University of Ibadan best in Nigeria, 1,291st globally
●UNIPORT 1st; UNIUYO 4th in South-South
The July 2026 edition of the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities has placed the University of Ibadan (UI) as the highest-ranked Nigerian university, with the University of Lagos (UNILAG) following in second place.
According to data published in July 2026 covering 32,148 universities and higher education institutions globally, UI placed 1,291st and UNILAG 1,355th in the world, The PUNCH reports.
The University of Nigeria came third nationally and 1,397th globally, while Covenant University, Ota, ranked fourth in Nigeria and 1,522nd globally.
In the South-South region, the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) came first, the University of Calabar (UNICAL) second, University of Benin 3rd, and the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) 4th. Globally, these institutions were placed 2,077th, 2,592nd, 3,078, and 3,470th, respectively.
The Webometrics ranking, published biannually, assesses higher education institutions using indicators including visibility, openness, and excellence, reflecting their digital presence, accessibility of scholarly resources, and overall research impact.
Top Nigerian Institutions
University of Ibadan — 1,291 globally
University of Lagos — 1,355
University of Nigeria — 1,397
Covenant University, Ota — 1,522
Landmark University — 1,659
University of Ilorin — 1,883
Obafemi Awolowo University — 1,986
Ahmadu Bello University — 2,068
University of Port Harcourt — 2,077
Federal University of Technology, Akure — 2,203
Nnamdi Azikiwe University — 2,308
Bayero University Kano — 2,543
University of Calabar — 2,592
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology — 2,728
Olabisi Onabanjo University — 2,865
Federal University of Technology, Minna — 2,930
University of Benin — 3,078
Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta — 3,279
University of Uyo — 3,470
Lagos State University — 3,482
National Open University of Nigeria — 3,553
Federal University of Technology, Owerri — 3,572
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike — 3,736
University of Abuja — 3,764
Federal University Oye-Ekiti — 3,787
Usmanu Danfodiyo University — 3,793
Adekunle Ajasin University — 3,823
University of Jos — 4,018
Federal University Dutse — 4,074
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University — 4,118
University of Maiduguri — 4,167
Osun State University — 4,208
Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos — 4,256
Redeemer’s University — 4,334
Delta State University, Nigeria — 4,368
Kwara State University — 4,368
Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti — 4,558
Ebonyi State University — 4,776
Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun — 4,930
African University of Science and Technology, Abuja — 5,385
American University of Nigeria — 5,398
Imo State University, Owerri — 5,674
Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma — 5,702
Kogi State University — 5,870
Niger Delta University — 5,888
Rivers State University — 6,016
Joseph Ayo Babalola University — 6,104
Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi — 6,424
Igbinedion University, Okada — 6,533
Kebbi State University of Science and Technology — 6,629
Top 10 Globally
The global ranking was led by:
Harvard University — United States
Stanford University — United States
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) — United States
University of Oxford — United Kingdom
University of Washington — United States
Cornell University — United States
University of Michigan — United States
University of California, Berkeley — United States
Johns Hopkins University — United States
Columbia University — United States
The July ranking is heavily dominated by American institutions, which occupy seven of the top 10 positions, while the UK holds the third and fourth spots with Oxford and Cambridge.
The University of Toronto stands as the highest-ranked Canadian institution, appearing at 12th globally.
Harvard University retained the top position, ahead of Stanford. Harvard’s continued dominance reflects its exceptionally strong performance across the ranking’s web-based indicators, while Oxford and Cambridge give the UK two universities in the global top four, alongside MIT completing the top five.
In summary, the July 2026 ranking positions UI and UNILAG as Nigeria’s leading academic institutions, though the country’s top-performing university still sits outside the global top 1,000 in this index.
■ Our Error
In our current edition on this story, we mistakenly reported that UNIUYO was placed 3rd in the South-South rankings. That is incorrect; it was placed 4th. The third position belongs to the University of Benin (UNIBEN). Please, no ill-will was intended and the error is regretted.
