Covenant University, the University of Ibadan (UI), and the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have emerged as Nigeria’s highest-ranked universities in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.
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The three institutions were jointly placed in the 801–1,000 global ranking band in the latest edition released on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. The 2027 ranking also showed an increase in the number of Nigerian institutions featured globally, with 29 universities making the list, compared with 24 in the 2026 edition.
Following the three institutions in the 801–1,000 bracket, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Bayero University Kano (BUK), Landmark University and the University of Ilorin were placed in the 1,001–1,200 global band.
Meanwhile, Babcock University, Osun State University and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) were placed in the 1,201–1,400 category.
Other Nigerian universities featured in the ranking were placed in subsequent global bands.
The number of Nigerian universities represented in the ranking increased partly because five institutions appeared in the rankings for the first time.
They are Osun State University, University of Maiduguri, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Kwara State University and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
Covenant University’s return to the leading Nigerian group also represents a change from the 2026 edition, when UI and UNILAG shared the highest Nigerian position, while Covenant was ranked third nationally.
The latest figures place Nigeria among the countries with a growing representation in the THE global rankings. According to THE, 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories were included in the 2027 edition. Nigeria had the highest number of ranked universities in sub-Saharan Africa, with 29 institutions.
The University of Cape Town in South Africa was the highest-ranked university in sub-Saharan Africa, placed joint 147th globally.
Globally, the University of Oxford retained the number-one position for an 11th consecutive year, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ranked second. Princeton University and Stanford University shared third place.
The THE rankings assess universities using indicators covering areas including teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement and international outlook.
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