Cape Town – The University of Cape Town is Africa’s top institution according to the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027.
The South African university climbs back into the global top 150 with a place at joint 147th, its best position in seven years.
In the rankings, South Africa is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa with universities ranking within the global top 200 and top 500
Three universities from Nigeria, two from Ghana and one from Uganda are in the 801-1 000 band.
Nigeria has added five universities to the rankings since last year, and South Africa has added four.
Ghana has five institutions in the rankings.
Malawi has a university ranked for the first time.
Ethiopia returns to the rankings, with Mekelle University joining the 1 201-1 400 band.
Nigeria is the best represented country in the region, with 29 institutions in the rankings.
A total of 69 universities from 16 countries in sub-Saharan Africa are in the rankings.
This is an improvement on last year’s exercise, which featured 55 universities from 14 countries or territories.
Albania also makes its debut in the latest ranking.
United Kingdom’s University of Oxford retains its position as world number one for the 11th consecutive year.
Record 2 297 institutions ranked overall, an increase of 106 on last year’s total.
At least 118 countries and territories were represented, three more than last year.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is the most comprehensive and balanced assessment of global research universities.
It is built on an analysis of almost 20 million research papers, close to one million votes in an Academic Reputation Survey, and detailed institutional data on more than 3 000 universities worldwide.
The rankings were launched at the World Academic Summit hosted by the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Top 10 universities in sub-Saharan Africa in the World University Rankings 2027
| Institution | Country/territory | Rank 2027 | Rank 2026 |
| University of Cape Town | South Africa | =147 | =164 |
| University of the Witwatersrand | South Africa | 301-325 | 301-350 |
| Stellenbosch University | South Africa | 326-350 | 301-350 |
| University of Johannesburg | South Africa | 351-375 | 351-400 |
| University of Pretoria | South Africa | 451-500 | 501-600 |
| University of KwaZulu-Natal | South Africa | 501-550 | 501-600 |
| University of the Western Cape | South Africa | 701-800 | 601-800 |
| Covenant University | Nigeria | 801-1,000 | 1,001-1,200 |
| Makerere University | Uganda | 801-1,000 | 801-1,000 |
| North-West University | South Africa | 801-1,000 | 801-1,000 |
| University of Cape Coast | Ghana | 801-1,000 | 801-1,000 |
| University of Ghana | Ghana | 801-1,000 | 1,001-1,200 |
| University of Ibadan | Nigeria | 801-1,000 | 801-1,000 |
| University of Lagos | Nigeria | 801-1,000 | 801-1,000 |
*Graphic credit: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 (https://apo-opa.co/4ynyH6V)
Overview
South Africa remains the region’s higher education leader. Its top-ranked institution is again the University of Cape Town, which has rejoined the global top 150 for the first time since the 2020 edition in joint 147th position.
South Africa has five universities in the world top 500. Its second highest ranked university is the University of the Witwatersrand in band 301-325.
The next highest ranking countries in sub-Saharan Africa are Nigeria, Uganda and Ghana, which join South Africa among the top 1 000 universities globally.
Nigeria’s joint leading university, Covenant University, has climbed back into the top 1,000 in band 801-1,000.
A total of 69 universities from 16 countries in sub-Saharan Africa feature in the rankings. This is an improvement over last year’s exercise, which featured 55 universities from 14 countries.
With 29 institutions in the rankings, Nigeria is the best represented country in the region. It has
three institutions in the top 1,000: the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos are also in the 801-1,000 band.
Ethiopia reappears in the rankings thanks to Mekelle University, which is in the 1,201-1,400 band.
Malawi makes its rankings debut with Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in the 1,201-1,400 band.
Phil Baty, THE’s chief global affairs officer, said: “Make no mistake: Africa is a growing force in the geopolitics of knowledge, and its universities are earning a growing presence on the world stage.
“The Times Higher Education World University Rankings measure what matters most to sector leaders, strategists and policymakers: research excellence and impact; the teaching environment; global academic standing; links with industry beyond the ivory towers; and international talent attraction, reach and influence. And they have a high entry threshold.
