The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has emerged among Nigeria’s highest-ranked universities in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, sharing the top national position with the University of Ibadan (UI) and Covenant University.
The three institutions were placed in the 801–1,000 global band in the rankings released on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. The latest edition assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories.
UNILAG's latest performance was highlighted by its strength in research, with the university recording a 67.8 score in research quality, the highest among all ranked Nigerian universities.
The university also recorded scores of 21.2 in teaching, 20.8 in research environment, 31.3 in industry and 45.6 in international outlook. Its overall score fell within the 36.4–40.1 range.
The ranking represents continued competition among Nigeria’s leading universities. Covenant University, which occupied third position among Nigerian universities in the 2026 edition, returned to the top national group alongside UI and UNILAG.
Nigeria also recorded an increase in the number of institutions included in the global rankings, rising from 24 universities in 2026 to 29 in 2027.
Five institutions — Osun State University, University of Maiduguri, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Kwara State University and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike — made their debut in the rankings.
Following the three joint leaders were Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University, Landmark University and the University of Ilorin, all placed in the 1,001–1,200 global band.
UNILAG's strong research performance was one of several standout results recorded by Nigerian universities. Bayero University recorded the country's strongest international outlook score, while Covenant University led in the industry category.
The Times Higher Education rankings assess universities across five broad areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement and international outlook, using 17 performance indicators.
Globally, the University of Oxford retained the number one position for an 11th consecutive year, while the University of Cape Town was the highest-ranked institution in sub-Saharan Africa, placed jointly at 147th.
The 2027 ranking also recorded a wider representation from sub-Saharan Africa, with the number of ranked institutions increasing from 55 to 69. Nigeria had the largest number of ranked universities in the region, with 29 institutions.
For UNILAG, the result adds another international recognition of the institution's research performance and places it alongside UI and Covenant University as Nigeria's leading institutions in the latest global ranking.
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