By Azeez Ope Quadri 
The 2027 World University Rankings by Times Higher Education (THE) has shown that Covenant University (Private), the University of Ibadan (Federal), the University of Lagos (Federal), Ahmadu Bello University (Federal) and Bayero University Kano (Federal) are the best five universities in Nigeria.
Other universities that made it to the top 10 are Landmark University (Private), University of Ilorin (Federal), Babcock University, Osun State University (State) and University of Nigeria Nsukka (Federal).
2026 ranking vs 2027 ranking
But beyond the 2027 university ranking in Nigeria, it is crucial to compare the performance of the institutions that made the THE 2027 world ranking with their 2026 performance. This would let us know which universities are improving and which are not doing well.
For instance, Bishop David Oyedepo’s Covenant University, which ranked 4th in 2026, has climbed the list to occupy the number one position as the best university in Nigeria. The privately-owned institution pushed the University of Ibadan (UI) to the second position. UI ranked No. 1 in THE 2026 world ranking.
Similarly, Ahmadu Bello University, which occupied the 6th position in 2026, climbed to 4th position in the current ranking (2027).
Note: Five Nigerian universities made their debut to THE World University Rankings 2027
Worth noting is Osun State University (UNIOSUN), which made the list of the THE world ranking for the first time since the university was founded in 2006.
The Osun-owned institution did not only make a debut, but has also made it to the top 10 in the 2027 rankings. With the new ranking breakthrough, UNIOSUN ranked as the best state university, beating Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH).
To compare the 2026 ranking against the 2027 ranking, let’s start with the universities that made the top 29 in the 2027 World University Rankings and see where they ranked in 2026.
| University | 2026 Ranking | 2027 Ranking |
| Covenant | 4th | 1st |
| University of Ibadan | 1st | 2nd |
| UNILAG | 2nd | 3rd |
| ABU | 6th | 4th |
| BUK | 3rd | 5th |
| Landmark | 5th | 6th |
| UNILORIN | 8th | 7th |
| Babcock | 11th | 8th |
| UNIOSUN | Not ranked | 9th |
| UNN | 10th | 10th |
| FUT Minna | 7th | 11th |
| Nnamdi Azikiwe Uni | 20th | 12th |
| OAU | 21st | 13th |
| UNIBEN | 22nd | 14th |
| UNIJOS | 9th | 15th |
| UNIMAID | Not ranked | 16th |
| FUTA | 15th | 17th |
| FUTO | 16th | 18th |
| LAUTECH | 18th | 19th |
| LASU | 19th | 20th |
| OOU | Not ranked | 21st |
| UNICAL | 23rd | 22nd |
| DELSU | 12th | 23rd |
| EKSU | 13th | 24th |
| FUNNAB | 14th | 25th |
| FUOYE | 17th | 26th |
| KASU | Not ranked | 27th |
| Michael Okpara (MOUAU) | Not ranked | 28th |
| UNIPORT | 24th | 29th |
Takeaways from THE 2027 World University Ranking
- The number of ranked institutions in Africa rose from 55 (in 2026) to 69 in 2027.
- Nigeria has the most universities ranked, with 29 in total.
- UNILAG is ranked highest in quality research, scoring 67.8.
- BUK is ranked as the best Nigerian university in terms of international outlook.
- Covenant University has the highest industry score, indicating its top connection to industries..
Times Higher Education (THE)
THE is a globally recognised independent organisation that provides data and analysis for the higher education sector, including the widely adopted World University Rankings.
Criterial for THE World ranking: Institutions are only ranked in the World University Rankings 2027 if they teach undergraduates, produce research across a range of subjects and have published at least 1,000 research publications between 2021 and 2025, with a minimum of 100 a year.
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