Newz…Covenant, UI, UNILAG lead at 801–1000 By Joseph Erunke, Abuja Twenty-nine Nigerian universities have been ranked in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, with Covenant University, the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos emerging as the country’s highest-ranked institutions. The three universities were jointly placed in the 801–1000 global band in the rankings released by Times Higher Education (THE) on Wednesday. Nigeria had 24 universities ranked in the 2026 edition, meaning five additional institutions made the global ranking this year.
The five institutions making their debut in the ranked category are Osun State University, University of Maiduguri, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Kwara State University and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Covenant University also returned to the top position among Nigerian universities after the institution dropped to third place in last year’s national ranking, when the University of Ibadan and University of Lagos jointly occupied the top spot. The latest edition places Covenant University, UI and UNILAG in the same 801–1000 global band.
They are followed by Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University, Landmark University and the University of Ilorin, which were placed in the 1001–1200 band. THE said its 2027 ranking assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories using 17 performance indicators grouped into five broad areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry. UNILAG leads in research quality The ranking also showed differences in the performance profiles of Nigerian universities across the five broad areas.
The University of Lagos recorded the highest research quality score among Nigerian universities, with 67.8 points. Bayero University, Kano, recorded the strongest international outlook among Nigerian institutions, while Covenant University posted the highest industry score, reflecting its performance in university-industry links. Globally, the University of Oxford retained the number one position for the 11th consecutive year.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the University of Cape Town was the highest-ranked institution, rising to joint 147th globally from joint 164th in the previous edition. THE said the number of ranked universities in sub-Saharan Africa increased from 55 in 2026 to 69 in 2027, with Nigeria… Covenant University, the University of Ibadan (UI) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have emerged as the highest-ranked universities in Nigeria in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027.
The three Nigerian institutions were placed in the 801–1,000 global ranking bracket, making them the country’s highest-ranked universities in the latest edition. The 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings feature 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories. The ranking assesses universities across areas including teaching, research environment, research quality, industry and international outlook.
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