The Times Higher Education, THE, has released its world ranking of 1000 universities in the world for 2025, with no universities in the Southeast Nigeria making the list.
The THE comprehensive global ranking of universities, which is published annually, listed Nigerian’s Covenant University, CU, as the only university in the country among the 1000th universities in the world.
The Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria came second, displacing the University of Ibadan which occupied the position for the 2024 rankings.
According to the 2025 rankings, THE said it ranked more than 2,000 institutions from 115 countries and territories across the globe.
Globally, Oxford University holds on to the top spot for the ninth consecutive year. MIT rises to second place, overtaking Stanford, which drops to sixth, its lowest position since 2010.
According to THE, the ratings were done based on 18 carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across five areas. These include teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook.
Covenant, a private university, has consistently featured in the top 1,000 spot, since 2019.
From the released ranking, the number of Nigerian universities in the top 1,000 spots of the Times Higher Education (THE) world universities ranking has decreased for the third consecutive year.
In 2023, three universities –University of Ibadan (UI), University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Covenant University – were in the top 1,000 spots.
In the 2024 rankings last year, two Nigerian universities –Covenant University, Ogun State and the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, made the top 1,000 spot.
However, the downward trend continued and in the latest ranking for 2025, only one Nigerian university, Covenant University, made the ranking. Covenant University, CU, has consistently featured in the top 1,000 spots of the world ranking since 2019.
Among Nigerian universities, Covenant is followed by Ahmadu Bello University, ranked between 1001–1200. Other Nigerian universities ranked between 1001-1200 are Landmark University, University of Ibadan, and University of Lagos.
Bayero University, Federal University of Technology Akure, Federal University of Technology, Minna, University of Benin and the University of Ilorin are ranked in 1201–1500.
Methodology for the ranking
According to information on its website, THE said the rankings are based on the three main missions of university activity. These are research, teaching and impact.
THE stated that it used 18 “carefully calibrated performance indicators”. 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 makes up 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 makes up 4 per cent of the points,” it stated.
Full list of the world ranking:
Top 10 ranked universities globally
- University of Oxford
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Harvard University
- Princeton University
- University of Cambridge
- Stanford University
- California Institute of Technology
- University of California, Berkeley
- Imperial College London
- Yale University
Top 22 ranked Nigerian universities
- Covenant University
- Ahmadu Bello University
- Landmark University
- University of Ibadan
- University of Lagos
- Bayero University
- Federal University of Technology, Akure
- Federal University of Technology, Minna
- University of Benin
- University of Ilorin
- University of Nigeria, Nsukka
- Ekiti State University
- Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
- Federal University of Technology, Owerri
- Federal University of Oye-Ekiti
- Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
- Lagos State University
- Nnamdi Azikiwe University
- Obafemi Awolowo University
- University of Port Harcourt
- Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto
- Abia State University
Source: Channels TV