The University of Lagos has broken into the top 500 of the QS World University Rankings for the first time in the institution's 65-year history, placing 487th globally and cementing its position as Nigeria's highest-ranked university.

The improvement — up from 601–650 last year — reflects a significant increase in research output, with UNILAG academics publishing 4,800 peer-reviewed papers in 2025 compared to 2,900 in 2023. International faculty now constitute 12% of the professoriate, up from 4% three years ago.