UI leads Nigerian universities in latest QS Global University Rankings

..as Egypt, South Africa lead other African countries

The University of Ibadan (UI) leads two other Nigerian universities in the 2026 QS World University Rankings released recently by a global higher education analyst.

In the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, the University of Ibadan (UI), University of Lagos (UNILAG), and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria are the only three Nigerian universities listed.

The University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos were both placed in the 1001–1200 band, the same range they occupied in the 2025 edition, while the Ahmadu Bello University was ranked in the 1201–1400 category for 2026.

No Nigerian university has ranked among the top 1,000 in the QS World University Rankings for three consecutive years.

Quacquarelli Symonds, the UK-based firm, compiles the QS World University Rankings annually to evaluate universities based on eight indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio, international student ratio, international research network, employment outcomes, and sustainability.

Read also: Here are world’s top 10 universities in QS Global Ranking 2025

Despite their historical prestige and high graduate output, Nigerian universities continue to underperform in key areas such as research impact, global collaboration, and employability, factors that significantly influence global rankings.

However, across Africa, Egypt tops the continent with 20 universities on the 2026 list, followed by South Africa with 11, and Tunisia with four. Ghana and Morocco had two each, while Kenya, Libya, Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia had one university listed, respectively.
Remarkably, South Africa is the only African country with universities listed in the global top 300.

The University of Cape Town ranked 150th, while the University of the Witwatersrand placed 291st.

Read also: Top 10 Nigerian universities in Times Higher Education 2025 rankings

Global top 10 of QS World University Rankings 2026;
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA); Imperial College London (UK); Stanford University (USA); and University of Oxford (UK).

Others include Harvard University (USA); University of Cambridge (UK); ETH Zurich (Switzerland); National University of Singapore (Singapore); University College London (UK); and California Institute of Technology (USA).

These leading institutions consistently excel in research output, academic reputation, international engagement, and graduate employability.