- The University of Ibadan ranked first in Nigeria and 1,291st globally in the July 2026 Webometrics ranking of over 32,000 institutions
- The University of Lagos came second in Nigeria, while the University of Nigeria and Covenant University rounded out the top four
- Harvard University held the top global spot, with American universities dominating seven of the world’s top 10 positions
The University of Ibadan (UI) has claimed the top spot among Nigerian universities in the July 2026 Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, placing 1,291st out of 32,148 institutions assessed across the globe.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) followed in second place nationally, finishing 1,355th worldwide. The University of Nigeria came third in the country at 1,397th globally, and Covenant University, Ota, took fourth place nationally with a global ranking of 1,522nd.
Published twice a year, the Webometrics ranking evaluates universities based on three broad indicators: visibility, openness, and excellence. These reflect how institutions perform in terms of digital presence, the accessibility of their scholarly content, and the reach of their research output.
Other Nigerian universities
Landmark University ranked fifth in Nigeria at 1,659th globally, followed by the University of Ilorin at 1,883rd and Obafemi Awolowo University at 1,986th. Ahmadu Bello University came eighth nationally at 2,068th, the University of Port Harcourt ninth at 2,077th, and the Federal University of Technology, Akure, tenth at 2,203rd.
Further down the national list, Nnamdi Azikiwe University placed 11th in Nigeria (2,308th globally), Bayero University Kano 12th (2,543rd), and the University of Calabar 13th (2,592nd). Other institutions in the top 50 include Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, the University of Benin, Lagos State University, and the National Open University of Nigeria, among others.
Despite the strong showing from UI and UNILAG at the top of the national table, Nigeria’s best-ranked university still sits outside the global top 1,000 in this edition of the ranking.
Harvard leads global table
At the global level, Harvard University retained first position, ahead of Stanford University in second place. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked third, followed by the University of Oxford in fourth and Cornell University in fifth. The University of Washington, University of Michigan, University of California Berkeley, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University completed the top 10.
American universities account for seven of the top 10 positions, with the United Kingdom represented by Oxford and Cambridge. The University of Toronto is the highest-placed Canadian institution, sitting 12th in the world.
Source: Legit.ng