Ajayi Crowther University (ACU), Oyo, has achieved two significant milestones, cementing its position as a rising force in Nigerian tertiary education.
The university recorded its highest-ever global position in the July 2026 Webometrics ranking, leaping from 12,536th to 6,215th place among over 32,000 universities worldwide. In Nigeria, ACU surged from 114th to 61st position, while climbing from 520th to 317th across Africa.
The remarkable ascent, marking a recovery from a post-2021 decline, was driven by strong metrics including a 2,866th global ranking in Impact Rank for high-influence research and 2,231st in Excellence Rank for top-tier academic performance. The university improved by over 6,300 positions from July 2025 when it stood at 13,810th globally.
In a related development, the Council of Legal Education has approved a doubling of ACUโs law programme admission quota from 50 to 100 students for the 2026/2027 academic session. The decision, announced at the Councilโs Third Quarter Hybrid Meeting chaired by Chief Emeka Ngige, OFR, SAN, places ACU among eight institutions granted upward quota reviews.
Reacting to both achievements, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ebunoluwa Oduwole, described them as a testament to collective hard work by all stakeholders.
She hailed the significant leap in ranking as evidence of renewed focus on global visibility, research output, and academic excellence.
Speaking on the quota increase, the Vice-Chancellor described the expansion as timely, adding that it aligns with her 10-point agenda for academic excellence and student welfare.
She thanked the Council of Legal Education for the confidence, promising that ACU would maintain standards across all programmes.
Prof. Oduwole also praised the university governing council led by Dr. Olutoyin Okeowo and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, for steering the affairs of the university in the right direction. She equally thanked all academic and non-teaching staff, urging them not to rest on their laurels.
The dual achievements come as Prof. Oduwole prepares to mark her first year of transformational leadership at the university, with stakeholders expressing optimism about ACUโs continued upward trajectory.
