The 2027 World University Rankings by Times Higher Education has listed 29 Nigerian universities, five more than the 24 listed in the 2026 edition. The Covenant University, University of Ibadan, and University of Lagos are the country's highest-ranked institutions, jointly placed in the 801-1000 global band. This development comes barely three weeks after former Nigerian President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan expressed concerns about African universities' inability to break into the top 100 global university rankings.
The five newly listed Nigerian universities are Osun State University, University of Maiduguri, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Kwara State University, and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Covenant University has returned to the top position among Nigerian universities after dropping to third place in the 2026 national ranking. The University of Ibadan and University of Lagos jointly occupied the top spot in 2026, followed by Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University, Landmark University, and University of Ilorin, which were placed in the 1001-1200 band.
The 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. The University of Lagos scored highest in research quality, while Covenant University scored highest for industry connection and engagement, and the University of Ibadan scored highest across teaching and research metrics.
The rankings 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 remains the highest-ranked institution, rising to joint 147th globally from joint 164th in the previous edition. The number of ranked universities in sub-Saharan Africa increased from 55 in 2026 to 69 in 2027, with Nigeria accounting for the largest number of ranked institutions in the region.
Other ranked universities in Nigeria include Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University, Landmark University, University of Ilorin, Babcock University, Osun State University, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Federal University of Technology, Minna, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, among others. A breakdown of the ranked universities in Nigeria shows that 20 out of 77 federal universities made the cut, while five out of 67 state-owned universities got slots, and only two out of 168 private universities, Covenant University and Landmark University, were listed.
It is worth noting that Nigeria is home to 321 universities as of 2026, with 33 Nigerian universities listed as "reporter" institutions, which submitted data but did not meet the eligibility requirements for a global ranking. The privately-owned universities, except for Covenant University and Landmark University, were not listed in the rankings, which has been attributed to their focus on making profits rather than contributing to knowledge and research.
Key points
- 29 Nigerian universities have been listed in the 2027 World University Rankings by Times Higher Education.
- Covenant University, University of Ibadan, and University of Lagos are the top-ranked Nigerian institutions, jointly placed in the 801-1000 global band.
- The number of ranked universities in sub-Saharan Africa increased from 55 in 2026 to 69 in 2027, with Nigeria accounting for the largest number of ranked institutions in the region.
