Best Universities in South Africa according to the World’s most important Rankings


Wednesday, 07 October 2020

Earning a degree at university brings about many benefits to anyone because it opens up better opportunities for career options and higher earning potential. Choosing where to study is a tough decision because it includes many aspects you should take into consideration. Here is a list of the top 10 universities in South Africa to help you decide which one is best one for you.



Even though rankings are measured objectively and that you should also choose a university depending on other aspects as well, the quality of the education is one of the most important factors to consider because it is your future that is at stake and you should prepare for it in the best way possible.

What should you take into account to choose a University?


Universities are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Among those indicators are included: 
  • Research and academic achievements.
  • Education excellence.
  • Student satisfaction.
  • Graduate employability.
  • Global and regional research reputation.
  • Publications.
  • Books.
  • Conferences.
  • Total citations.
  • International collaboration.
  • Number of publications that are among the 10% most cited.
  • Number of highly cited papers that are among the top 1% most cited in their respective field.

The following universities were rated constantly among the top 10 universities in South Africa across different rankings.

10. University of the Free State

The UFS is a research-led, student-centred and regionally-engaged university that contributes to development and social justice through the production of globally competitive graduates and knowledge. They are continuously generating new knowledge through essential and captivating projects. 

9. North West University

The North West University is committed to functioning as a unitary, integrated, multi-campus university that enables equity, redress and globally competitive teaching and research across all three of their campuses. Their core activities, teaching-learning and research, are intertwined with community engagement and innovation in their eight faculties, most of which serve both distance and contact students. 

8. University of the Western Cape

The University of the Western Cape is committed to excellence in teaching, learning and research, to nurturing the cultural diversity of South Africa, and to responding in critical and creative ways to the needs of a society in transition. The University earned its best scores for citations per faculty member and percentage of international faculty members. 

7. Rhodes University

Rhodes University climbed 14 places to rank 124th in the best rankings this year. Since its inception, its main objective has been to provide students with all the tools they need in order to make sure they are prepared for the future workforce.

6. University of KwaZulu-Natal

The University of KwaZulu-Natal is academically excellent, innovative in research, entrepreneurial, and critically engaged with society. Innovative curricula, dynamic teaching and learning, state-of-the-art laboratories and accredited professional degrees have earned UKZN the reputation as a leading higher education institution on the African continent. 

5. University of Johannesburg

UJ students have access to a world-class environment for sport, art and culture and are guided through experience programmes to develop both personal and academic skills. As UJ alumni, they then go on to become game changers in their chosen careers.

4. Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University (SU) has been ranked as the 4th university in South Africa and as 301th globally. The University’s vision is to be an inclusive, innovative, and future focused institution.

3. University of Pretoria

UP earned top-20 scores for two of the rankings’ indicators: employer reputation and international faculty. It offers more than 1,800 programs in Afrikaans and English, and operates seven campuses as well as other sites such as the Pretoria Academic Hospital.

2. University of the Witwatersrand

According to the rankings, Wits is among the top 500 universities in the world in 15 subject areas. According to the latest Global Employability Survey and Ranking, directors and recruiters consider Wits graduates to be the most employable in South Africa.

1. University of Cape Town

South Africa’s oldest university, established in 1829, the University of Cape Town (UCT) has maintained a proud tradition of academic excellence, which today sees it ranked first in the whole continent. Not only has it been ranked among the best universities in Africa, but also in the world, with an astonishing number 268th best university globally.




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