South Africa's universities in the THE World University Rankings 2027: UCT leads Africa again

The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027 came out at the end of September, and it's a good year to be a South African university. The University of Cape Town is the best-ranked university on the continent, and South African universities hold six of the top seven places in Africa.

THE ranked 2,297 universities from 118 countries and territories this year, so simply being on the list puts a university in good company. South Africa has 17 universities on it.

Here's who made it, what the numbers actually mean, and how much weight you should give them when you're choosing where to study.

UCT ranked 147th in the world

The University of Cape Town is ranked =147th in the world, up from =164th last year. That puts UCT back in the global top 150, and comfortably ahead of every other university in Africa.

UCT's strongest area is research quality, where it scored 88.4 out of 100. In plain terms, that score looks at how often other researchers around the world use and cite UCT's work. It's a sign that what's being studied in Cape Town is being read and built on far beyond South Africa.

South Africa takes six of Africa's top seven spots

After UCT, the next three universities in Africa are also South African:

• Wits University at 301–325
• Stellenbosch University at 326–350
• University of Johannesburg at 351–375

Morocco's University Mohammed VI Polytechnic comes in at 376–400. Then it's back to South Africa, with the University of Pretoria at 451–500 and the University of KwaZulu-Natal at 501–550.

For a country of our size, that's a remarkable result.

Full list: every South African university in the THE rankings 2027

Source: THE World University Rankings 2027. 2026 positions as reported by Education Today and LaLady Media House.

Who moved up?

A few universities had a particularly good year.

• UCT climbed from =164 to =147, its best showing in years.
• The University of Pretoria jumped from the 501–600 band into 451–500. That's a meaningful step, and it moves UP into the world's top 500.
• Wits and the University of Johannesburg both moved into tighter, higher bands. Wits went from 301–350 to 301–325, and UJ from 351–400 to 351–375.
• UKZN also moved up into a tighter band, from 501–600 to 501–550.

Africa as a whole is showing up more, too. According to Education Today, 69 universities from 16 sub-Saharan African countries are ranked this year, up from 55 universities in 14 countries last year.

What's each university good at?

THE scores every university on five things. Here's what they mean, without the jargon:

1. Teaching: the learning environment, including things like how many staff there are per student and how many PhDs a university awards.
2. Research environment: how much research a university does, how much funding it attracts, and its reputation for research.
3. Research quality: how much other researchers use and cite its work.
4. Industry: how much money it earns from working with businesses, and how often its research turns into patents.
5. International outlook: how many international students and staff it has, and how much it works with researchers in other countries.

Some South African universities shine in specific areas, even when their overall rank is lower:

• Wits scored 92.8 for industry, higher than any other university in our top four. If you're interested in engineering, mining or business, that link to the working world matters.
• Stellenbosch wasn't far behind on industry, with 90.9.
• UJ scored 80.2 for international outlook, the highest of the eight South African universities in the top 1,000. That reflects a lot of international students, staff and research partnerships.
• UWC scored 69.6 for research quality, which is higher than its overall band would suggest.

Should rankings decide where you study?

No, but they're worth knowing about.

Rankings mostly measure research. That's useful, because universities that do great research often attract strong lecturers and good facilities. But a ranking can't tell you:

• whether the university offers the course you want
• whether you meet the entry requirements
• whether you can afford it, or get NSFAS funding there
• what it's like to live and study there
• how good a single department is

A university ranked 1201–1400 might have exactly the qualification you need, close to home, at a cost you can manage. That can be a far better choice than a "higher" university that doesn't fit your life.

It's also worth remembering that universities of technology like DUT, TUT and VUT focus on practical, career-focused qualifications. Research rankings aren't really built to measure what they do best.

What to do next

If you're thinking about any of these universities, start here:

1. Look up the university on our institutions page to see campuses, qualification types and contact details.
2. Check the course, not just the university. Look at the faculty's own pages for entry requirements.
3. Work out how you'll pay before you apply. Our Fund section explains how NSFAS works.
4. Not sure what to study yet? Browse careers first, then work backwards to the right university.

Congratulations to every South African university on the list this year. Being counted among the best in the world is something to be proud of!