By SpringNewsNG Media Limited | June 23, 2025

The University of Ibadan (UI) has emerged as Nigeria’s highest-ranked institution in the newly released 2026 QS World University Rankings, leading two other Nigerian universities in the prestigious global listing published by UK-based higher education analytics firm, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

According to the rankings, UI, alongside the University of Lagos (UNILAG), was placed in the 1001–1200 band, maintaining the same position as in the 2025 edition. Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, also made the list, falling within the 1201–1400 range.

This marks the third consecutive year that no Nigerian university has made it into the top 1,000 globally, highlighting persistent challenges in international academic performance despite the historical prestige of Nigerian institutions.

The QS World University Rankings assess over 1,500 institutions across eight indicators:

Academic reputation

Employer reputation

Faculty/student ratio

Citations per faculty

International faculty ratio

International student ratio

International research network

Employment outcomes and sustainability

While Nigeria continues to grapple with issues such as limited research impact, weak global partnerships, and employability gaps, other African nations are making significant strides.

Egypt leads the continent with 20 universities featured in the 2026 rankings, followed by South Africa with 11, and Tunisia with four. Ghana and Morocco each had two institutions listed, while Kenya, Libya, Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia had one each.

Notably, South Africa remains the only African nation with institutions in the global top 300. The University of Cape Town is ranked 150th, while the University of the Witwatersrand is placed 291st.

Globally, the top 10 universities for 2026 are dominated by the United States and the United Kingdom, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) taking the #1 spot. Others in the top 10 include:

1. MIT (USA)
2. Imperial College London (UK)
3. Stanford University (USA)
4. University of Oxford (UK)
5. Harvard University (USA)
6. University of Cambridge (UK)
7. ETH Zurich (Switzerland)
8. National University of Singapore (Singapore)
9. University College London (UK)
10. California Institute of Technology (USA)

These institutions consistently rank high due to their exceptional research output, global academic reputation, international collaboration, and graduate employability.

Despite the challenges, the inclusion of UI, UNILAG, and ABU in the global rankings reflects a continued presence of Nigerian universities on the global academic map and underscores the need for strategic investment in research, innovation, and academic excellence.