Adekunle Ajasin University World Ranking 2026
Explore Adekunle Ajasin University’s Webometrics world ranking history from 2015 to 2026. Nigeria’s most decorated state university, AAUA has been named the best state-owned university in Nigeria multiple times across successive Webometrics ranking cycles, with a confirmed world rank of 3,023 in 2023 and continued improvement through 2025 and 2026.
Adekunle Ajasin University Webometrics Ranking History (2018 – 2026)
| Edition | Year | Webometrics World Rank | Nigeria Rank | Africa Rank | Impact Rank | Openness Rank | Excellence Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2015 | 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 2018 | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 2019 | 2019 | 3048 | 9 | 81 | — | — | — |
| Jul 2020 | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 2021 | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 2022 | 2022 | 2753 | 13 | 99 | — | — | — |
| Jul 2022 | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 2023 | 2023 | — | 13 | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 2023 | 2023 | 3023 | 13 | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 2024 | 2024 | — | 13 | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 2024 | 2024 | — | ~14 | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 2025 | 2025 | — | ~14 | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 2025 | 2025 | — | ~13 | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 2026 | 2026 | ~4501 | ~13 | — | — | — | — |
Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) is a public state university owned and operated by the government of Ondo State, Nigeria. The institution traces its origins to March 1982, when the government of the old Ondo State — led by the late Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin — established it as Obafemi Awolowo University. A succession of name and location changes followed over the years: it became Ondo State University in 1985, relocated from Ado-Ekiti to its current home in Akungba Akoko in December 1999 following the creation of Ondo State in 1996, and was finally renamed Adekunle Ajasin University in 2004 to immortalise its founding governor. The amended statute giving it its present identity was signed into law by Governor Olusegun Agagu in November 2007. Today, AAUA is organised into eight faculties — Law, Agriculture, Social Sciences, Management Sciences, Environmental Design and Management, Education, Arts, and Science — with a student population of over 20,000.
In the July 2019 Webometrics edition, Adekunle Ajasin University ranked 9th in Nigeria, 81st in Africa, and 3,048th globally — placing it as the best state-owned university in Nigeria at the time, a distinction it has now earned on no fewer than six occasions across multiple ranking cycles. In a particularly notable performance, AAUA climbed to 2,753rd globally, 13th in Nigeria, and 99th in Africa — its highest confirmed world rank to date. In the July 2023 Webometrics ranking, AAUA was ranked 13th in Nigeria with a world rank of 3,023, maintaining its position as the leading state university in the country. In the January 2023 Webometrics edition, AAUA emerged as the second best state university and 13th best university in Nigeria overall, sitting just behind LAUTECH among state-owned institutions.
EduRank places Adekunle Ajasin University at 30th in Nigeria and 4,501st globally in its 2025 rating, with 4,343 academic publications and 29,503 citations attributed to the university. Its strongest subject performances include Economics (26th in Nigeria, 2,252nd in the world), Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (27th in Nigeria), Environmental Science (32nd in Nigeria, 2,996th in the world), and Biology (32nd in Nigeria). These figures reflect a comprehensive and diverse research profile that spans the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, medicine, and the humanities — a breadth unusual among state-owned institutions and a key reason for AAUA’s sustained dominance among its peers in Nigerian state university rankings.
For prospective students and research collaborators, Adekunle Ajasin University’s track record in global rankings — spanning more than a decade of consistent top-15 placements in Nigeria and six confirmed “Best State University” designations — establishes it as the gold standard of state university education in Nigeria. Its location in the scenic community of Akungba Akoko, combined with its expanding research output and long history of academic excellence, continues to attract students, scholars, and institutional partners from across West Africa and beyond.
FAQ – Adekunle Ajasin University Ranking 2026
What is Adekunle Ajasin University’s World Ranking in 2026? Based on EduRank data and Webometrics ranking trends, Adekunle Ajasin University holds an estimated world rank of approximately 4,501 in the 2025–2026 rating cycle, continuing its long-standing presence among Nigeria’s top 15 universities globally.
What is AAUA’s rank in Nigeria in 2026? Based on confirmed Webometrics data and recent ranking cycles, Adekunle Ajasin University is estimated to rank approximately 13th among universities in Nigeria in 2026, a position it has consistently occupied since at least 2022 and one that firmly establishes it among the country’s leading institutions.
Is Adekunle Ajasin University the best state university in Nigeria? Yes, and by some distance. AAUA has been named the best state-owned university in Nigeria on at least six separate occasions across multiple Webometrics ranking cycles — including in 2014, 2019, and 2022 — making it the most consistently decorated state university in the country’s ranking history.
When was Adekunle Ajasin University founded? Adekunle Ajasin University was originally established in March 1982 as Obafemi Awolowo University by the government of the old Ondo State under Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin. It was renamed Ondo State University in 1985, relocated to Akungba Akoko in December 1999, and officially renamed Adekunle Ajasin University in 2004, with the current statute signed into law in November 2007.
What is Adekunle Ajasin University’s ranking in Africa? At its peak, AAUA ranked 81st in Africa in the July 2019 Webometrics edition and 99th in Africa in the January 2022 edition — placing it among the top 100 universities on the continent at those points. Its consistent top-13 Nigeria rank positions it within the competitive upper tier of West African universities across successive ranking cycles.
What is AAUA’s research output in Webometrics 2026? According to EduRank data, Adekunle Ajasin University has 4,343 academic publications and 29,503 citations, with strongest performances in Economics (2,252nd in the world), Environmental Science (2,996th in the world), Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (3,325th in the world), and Biology (3,235th in the world) — a research footprint that rivals many federal universities in Nigeria.
Why is Adekunle Ajasin University consistently ranked as Nigeria’s best state university? AAUA’s sustained dominance among state universities stems from a combination of strong academic leadership, consistent investment in research output and open-access publishing, a diverse multi-faculty structure spanning eight disciplines, and a deeply embedded culture of institutional excellence that dates back to its founding in 1982. Its six “Best State University” designations across Webometrics cycles are a reflection of a university that has consistently prioritised academic quality over institutional age or size.
Find more: