Best universities in Africa 2025

Find the best universities in Africa using Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings data

October 1 2020
University of Cape Town campus

The best universities in Africa span 10 countries, from Uganda in the east to Nigeria in the west, Morocco in the north to South Africa at the southernmost tip of the continent, according to the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2021.

Two of South Africa’s universities feature in the top 250 of the worldwide rankings: the University of Cape Town is Africa’s top university, sitting at joint 155th position, while the University of the Witwatersrand is in the 201-250 bracket.


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Overall, Egypt and South Africa are the two best represented African countries in the ranking, with 21 and 10 universities each.

Egypt, Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa all have universities in the top 500 of the global ranking.

The ranking rates university performance using 13 indicators measuring teaching, research, research impact, innovation and international outlook. The full methodology can be found here.


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Top 3 universities in Africa 2021

1. University of Cape Town

The University of Cape Town’s campus is located at the foot of Table Mountain, offering spectacular views of Devil’s Peak and across the city.

The university was founded in 1829, making it the oldest university in the country and the second oldest in Africa, behind the University of Sierra Leone, which was established two years earlier.

The main campus contains many teaching faculties, the main library and some halls of residence. The middle and lower campuses are home to most of the student residences, sports facilities and some academic departments.

Academic departments are grouped into six faculties: Commerce, Engineering and the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Science and Law.

In addition, the university’s Graduate School of Business runs independently from the commerce faculty.

The university is committed to social change through its “transformation” projects, which tackle issues such as diversity, student opportunity and behaviour.

Some 18 per cent of the student body are international.

2. University of the Witwatersrand

The University of the Witwatersrand – or Wits University, as it is commonly known – is a public research university based in Johannesburg.

It was founded as a school of mining; the region is the most abundant with gold of any location worldwide.

The university grew significantly in the late 20th century, and the campus has been expanding with many new buildings.

That time was also a period of protest against apartheid policies, and the university campus was divided. Nonetheless, many prominent black leaders graduated from the university.

There are five campuses, with two joined by a walkway. The campuses are home to student residences (including female-only dorms), academic departments, the Origins Centre, Planetarium, theatres, museums and galleries.

Academic research and teaching are spread across five faculties: Commerce, Law and Management; Engineering and the Built Environment; Health Sciences; Science; and Humanities.

Through the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, the medical school trains more specialists than any other university in southern Africa.

The Disability Rights Unit is a flagship centre ensuring that higher education is accessible to disabled students, caregivers and others in need of special provisions.

3. Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University is located in South Africa’s Western Cape, 50km from Cape Town.

The university town maintains Dutch colonial architecture, and its streets host an array of cafés, boutiques and galleries.

The university boasts many achievements, among them that its staff and students designed Africa’s first microsatellite in 1999.

Teaching at the university is split over four campuses, with the main one in Stellenbosch and the others nearby.

Students can complete assignments and exams in both English and Afrikaans, even though the main language of instruction is Afrikaans. For postgraduate students, the language in classes is determined by the demographic of the class, and is usually English.

There are about 150 academic departments within 10 faculties, and many other research centres.

In addition to an extensive library system, the university has a conservatory with two concert halls, home of the Stellenbosch University Choir – the oldest South African choir.


Best universities in Africa 2021

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2021 results

World University Rank 2021  Africa Rank 2021 University Country City
 =155  1 University of Cape Town South Africa Cape Town
 201–250  2 University of the Witwatersrand South Africa Johannesburg
 251–300  3 Stellenbosch University South Africa Stellenbosch
 351–400  4 University of KwaZulu-Natal South Africa Durban
 401–500  =5 Aswan University Egypt Aswan
 401–500  =5 Durban University of Technology South Africa Durban
 401–500  =5 University of Ibadan Nigeria Ibadan
 401–500  =5 Makerere University Uganda Kampala
 401–500  =5 Mansoura University Egypt Dakahlia
 501–600  =10 Ferhat Abbas Sétif University 1 Algeria Setif
 501–600  =10 Lagos State University Nigeria Ojo, Ukeja and Epa
 501–600  =10 North-West University South Africa Potchefstroom, Mahikeng, Vanderbijlpark
 501–600  =10 Suez Canal University Egypt Ismailia
 601–800  =14 Cairo University Egypt Cairo
 601–800  =14 University of Johannesburg South Africa Johannesburg
 601–800  =14 Kafrelsheikh University Egypt Kafr el-Sheikh
 601–800  =14 University of Lagos Nigeria Lagos
 601–800  =14 University of Nairobi Kenya Nairobi
 601–800  =14 University of Pretoria South Africa Pretoria
 601–800  =14 University of the Western Cape South Africa Cape Town
 801–1000  =21 American University in Cairo Egypt Cairo
 801–1000  =21 Benha University Egypt Benha
 801–1000  =21 Beni-Suef University Egypt Beni Suef
 801–1000  =21 Covenant University Nigeria Ota
 801–1000  =21 University of Oran 1 Algeria Oran
 801–1000  =21 Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University Morocco Fez
 801–1000  =21 Sohag University Egypt Sohag
 1001+  =27 Ain Shams University Egypt Cairo
 1001+  =27 Al-Azhar University Egypt Cairo
 1001+  =27 Alexandria University Egypt Alexandria
 1001+  =27 Assiut University Egypt Assiut
 1001+  =27 University of Béjaïa Algeria Béjaïa
 1001+  =27 University of Biskra Algeria Biskra
 1001+  =27 Blida 1 University  Algeria Blida
 1001+  =27 University of Botswana Botswana Gaborone
 1001+  =27 University of Carthage Tunisia Tunis
 1001+  =27 University of Constantine 1 Algeria Constantine
 1001+  =27 Fayoum University Egypt Faiyoum
 1001+  =27 University of Ghana Ghana Accra
 1001+  =27 Université Hassan II de Casablanca Morocco Casablanca
 1001+  =27 Helwan University Egypt Ain Helwan
 1001+  =27 Ibn Tofaïl University Morocco Kenitra
 1001+  =27 University of Manouba Tunisia Manouba
 1001+  =27 University of Marrakech Cadi Ayyad Morocco Marrakech
 1001+  =27 Menoufia University Egypt Menoufia
 1001+  =27 M'Hamed Bougara University of Boumerdès Algeria  Boumerdès
 1001+  =27 Minia University Egypt Minya
 1001+  =27 Mohammed V University of Rabat Morocco Rabat
 1001+  =27 University of Monastir Tunisia Monastir
 1001+  =27 University of Nigeria Nsukka Nigeria Ive-Ife
 1001+  =27 Obafemi Awolowo University Nigeria Ife-Ife
 1001+  =27 Port Said University Egypt Port Said
 1001+  =27 University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene Algeria Bab-Ezzouar
 1001+  =27 University of Science and Technology of Oran Mohamed-Boudiaf Algeria Bir El Djir
 1001+  =27 University of Sfax Tunisia Sfax
 1001+  =27 University of Sousse Tunisia Sousse
 1001+  =27 University of South Africa South Africa Pretoria
 1001+  =27 South Valley University Egypt Quena
 1001+  =27 Tanta University Egypt Tanta
 1001+  =27 University of Tlemcen Algeria Tlemcen
 1001+  =27 Tshwane University of Technology South Africa Pretoria
 1001+  =27 University of Tunis El Manar Tunisia Tunis
 1001+  =27 Zagazig University Egypt Zagazig

Read more: Best universities in the world

 

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