“Across the rankings, Africa is dramatically increasing its representation and is also displaying genuine global strength and standing.
“Africa south of the Sahara not only has a university back in the world top 150, it has more institutions represented on the global stage in the elite university rankings than ever before (69, up from 55), from more nations (16) than ever.”
Countries/territories represented in sub-Saharan Africa in the World University Rankings 2027
| Country/territory | No of universitiesranked | Top university | Rank 2027 |
| Nigeria | 29 | Covenant University | 801–1,000 |
| University of Ibadan | 801–1,000 | ||
| University of Lagos | 801–1,000 | ||
| South Africa | 17 | University of Cape Town | =147 |
| Ghana | 5 | University of Cape Coast | 801–1,000 |
| University of Ghana | 801–1,000 | ||
| Tanzania | 3 | Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences |
1,601–1,801 |
| Uganda | 2 | Makerere University | 801–1,000 |
| Botswana | 2 | University of Botswana | 1,201–1,400 |
| Kenya | 2 | University of Nairobi | 1,601–1,800 |
| Ethiopia | 1 | Mekelle University | 1,201–1,400 |
| Malawi | 1 | Kamuzu University of Health Sciences | 1,201–1,400 |
| Mauritius | 1 | University of Mauritius | 1,401–1,600 |
| Mozambique | 1 | Universidade Eduardo Mondlane | 1,401–1,600 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | University of Zimbabwe | 1,601–1,801 |
| Namibia | 1 | University of Namibia | 1,801–2,000 |
| Rwanda | 1 | University of Rwanda | 1,801–2,000 |
| Zambia | 1 | University of Zambia | 1,801–2,000 |
| Senegal | 1 | Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD) |
2,001+ |
*Graphic credit: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 (https://apo-opa.co/4ynyH6V)
Country highlights
South African flagship returns to global top 150
South Africa remains the region’s higher education leader. Its flagship is the University of Cape Town, which has returned to the global top 150 with its joint 147th position.
South Africa has five top 500 universities and eight in the top 1,000.
The University of Pretoria registers its highest showing yet, in the 451-500 band.
With 17 universities in the ranking, South Africa is the second most represented country in the region. It is behind only Nigeria, which boasts 29 universities in the table.
Nigeria shows up in numbers
Nigeria has 29 ranked universities, five more than it had last year. It is by far the best represented country in the region. South Africa has the second most, with 17 universities.
Nigeria has three institutions in the global top 1,000: Covenant University, the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos, which are all in the 801-1,000 band. The country also has four
universities in the 1,001-1,200 band.
Its new representatives include Osun State University, the University of Maiduguri, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Kwara State University and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
With its handful of universities, Ghana is the third best represented country in the region. Its five institutions are led by the University of Cape Coast and the University of Ghana, both of which sit among the 801-1 000 band.
Tanzania fields the next most universities, three, led by Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in the 1 601-1 800 band.
Botswana, Kenya and Uganda each have two representatives. The highest ranked of those is
Uganda’s Makerere University in the 801-1 000 band.
The highest-ranked institution in Kenya is the University of Nairobi, which sits in the 1 601-1 800 band.
Botswana’s leading representative is the University of Botswana, which occupies the 1 201-1 400 band.
New to the rankings this year is Malawi. Its Kamuzu University of Health Sciences has joined the 1 201-1 400 band of universities.
In that same band is another regional debutant, Mekelle University, which flies the flag for Ethiopia.
