The University of Cape Town has been named Africa’s highest-ranked university in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027. It is ranked joint 147th globally, up from joint 164th in the previous edition. The rankings assessed 2,297 universities in 118 countries and territories, making it the largest ranking exercise so far. The University of Cape Town recorded an overall score of 62.4 and has about 20,318 students.
South Africa dominated Africa's top 10, claiming seven of the ten spots. The University of the Witwatersrand, or Wits, ranked second in Africa, placing between 301st and 325th globally, with a score in the 53.4–54.8 range. Stellenbosch University followed, ranked between 326th and 350th worldwide, with a score of 52.3–53.3. The University of Johannesburg placed between 351st and 375th globally.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 evaluated institutions in five areas: teaching, research, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook. The number of universities from sub-Saharan Africa included in the rankings increased from 55 to 69. South Africa leads Africa’s top 10, with the University of Pretoria ranked 451st to 500th, while the University of KwaZulu-Natal came in at 501st to 550th.
The University of the Western Cape was ranked between 701st and 800th. Morocco and Egypt also made the list, with Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University securing a global position between 376th and 400th. Established in 2016, it has 2,650 students and a student-to-staff ratio of 7:1.
Egypt had two universities among Africa’s top ten. The American University in Cairo, founded in 1919, ranked between 701st and 800th globally, with a score ranging from 40.2 to 42.3. Al-Azhar University, with origins dating back to 970 AD and formal university status in 1961, placed between 801st and 1,000th and enrolls 296,734 students, 14% of whom are international students.
The University of Cape Town, founded in 1829, has climbed the rankings, demonstrating its strong performance in higher education. The institution's improvement shows its commitment to academic excellence and research quality.
Key African universities' performance in the rankings highlights regional strengths and areas for improvement. The top 10 African universities are: University of Cape Town — South Africa (147th), University of the Witwatersrand — South Africa (301st–325th), Stellenbosch University — South Africa (326th–350th), University of Johannesburg — South Africa (351st–375th), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University — Morocco (376th–400th), University of Pretoria — South Africa (451st–500th), University of KwaZulu-Natal — South Africa (501st–550th), American University in Cairo — Egypt (701st–800th), University of the Western Cape — South Africa (701st–800th), and Al-Azhar University — Egypt (801st–1,000th).
Key points
- The University of Cape Town is Africa's top-ranked university in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027.
- South Africa dominates Africa's top 10 universities, with seven institutions in the top spots.
- The rankings evaluated institutions in five areas: teaching, research, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.
