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.
The three institutions were jointly placed in the 801-1,000 global band in the ranking released by Times Higher Education on Wednesday, marking a change from the previous edition in which UI and UNILAG shared the highest Nigerian position while Covenant University ranked third nationally.
The latest ranking also showed a broader Nigerian presence in the global table, with 29 Nigerian universities included, compared with 24 in the 2026 edition.
Five institutions-Osun State University, University of Maiduguri, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Kwara State University and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, were newly ranked.
The increase means Nigeria had the largest number of ranked universities in sub-Saharan Africa in the 2027 edition, as the number of ranked institutions across the region rose from 55 to 69.
Although Covenant, UI and UNILAG share the same global band, their performance varied across the indicators used by THE.
The ranking assesses research-intensive universities across five broad areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry. For the 2027 edition, THE assessed 2,297 institutions across 118 countries and territories, using 17 performance indicators distributed across the five pillars.
Among the three leading Nigerian universities, UNILAG recorded the highest research-quality score, with 67.8 points. UI recorded 64.9, while Covenant scored 49.8 in the same category.
In teaching, UI recorded 31.2 points, compared with 21.4 for Covenant and 21.2 for UNILAG. Covenant recorded 32.5 points for research environment, while UI scored 19.9 and UNILAG 20.8.
The ranking also identified different areas of strength among Nigerian institutions. Bayero University recorded the highest international-outlook score among Nigerian universities, while Covenant University had the country’s highest industry score.
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and Bayero University, Kano (BUK), followed the three leading institutions, with both placed in the 1,001-1,200 global band.
Landmark University and the University of Ilorin were also placed in the same 1,001-1,200 band.
Babcock University, Osun State University and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka were placed in the 1,201-1,400 band.
The Federal University of Technology, Minna and Nnamdi Azikiwe University were among institutions placed in the 1,401-1,600 band, alongside Obafemi Awolowo University, the University of Benin, the University of Jos and the University of Maiduguri.
Other Nigerian institutions appearing in the ranking include the Federal University of Technology, Akure; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology; Lagos State University; Olabisi Onabanjo University; University of Calabar; Delta State University, Abraka; Ekiti State University; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Federal University Oye-Ekiti; Kwara State University and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
At the global level, the University of Oxford retained the number-one position for the 11th consecutive year.
The University of Cape Town was the highest-ranked institution in sub-Saharan Africa, rising to joint 147th globally, from joint 164th in the previous edition.
The results come as Nigeria also moves to develop its own national tertiary-education ranking system. The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee, is working on a national ranking covering universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, with completion targeted for December 2026.