Top 10 universities overall in the World University Rankings 2027
| Institution | Country/territory | Rank 2027 | Rank 2026 |
| University of Oxford | United Kingdom | 1 | 1 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | United States | 2 | 2 |
| Princeton University | United States | =3 | =3 |
| Stanford University | United States | =3 | =5 |
| University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | 5 | =3 |
| Harvard University | United States | 6 | =5 |
| California Institute of Technology | United States | 7 | 7 |
| Imperial College London | United Kingdom | 8 | 8 |
| University of California, Berkeley | United States | =9 | 9 |
| Yale University | United States | =9 | 10 |
*Graphic credit: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 (https://apo-opa.co/4ynyH6V)
All ranked universities in sub-Saharan Africa in the World University Rankings 2027
| Institution | Country/territory | Rank 2027 | Rank 2026 |
| University of Cape Town | South Africa | =147 | =164 |
| University of the Witwatersrand | South Africa | 301-325 | 301-350 |
| Stellenbosch University | South Africa | 326-350 | 301-350 |
| University of Johannesburg | South Africa | 351-375 | 351-400 |
| University of Pretoria | South Africa | 451-500 | 501-600 |
| University of KwaZulu-Natal | South Africa | 501-550 | 501-600 |
| University of the Western Cape | South Africa | 701-800 | 601-800 |
| Covenant University | Nigeria | 801-1,000 | 1,001-1,200 |
| Makerere University | Uganda | 801-1,000 | 801-1,000 |
| North-West University | South Africa | 801-1,000 | 801-1,000 |
| University of Cape Coast | Ghana | 801-1,000 | 801-1,000 |
| University of Ghana | Ghana | 801-1,000 | 1,001-1,200 |
| University of Ibadan | Nigeria | 801-1,000 | 801-1,000 |
| University of Lagos | Nigeria | 801-1,000 | 801-1,000 |
| Ahmadu Bello University | Nigeria | 1,001-1,200 | 1,201-1,500 |
| Bayero University | Nigeria | 1,001-1,200 | 1,001-1,200 |
| Landmark University | Nigeria | 1,001-1,200 | 1,001-1,200 |
| University of Ilorin | Nigeria | 1,001-1,200 | 1,201-1,500 |
| Babcock University | Nigeria | 1,201-1,400 | 1,501+ |
| Durban University of Technology | South Africa | 1,201-1,400 | 1,501+ |
| Kamuzu University of Health Sciences | Malawi | 1,201-1,400 | NR |
| Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology |
Ghana | 1,201-1,400 | 1,201-1,500 |
| Mekelle University | Ethiopia | 1,201-1,400 | NR |
| Osun State University | Nigeria | 1,201-1,400 | NR |
| University of Botswana | Botswana | 1,201-1,400 | 1,001-1,200 |
| University of Nigeria Nsukka | Nigeria | 1,201-1,400 | 1,201-1,500 |
| University of South Africa | South Africa | 1,201-1,400 | 1,201-1,500 |
| University of the Free State | South Africa | 1,201-1,400 | 1,001-1,200 |
| Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) |
Botswana | 1,401-1,600 | 1,201-1,500 |
| Federal University of Technology, Minna | Nigeria | 1,401-1,600 | 1,201-1,500 |
| Nelson Mandela University | South Africa | 1,401-1,600 | 1,201-1,500 |
| Nnamdi Azikiwe University | Nigeria | 1,401-1,600 | 1,501+ |
| Obafemi Awolowo University | Nigeria | 1,401-1,600 | 1,501+ |
| Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University | South Africa | 1,401-1,600 | 1,201-1,500 |
| Universidade Eduardo Mondlane | Mozambique | 1,401-1,600 | 1,201-1,500 |
| University of Benin | Nigeria | 1,401-1,600 | 1,501+ |
| University of Jos | Nigeria | 1,401-1,600 | 1,201-1,500 |
| University of Maiduguri | Nigeria | 1,401-1,600 | NR |
| University of Mauritius | Mauritius | 1,401-1,600 | 1,201-1,500 |
| Federal University of Technology Akure | Nigeria | 1,601-1,800 | 1,501+ |
| Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) |
Uganda | 1,601-1,800 | NR |
| Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences |
Tanzania | 1,601-1,800 | 1,501+ |
| University for Development Studies | Ghana | 1,601-1,800 | 1,501+ |
| University of Nairobi | Kenya | 1,601-1,800 | 1,501+ |
| University of Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 1,601-1,800 | 1,501+ |
| Federal University of Technology, Owerri | Nigeria | 1,801-2,000 | 1,501+ |
| iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu | South Africa | 1,801-2,000 | NR |
| Kenyatta University | Kenya | 1,801-2,000 | 1,501+ |
| Ladoke Akintola University of Technology | Nigeria | 1,801-2,000 | 1,501+ |
| Lagos State University | Nigeria | 1,801-2,000 | 1,501+ |
