Released on 19 June 2025 by UK-based higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the 2026 edition of the rankings evaluated 1,501 institutions across 106 countries. Once again, Nigeria’s universities failed to break into the upper tiers of global academic performance, with only three universities making the cut at all—out of the country's 297 accredited universities.
Nigeria’s Limited Representation
The University of Ibadan (UI) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG) were both ranked in the 1001–1200 band, identical to their positions in the previous year’s rankings. Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, which had no listing in 2025, was included in the 1201–1400 range for 2026.
This limited presence—just three Nigerian universities on the list—underscores the challenges facing Nigeria’s higher education sector, including underfunding, infrastructural deficits, and declining global relevance in research and innovation.
Africa’s Wider Standing
Within Africa, Nigeria trails significantly behind countries such as Egypt, which had 20 institutions on the list, and South Africa with 11 universities. Other African nations like Tunisia (4), Ghana and Morocco (2 each), and Kenya, Libya, Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia (1 each) also had institutions included.
Notably, only two African universities made it into the global top 300:
- University of Cape Town, South Africa – 150th
- University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa – 291st
These results reflect a broader pattern of academic underperformance across much of Sub-Saharan Africa, but Nigeria’s absence from even the top 1000 remains particularly stark given its population size and economic influence.
Global Top 10: Familiar Names Dominate
At the pinnacle of global rankings, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States maintained its #1 position for the 13th straight year. The top 10 list was dominated by elite institutions from the US and UK, with appearances by universities from Switzerland and Singapore as well.
Top 10 QS World University Rankings 2026:
- MIT (US)
- Imperial College London (UK)
- Stanford University (US)
- University of Oxford (UK)
- Harvard University (US)
- University of Cambridge (UK)
- ETH Zurich (Switzerland)
- National University of Singapore (Singapore)
- University College London – UCL (UK)
- California Institute of Technology – Caltech (US)
How the Rankings Are Measured
The QS World University Rankings are based on a combination of metrics that assess academic and employer reputation, research output, faculty-student ratio, and internationalisation, among others. For 2026, the methodology was weighted as follows:
- Academic Reputation – 30%
- Citations per Faculty – 20%
- Employer Reputation – 15%
- Faculty/Student Ratio – 10%
- International Faculty Ratio – 5%
- International Student Ratio – 5%
- International Research Network – 5%
- Employment Outcomes – 5%
- Sustainability – 5%
These metrics reward institutions that not only excel academically but also demonstrate impact through employability, global engagement, and sustainable practices.
A Wake-Up Call for Nigerian Higher Education?
The absence of Nigerian universities from the top 1000 ranking for the third year in a row signals a persistent struggle to meet international benchmarks. It also highlights the urgent need for systemic reforms in funding, governance, research capacity, and global collaboration.
Without targeted policy action and increased investment in education, Nigeria’s universities risk further marginalisation in the global academic landscape—at a time when knowledge economies are becoming more crucial than ever.