By Peter Omopo
The University of Lagos, University of Ibadan and Covenant University have emerged as Nigeria’s joint highest ranked institutions in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
The three universities were placed in the 801 to 1,000 global performance band in the rankings released on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
The latest ranking also showed an increase in the number of Nigerian universities represented globally, with 29 institutions featured in the 2027 edition compared with 24 in the previous year.
UNILAG recorded the highest research quality score among the Nigerian universities assessed, with a score of 67.8, according to the ranking data.
Seven Nigerian universities were placed in the next global band of 1,001 to 1,200. They are Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University Kano, Landmark University and the University of Ilorin.
Babcock University, Osun State University and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka were placed in the 1,201 to 1,400 band.
The 10 highest placed Nigerian universities in the 2027 THE rankings are UNILAG, UI and Covenant University in the 801 to 1,000 category; ABU, BUK, Landmark University and UNILORIN in the 1,001 to 1,200 category; and Babcock University, UNIOSUN and UNN in the 1,201 to 1,400 category.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings assess universities across a range of indicators covering areas such as teaching, research, research quality, international outlook and industry engagement.
The inclusion of 29 Nigerian institutions in the latest edition reflects the growing representation of the country’s universities in global higher education assessments.
