FULL LIST: Covenant, UI, UNILAG named Nigeria’s top varsities in 2027 global ranking

Covenant University, the University of Ibadan, and the University of Lagos have been named Nigeria's top universities in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. The trio secured positions between 801 and 1000 globally. This marks a return for Covenant University, which had previously dropped from third place to fifth in the 2026 rankings. The University of Lagos and the University of Ibadan have maintained their joint top positions since last year.

These three institutions are followed by two Nigerian universities from the Northwest region, Ahmadu Bello University and Bayero University, ranking fourth and fifth, respectively. The rankings evaluate universities based on five main criteria: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry connections.

The 2027 rankings cover 2,297 institutions across 118 countries and territories. Globally, the University of Oxford retained its number one position for an 11th consecutive year. In sub-Saharan Africa, the University of Cape Town emerged as the highest-ranked institution, moving from joint 164th to joint 147th position. Nigeria now leads with the highest number of ranked universities, with a total of 29.