University of Cape Town Tops Africa in Global Rankings

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 has positioned the University of Cape Town (UCT) as the leading university in Africa, climbing to joint 147th in the world, up from joint 164th in the previous ranking. This edition evaluated 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories, marking the largest ranking exercise conducted by THE.

UCT, established in 1829 and serving approximately 20,318 students, achieved an overall score of 62.4. The University of the Witwatersrand ranked second among African universities, falling within the 301 to 325 range globally with a score between 53.4 and 54.8.

Stellenbosch University followed, ranking 326 to 350 globally with a score of 52.3 to 53.3. Other notable rankings include the University of Johannesburg (351 to 375), University of Pretoria (451 to 500), and University of KwaZulu-Natal (501 to 550).

Outside South Africa, Morocco's Mohammed VI Polytechnic University ranked 376 to 400 globally. The rankings reflect a rise in sub-Saharan African universities on the list from 55 to 69.