Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has made a significant debut in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027, emerging as Nigeria's highest-ranked state-owned university and securing a joint eighth position nationally. This achievement was announced by the university's Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ademola Adesoji, on Wednesday. The ranking, published on September 30, 2026, evaluated 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories.
The 2027 ranking placed UNIOSUN in the 1,201–1,400 global band, alongside Babcock University and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Nigeria had 29 universities ranked, making it the most represented country in sub-Saharan Africa. The ranking assessed universities based on five broad pillars: Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, International Outlook, and Industry.
According to the ranking indicators, UNIOSUN scored 25.6 in Research Environment, the second-highest score among the 29 ranked Nigerian universities, behind Covenant University's 32.5. The university also scored 23.6 in Teaching, placing fifth nationally. Its other scores were 43.8 in Research Quality, 17.6 in Industry, and 40.3 in International Outlook.
The report described UNIOSUN as a new entrant and highlighted its performance in Research Environment and Teaching as notable strengths, while identifying Research Quality as an area with room for further improvement. The Times Higher Education ranking methodology comprises 18 performance indicators covering areas including teaching reputation, research productivity and quality, citations, international collaboration, industry income, and patents.
The report also noted that UNIOSUN's debut in the 1,201–1,400 band was noteworthy, as it ranked ahead of 19 older and larger Nigerian universities. Only seven state-owned universities were among the 29 Nigerian universities ranked in the 2027 edition, compared with 19 federal and three private universities.
UNIOSUN consequently emerged as the highest-ranked state university in the country. Reacting to the development, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Odunayo Clement Adebooye, lauded the Osun State government and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the institution's growth.
Adebooye said the university would continue to build on the achievement and pursue initiatives aimed at strengthening its academic and research profile and positioning it for greater global recognition. With this achievement, UNIOSUN has set a new standard for state-owned universities in Nigeria.
Key points
- UNIOSUN emerges as Nigeria's top state university and 8th best overall in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027.
- The university scored 25.6 in Research Environment, the second-highest among Nigerian universities.
- UNIOSUN ranked ahead of 19 older and larger Nigerian universities in its debut ranking.
