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- Covenant University in Ota, Ogun State, topped Nigeria’s university rankings once again, securing a spot between 800-1000 globally
- Ahmadu Bello University and Landmark University followed closely behind Covenant University, ranking between 1001-1200 worldwide
- Despite the rise of Nigerian universities, global leaders like Oxford, MIT, and Harvard continued to dominate the THE 2025 Rankings
In the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, Covenant University in Ota, Ogun State, has once again proven itself as Nigeria's top university.
The private Christian institution, which continues to make its mark on the global stage, ranks between 800-1000 worldwide, with an impressive overall score range of 34.5-38.1.
Covenant University's academic performance is reflected in its diverse scores: teaching (23.1), research environment (25.0), research quality (51.0), industry impact (53.9), and international outlook (47.2).
These solid results secured its position as the best tertiary institution in Nigeria for the second consecutive year, outperforming other Nigerian universities in the rankings.
This news follows the success of 2024, when Covenant University also topped the national ranking, boasting a student population of 8,940 and a gender ratio of 37:63.
Ahmadu Bello University, Landmark rank high
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, the second-best Nigerian university, ranks between 1001-1200 worldwide.
ABU scored 40.9 for international outlook, 12.4 for research environment, 55.7 for research quality, 23.1 for teaching, and 19.8 for industry performance. Its overall score range sits at 30.7-34.4, placing it firmly in second place among Nigeria's top universities.
Following closely is Landmark University, another private university that shares the same global ranking of 1001-1200.
With a research quality score of 60.5, Landmark also secured an overall score range of 30.7-34.4, positioning itself as Nigeria's third-best university.
Other Nigerian universities in THE 2025 ranking
The University of Ibadan (UI) dropped one spot to fourth in Nigeria but remains competitive with an international outlook of 42.5 and research quality at 57.8.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) also maintains its position within the 1001-1200 range globally, coming in fifth in Nigeria, with strong scores in international outlook (42.4) and research quality (64.5).
Meanwhile, Bayero University, Kano, fell slightly to 1201-1500 globally, landing sixth in Nigeria, followed by the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) in seventh, Federal University of Technology, Minna in eighth, the University of Benin in ninth, and the University of Ilorin in tenth.
Other Universities are as follows:
11. University of Nigeria, Nsukka
12. Ekiti State University
13. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
14. Federal University of Technology, Owerri
15. Federal University of Oye-Ekiti
16. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
17. Lagos State University
18. Nnamdi Azikiwe University
19. Obafemi Awolowo University
20. University of Port Harcourt
21. Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto
22. Abia State University
Top global universities
The global rankings remain dominated by prestigious institutions like Oxford University, which holds the top spot, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, and Princeton University in the top five. Other notable names include Stanford University and the University of Cambridge.
In summary, while Covenant University continues to lead Nigeria’s academic charge, other institutions like ABU, Landmark, and UI are still competing fiercely on both national and international levels.
ASUU is worried about number of first-class graduates produced by private universities
Meanwhile, TheRadar previously reported that the president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed concern over what he described as the growing trend of first-class degrees being awarded by private universities across Nigeria.
Osodeke voiced these concerns during a ceremony held in honour of Professor Andy Egwunyenga, marking the conclusion of his tenure as Vice-Chancellor of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka.
