments, and industry experts as a benchmark for assessing university performance.
For the 2026 edition, 2,191 universities from 115 countries and territories were assessed and ranked. Institutions were evaluated using key performance indicators covering teaching quality, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.
UI’s continued dominance in the rankings underscores its longstanding reputation for academic excellence, research strength, and global competitiveness, further cementing its status as Nigeria’s premier university on the international stage.
