The University of Ibadan (UI) has emerged as the highest-ranked Nigerian university in the July 2026 edition of the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, placing first in the country and 1,291st globally.
The latest ranking assessed 32,148 universities and higher education institutions worldwide, with UI recording the best performance among Nigerian institutions.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) followed in second place nationally, ranking 1,355th globally, while the University of Nigeria (UNN) secured third place in Nigeria and 1,397th position worldwide.
The ranking places UI and UNILAG as Nigeria’s two leading universities, although the country’s best-performing institution did not make the global top 1,000.
Covenant University, Ota, ranked fourth in Nigeria and 1,522nd globally, while Landmark University came fifth nationally and 1,659th worldwide.
The University of Ilorin occupied the sixth position in Nigeria and 1,883rd globally, followed by Obafemi Awolowo University in seventh place nationally and 1,986th worldwide.
Ahmadu Bello University ranked eighth in Nigeria and 2,068th globally. The University of Port Harcourt followed at 2,077th globally, while the Federal University of Technology, Akure, ranked 2,203rd worldwide.
Other Nigerian universities that featured among the leading institutions included Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Bayero University Kano, University of Calabar, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Federal University of Technology, Minna, University of Benin, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, University of Uyo and Lagos State University.
The National Open University of Nigeria, University of Abuja, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, University of Jos, University of Maiduguri, Osun State University, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Redeemer’s University and Delta State University also featured prominently in the ranking.
Among the top 50 Nigerian institutions were Kwara State University, Ekiti State University, Ebonyi State University, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, American University of Nigeria, Imo State University, Ambrose Alli University, Kogi State University, Niger Delta University, Rivers State University, Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Igbinedion University and Kebbi State University of Science and Technology.
The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities is published twice a year and evaluates higher education institutions based on indicators related to visibility, openness and excellence.
The ranking seeks to measure universities’ digital presence, accessibility of academic and research resources, and research impact.
At the global level, Harvard University retained the top position, followed by Stanford University in second place. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ranked third, while the University of Oxford and the University of Washington occupied fourth and fifth positions respectively.
Cornell University, the University of Michigan, the University of California, Berkeley, Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University completed the global top 10.
American universities dominated the global rankings, accounting for seven of the 10 leading positions. The United Kingdom was represented by the University of Oxford, while the University of Toronto emerged as Canada’s highest-ranked institution in 12th place globally.
Harvard’s continued position at the top was attributed to its strong performance across the web-based indicators measured by Webometrics, while Stanford retained its second-place ranking.
