DELSU Retains Position As Nigeria’s Best State University, Moves Up In 2026 Rankings

Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, has retained its position as the highest-ranked state university in Nigeria and improved its national ranking from 12th to 11th place in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Nigeria University Rankings, further cementing its status as one of the country’s leading institutions of higher learning.

The latest ranking released by Times Higher Education placed DELSU among the 24 Nigerian universities featured in the 2026 edition of the rankings, which assess institutions based on teaching quality, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.

The university was ranked in the 1501+ global category and emerged ahead of several state-owned institutions across the country, maintaining its position as Nigeria’s best-performing state university.

According to THE, Nigeria increased its representation in the rankings to 24 universities, three more than were featured in the previous edition, reflecting the growing competitiveness of the country’s higher education sector.

The ranking was jointly led by the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos, which occupied the number one position nationally and were placed in the 801–1000 global bracket. Bayero University, Covenant University, and Landmark University shared the third position in the national rankings.

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Other universities that featured prominently include Ahmadu Bello University, Federal University of Technology, Minna, University of Ilorin, University of Jos, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, which were jointly ranked sixth nationally.

Times Higher Education noted that the rankings were compiled using 18 performance indicators across five major areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.

The sustained performance of DELSU in the rankings is expected to further boost the institution’s reputation, attract greater academic collaboration, and strengthen its standing within Nigeria’s higher education landscape.