In the latest ranking for 2025, Covenant University emerged as the only Nigerian university to make the top 1,000 spots of the Times Higher Education (THE) world universities ranking. The private institution has consistently featured in the top 1,000 spots since 2019.
REPORTERS AT LARGE recalls that in the 2024 rankings last year, two Nigerian universities—Covenant University, Ogun State, and the University of Ibadan—made the top 1,000 spots. In 2023, three universities—the University of Ibadan (UI), the University of Lagos (UNILAG), and Covenant University—were in the top 1,000 spots.
Top universities in Nigeria
Among Nigerian universities, Covenant is followed by Ahmadu Bello University, ranked between 1001 and 1200. Other Nigerian universities ranked between 1001 and 1200 are Landmark University, the University of Ibadan, and the University of Lagos.
Bayero University, the Federal University of Technology Akure, the Federal University of Technology Minna, the University of Benin, and the University of Ilorin are ranked in 1201–1500.
On the global stage, Oxford University has maintained its number-one spot for about a decade. “The institution’s performance has been bolstered by significant improvements in its income from industry and the number of patents that cite its research, as well as its teaching scores,” THE said in a statement announcing the rankings.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States (US), moved one step to emerge second as Harvard University, US, emerged third. MIT was in third place in the previous ranking.
Stanford University, however, fell from second place in the previous ranking to sixth place in the latest ranking, its lowest position since 2010.
THE website said that the rankings are based on the three main missions of university activity: research, teaching, and impact.
In calculating, THE said it used 18 “carefully calibrated performance indicators.” It added that the indicators are grouped into five areas: Teaching (the learning environment); Research environment (volume, income and reputation); Research quality (citation impact, research strength, research excellence and research influence); International outlook (staff, students and research); and Industry (income and patents).
The quality of research takes 30 per cent of the points, and the research environment makes 29 per cent. Teaching takes 29.5 per cent, and international outlook takes 7.5 per cent. Meanwhile, a university’s ability to help industry with innovations, inventions, and consultancy takes 4 percent of the points.
