Three Nigerian universities — the University of Ibadan (UI), University of Lagos (UNILAG), and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria — have been listed in the 2026 edition of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, though none made it into the top 1,000.
The latest ranking, released on Thursday, June 19, by the global higher education analyst QS, assesses universities across eight key indicators including academic reputation, research output, faculty-to-student ratio, and international collaboration.
According to the report, UI and UNILAG retained their position in the 1,001–1,200 band, while ABU Zaria made its debut in the 1,201–1,400 band. Despite the recognition, Nigeria’s top institutions continue to lag behind their global peers due to poor performance in critical areas such as research, innovation, global partnerships, and employability.
- African Peers Outperform Nigeria
- While none of Nigeria’s 297 universities featured in the global top 1,000, other African countries made notable progress.
- Egypt led the continent with 20 universities in the rankings.
- South Africa followed with 11, while Tunisia had four.
- Ghana and Morocco each had two universities, while Kenya, Libya, Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia had one each.
The top-performing African institutions include the University of Cape Town, ranked 150th globally, and the University of Witwatersrand, ranked 291st. These South African institutions continue to excel in research strength, international visibility, and academic reputation.
Global Leaders
At the global level, the top ten universities were largely dominated by institutions from the United States and the United Kingdom. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) retained the top spot, followed by Imperial College London, Stanford University, and the University of Oxford.
Call for Reform
Education analysts say Nigerian universities must urgently address systemic weaknesses in funding, research infrastructure, and global academic engagement to improve future rankings.
“Our universities are producing brilliant minds, but we need to align more with global standards in research, faculty development, and international partnerships,” one analyst told The Nation.
The QS World University Rankings are widely regarded as one of the most respected global assessments of higher education institutions, influencing policy and institutional strategies across the globe.
