The status of the University of Ibadan, not just as the first university in Nigeria but the best, has been re-established in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.

The recent rankings, which were published on Times Higher Education’s website, placed the University of Ibadan within the 801-1,000 range globally and ahead of other universities in Nigeria.
THE assessment of institutions globally was based on 18 performance indicators across five key areas, which include: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook.

This assessment was predicated on a survey of 2,191 institutions from 115 countries.

Out of 51 Nigerian institutions featured in THE 2026 ranking, only University of Ibadan and University of Lagos fall between 801–1000; Bayero University, Kaduna, Covenant University, and Landmark University fell between 1001–1200; while five other universities: Ahmadu Bello University, Federal University of Technology, Minna, University of Ilorin, University of Jos, University of Nigeria, were ranked on the global stage between 1201–1500.

14 more Nigerian universities were categorised above 1501, and 27 institutions were not ranked.

Times Higher Education is a globally recognised independent organisation that provides data and analysis for the higher education sector, including the widely adopted World University Rankings.

Courtesy: UI DIRECTORATE OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATION