Education
10 AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES FEATURED AMONG TOP IN 2027 GLOBAL RANKING
The University of Cape Town has emerged as the highest-ranked university in sub-Saharan Africa in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Ran...
By Patience
The latest edition covers 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories, making it the largest edition of the global ranking so far.
South Africa accounts for most of the institutions occupying the leading positions in Africa, while Morocco and Egypt also have universities represented in the continental top 10.
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN LEADS AFRICAN INSTITUTIONS
The University of Cape Town ranks joint 147th globally, moving up from joint 164th in the previous edition.
The South African university is therefore the highest-ranked institution in sub-Saharan Africa in the 2027 ranking.
TOP 10 AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES
The institutions occupying the leading positions in the African list are:
1. University of Cape Town — South Africa
Global position: Joint 147th
2. University of the Witwatersrand — South Africa
Global position: 301–325
3. Stellenbosch University — South Africa
Global position: 326–350
4. University of Johannesburg — South Africa
Global position: 351–375
5. Mohammed VI Polytechnic University — Morocco
Global position: 376–400
6. University of Pretoria — South Africa
Global position: 451–500
7. University of KwaZulu-Natal — South Africa
Global position: 501–550
8. American University in Cairo — Egypt
Global position: 701–800
9. University of the Western Cape — South Africa
Global position: 701–800
10. Al-Azhar University — Egypt
Global position: 801–1,000
SOUTH AFRICA DOMINATES THE LIST
Seven of the 10 universities on the African list are from South Africa, while Egypt has two institutions and Morocco has one.
The broader 2027 ranking also shows increased representation from sub-Saharan Africa. The number of universities from the region included in the ranking rose from 55 in the previous edition to 69. Nigeria has the highest number of ranked universities in sub-Saharan Africa, with 29 institutions included.
HOW THE UNIVERSITIES WERE ASSESSED
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings evaluate universities using measures covering areas including teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement and international outlook.
The 2027 edition introduced more detailed ranking bands, allowing universities outside the very top positions to be grouped within ranges rather than assigned individual numerical positions.