| Olabisi Onabanjo University | Nigeria | 1,801-2,000 | NR |
| Tshwane University of Technology | South Africa | 1,801-2,000 | NR |
| University of Calabar | Nigeria | 1,801-2,000 | 1,501+ |
| University of Dar es Salaam | Tanzania | 1,801-2,000 | 1,501+ |
| University of Energy and Natural Resources | Ghana | 1,801-2,000 | NR |
| University of Namibia | Namibia | 1,801-2,000 | 1,501+ |
| University of Rwanda | Rwanda | 1,801-2,000 | 1,501+ |
| University of Venda | South Africa | 1,801-2,000 | NR |
| University of Zambia | Zambia | 1,801-2,000 | 1,501+ |
| Vaal University of Technology | South Africa | 1,801-2,000 | NR |
| Delta State University, Abraka | Nigeria | 2,001+ | 1,501+ |
| Ekiti State University | Nigeria | 2,001+ | 1,501+ |
| Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta | Nigeria | 2,001+ | 1,501+ |
| Federal University Oye-Ekiti | Nigeria | 2,001+ | 1,501+ |
| Kwara State University | Nigeria | 2,001+ | NR |
| Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike |
Nigeria | 2,001+ | NR |
| Sokoine University of Agriculture | Tanzania | 2,001+ | NR |
| Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD) |
Senegal | 2,001+ | 1,501+ |
| University of Port Harcourt | Nigeria | 2,001+ | 1,501+ |
*Graphic credit: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 (https://apo-opa.co/4ynyH6V)
World University Rankings 2027: global top 100
| Institution | Country/territory | Rank2027 | Rank2026 |
| University of Oxford | United Kingdom | 1 | 1 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | United States | 2 | 2 |
| Princeton University | United States | =3 | =3 |
| Stanford University | United States | =3 | =5 |
| University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | 5 | =3 |
| Harvard University | United States | 6 | =5 |
| California Institute of Technology | United States | 7 | 7 |
| Imperial College London | United Kingdom | 8 | 8 |
| University of California, Berkeley | United States | =9 | 9 |
| Yale University | United States | =9 | 10 |
| Tsinghua University | China | 11 | 12 |
| ETH Zurich | Switzerland | 12 | 11 |
| Peking University | China | 13 | 13 |
| University of Pennsylvania | United States | 14 | 14 |
| National University of Singapore | Singapore | 15 | 17 |
| The University of Chicago | United States | 16 | 15 |
| Johns Hopkins University | United States | =17 | 16 |
| UCL | United Kingdom | =17 | 22 |
| Columbia University | United States | 19 | 20 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | United States | 20 | =18 |
| Cornell University | United States | 21 | =18 |
| University of Toronto | Canada | 22 | 21 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | United States | 23 | 23 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | United States | 24 | 24 |
| Technical University of Munich | Germany | 25 | 27 |
| University of Washington | United States | 26 | 25 |
| The University of Tokyo | Japan | 27 | 26 |
| Nanyang Technological University, Singapore | Singapore | 28 | =31 |
| New York University (NYU) | United States | =29 | NR |
| Northwestern University | United States | =29 | 30 |
| University of Edinburgh | United Kingdom | =29 | 29 |
| Duke University | United States | 32 | 28 |
| University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 33 | 33 |
| University of Melbourne | Australia | =34 | 37 |
| Zhejiang University | China | =34 | 39 |
| École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Switzerland | 36 | 35 |
| University of California, San Diego | United States | 37 | 47 |
| Fudan University | China | 38 | 36 |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | China | 39 | 40 |
| King’s College London | United Kingdom | 40 | 38 |
| LMU Munich | Germany | 41 | 34 |
| The Chinese University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 42 | =41 |
| McGill University | Canada | 43 | =41 |
| University of British Columbia | Canada | 44 | 45 |
| KU Leuven | Belgium | =45 | 46 |
| Universität Heidelberg | Germany | =45 | 49 |
| London School of Economics and Political Science |
United Kingdom | 47 | 52 |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | United States | 48 | =41 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | United States | 49 | =41 |
| Delft University of Technology | Netherlands | 50 | 57 |
| The University of Sydney | Australia | =51 | =53 |
