The 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) rankings evaluated universities based on five key areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry income, and international outlook. These assessments were made using 18 meticulously calibrated performance indicators to measure the overall effectiveness of each institution.
These include analysis of over 134 million citations from 16.5 million research publications, along with survey responses from over 68,000 scholars globally.
Commenting on the data, THE noted, "In total, we gathered 411,789 data points from over 2,673 institutions that submitted information," highlighting the thoroughness of the evaluation process.
Top 10 ranked Nigerian universities
- Covenant University
- University of Ibadan
- Federal University of Technology (FUTA)
- University of Lagos (UNILAG)
- Bayero University
- University of Ilorin
- University of Nigeria, Nsukka
- Afe Babalola University
- University of Benin
- Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
Furthermore, it’s important to let you know that only one Nigeria university ranked among top 1000 best universities in the world. Covenant University ranked in the 801-1000 range globally, retaining its position as the top-ranked Nigerian university for the second consecutive year.
Followed by the University of Ibadan (UI), the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), the University of Lagos, and Bayero University as the top 5 on the list.
Top 10 globally ranked universities
- University of Oxford, United Kingdom (UK)
- Stanford University, United States (US)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States (US)
- Harvard University, United States (US)
- University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (UK)
- Princeton University, United States (US)
- California Institution of Technology (CIT), United States (US)
- Imperial College London (ICL), United Kingdom (UK)
- University of California, Berkeley, United States (US)
- Yale University, United States (US).
Here’s the highlight of key universities and global trends based on the 2024 Times Higher Education World Rankings.
| Rank | University | Country | Key Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Oxford | United Kingdom | Topped global rankings for the 8th consecutive year. |
| 2 | Stanford University | United States | Rose to 2nd place, ranked first in teaching. |
| 3 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | United States | Climbed to 3rd, ranked first in research quality. |
| 4 | Harvard University | United States | Dropped to 4th place. |
| 5 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | Slipped from joint 3rd to 5th, led in research environment with Oxford. |
| 301-350 | Catholic University of the Sacred Heart | Italy | Made its debut in this range. |
| - | University of Sharjah | United Arab Emirates | Excelled in international outlook. |
| - | 28 institutions | Global | Achieved a perfect score in industry connections. |
| - | US (169 institutions, 56 in top 200) | United States | Led with the highest number of institutions overall. |
| - | India (91 institutions) | India | Surpassed China as the fourth most-represented country. |
| - | Four new European entrants | Europe | Entered the rankings for the first time, contrasting with last year’s African trend. |
