The 2027 Times Higher Education rankings have placed three Nigerian universities among the world’s top 1,000 institutions.
The University of Ibadan, University of Lagos and Covenant University were all ranked in the 801–1000 band.
Covenant University’s return to the top 1,000 marks an improvement from 2026, when it was placed in the 1001–1200 band, while the University of Ibadan and University of Lagos retained their positions in the top 1,000.
The number of Nigerian universities featured in the ranking also increased from 24 in 2026 to 29 this year, with five institutions making their debut.
Globally, the University of Oxford retained the top position for the 11th consecutive year, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in second place, while Princeton University and Stanford University jointly ranked third.
The 2027 ranking assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories using indicators covering teaching, research, international outlook and industry.