| University of Science and Technology of China | China | =51 | 51 |
| University of Texas at Austin | United States | =53 | 50 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | United States | =53 | =53 |
| Karolinska Institute | Sweden | 55 | =53 |
| Seoul National University | South Korea | 56 | =58 |
| Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris |
France | 57 | 48 |
| The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology |
Hong Kong | 58 | =58 |
| Nanjing University | China | 59 | =62 |
| University of Manchester | United Kingdom | 60 | 56 |
| Monash University | Australia | 61 | =58 |
| Kyoto University | Japan | =62 | 61 |
| University of Amsterdam | Netherlands | =62 | =62 |
| Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) |
South Korea | 64 | =70 |
| University of California, Davis | United States | 65 | 64 |
| Wageningen University & Research | Netherlands | =66 | 66 |
| Washington University in St Louis | United States | =66 | 67 |
| Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) | South Korea | 68 | 87 |
| Leiden University | Netherlands | 69 | =70 |
| City University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 70 | 73 |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | United States | =71 | 72 |
| University of Southern California | United States | =71 | =73 |
| Brown University | United States | =73 | 65 |
| The University of Queensland | Australia | =73 | =80 |
| Institut Polytechnique de Paris | France | =75 | =68 |
| UNSW Sydney | Australia | =75 | 79 |
| Australian National University | Australia | 77 | =73 |
| Université Paris-Saclay | France | 78 | =68 |
| The Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Hong Kong | 79 | 80 |
| Yonsei University (Seoul campus) | South Korea | 80 | 86 |
| University of Copenhagen | Denmark | 81 | 90 |
| University of Bristol | United Kingdom | 82 | =80 |
| University of Glasgow | United Kingdom | 83 | 84 |
| Purdue University West Lafayette | United States | 84 | 85 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | United States | 85 | 78 |
| Boston University | United States | 86 | =76 |
| University of Groningen | Netherlands | 87 | 82 |
| University of Minnesota | United States | 88 | 88 |
| University of Bonn | Germany | 89 | =92 |
| RWTH Aachen University | Germany | 90 | =92 |
| Humboldt University of Berlin | Germany | 91 | 89 |
| Vanderbilt University | United States | 92 | =92 |
| Michigan State University | United States | 93 | =105 |
| Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin | Germany | 94 | 91 |
| University of Vienna | Austria | 95 | =95 |
| Harbin Institute of Technology | China | 96 | =131 |
| Aarhus University | Denmark | =97 | 101 |
| Ohio State University (Main campus) | United States | =97 | =108 |
| University of Birmingham | United Kingdom | =97 | =98 |
| University of California, Irvine | United States | =97 | 97 |
*Graphic credit: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 (https://apo-opa.co/4ynyH6V)
Methodology
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings are the only global performance tables that judge research-intensive universities across all their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge
transfer and international outlook. We use 17 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons, trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and governments.
The performance indicators are grouped into five areas: Teaching (the learning environment);
Research environment (volume, income and reputation); Research quality (citation impact, research strength, research excellence and research influence); International outlook (staff, students and
research); and Industry (income and patents).
Teaching reputation is the highest weighted metric under teaching, and this is underpinned by our most recent Academic Reputation Survey (run annually by THE) carried out between November 2025 and February 2026.
New banding in this year’s edition of the ranking will provide more granularity and offer ranked.
universities greater insight into their performance. The ranking features individual ranks up to 300 – last year it was up to 200 – and then smaller bands moving down the table in groups of 25, then 50, 100 and 200.
There are 18 bands altogether, up from 11 last year, going from 301-325 down to 2 001+.
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