Location of South Africa

Rankings of universities in South Africa are largely based on international university rankings, since there are no South African rankings as of yet.

These international university rankings indicate that South Africa's university system is the strongest on the continent: it is home to five of the six highest ranked African universities,[1] including the two campuses consistently ranked as academically strongest in Africa, University of Cape Town[2] and University of the Witwatersrand.

Highly cited international university rankings

In part because of the inherent difficulty of ranking complex educational institutions, there are an expanding number of competing international university ranking schemes, each with a different emphasis. Four of the most prominent are the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (most widely accepted), The Centre for World University rankings (CWUR),QS World University Rankings, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU, sometimes referred to as the "Shanghai Rankings").

Times Higher Education World University rankings


The Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked the top South African universities as follows:[3]

202320212020
SA RankWorld RankSA RankWorld RankSA RankWorld RankUniversity
116011551136University of Cape Town
2=251-3002201-2502194University of the Witwatersrand
2=251-3003251–2503251–300Stellenbosch University
4401-5004351-4004401-500University of KwaZulu-Natal
5501-6005401–500Durban University of Technology
6=601-7006501–6005501–600North-West University
6=601-8007=601–8006601-800University of Johannesburg
6=601-8007=601-8008601-800University of the Western Cape
9=801-10007=601–8007601–800University of Pretoria
9=801-1000Rhodes University
9=801-1000University of the Free State
121001-120010=1001+101000+University of South Africa
13=1201-150010=1001+9801-1000Tshwane University of Technology
13=1201-1500University of Fort Hare
13=1201-1500University of Venda

QS World University rankings

The 2021-22 edition of the QS World University Rankings ranked the top South African universities as follows:

SA rankWorld rankUniversity
1226[4]University of Cape Town
2424[5]University of the Witwatersrand
3434[6]University of Johannesburg
4482Stellenbosch University
5601-650University of Pretoria
=6801-1000Rhodes University
=6801–1000University of KwaZulu-Natal
=81001–2000North-West University
=81001–2000University of the Western Cape

Previous years' world rankings are as follows (before 2010 the ranking was known as the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings):

SA rankUniversity200620072008200920102015
1 University of Cape Town257200176146161æ141
2 University of the Witwatersrand322282319321360318
3 Stellenbosch University—————390
4 University of Pretoria509469501–600401–500451–500471-480
5 University of KwaZulu-Natal484487401–500501–600501–550501-550

ARWU/Shanghai

The Academic Ranking of World Universities has ranked the top South African universities as follows:

SA rankUniversity 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014[7] 2013[8] 2012[9] 2010[10] 2009[11] 2008[12] 2007[13] 2006[14] 2005[15] 2004[16] 2003[17]
1 University of Cape Town 201-300 201-300 301-400 201-300 201-300201–300201–300201–300201–300201–302201–302203–304201–300203–300202–301251–300
2 University of the Witwatersrand 201-300 301-400 201-300 201-300 201-300201–300301–400301–400301–400303–401303–401305–402301–400301–400302–403451–500
3 Stellenbosch University 401-500 401-500 401-500 401-500 401-500401–500401–500401–500401–500402–501402–503403–510401–500401–500404–502451–500
4 University of KwaZulu-Natal 401-500 — 401-500 401-500 401-500401–500——————————
5 University of Pretoria 401-500 401-500 — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
6 University of Johannesburg — — 401-500 — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Note: These are the only ranked South African universities.

Center for World University Rankings (CWUR)

The CWUR ranked the top South African Universities as follows:[18][19]

2018-19 SA RankUniversity2018-192015
1University of Cape Town223248
2University of the Witwatersrand230149
3University of KwaZulu-Natal402401
4University of Pretoria438678
5Stellenbosch University448500
6University of Johannesburg790-
7North-West University964-

International Rankings for Additional Context

University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP)

URAP, which is a newer ranking scheme based solely on quantitative measures of academic productivity, includes data for a larger number of global universities, and thus gives an alternative view of the relative standing of more South African institutions. The 2020-2021 edition of URAP ranked the top South African Universities as follows:[20]

SA RankWorld RankUniversity
1237University of Cape Town
2335University of the Witwatersrand
3362University of KwaZulu-Natal
4388Stellenbosch University
5458University of Pretoria
6603University of Johannesburg
7653North-West University
8883University of the Western Cape
9937University of the Free State
101007Rhodes University
111086University of South Africa
121379Tshwane University of Technology
131420Durban University of Technology
141446Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
152131University of Limpopo
162132Cape Peninsula University of Technology
172362University of Fort Hare
182397University of Venda
192591Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
202764University of Zululand
212911Vaal University of Technology

Business-oriented rankings

Several international rankings schemes focus on the placement of graduates in business settings.

Times Higher Education Alma Mater Index

This is another THE ranking which aims to measure the real world success of a university's alumni by ranking Universities according to the number of their graduates that are currently CEOs of Fortune Global 500 companies. The global number one for 2017 is by a considerable margin, Harvard University. The only African University that appears on the Global top 100 is the University of the Witwatersrand. The 2017 South African rankings are as follows:[21]

SA RankWorld RankUniversity
254University of the Witwatersrand

Tredence-Emerging Global Employability University Ranking

This is a global ranking of universities by the perceived quality of their graduates by top employers around the world. The only African university in the top 150 is the University of the Witwatersrand. The 2013 ranking is as follows:[22]

SA RankWorld RankUniversity
1139University of the Witwatersrand

Bloomberg Billionaire Ranking

This ranks universities according to their popularity among US based billionaires. The only ranked South African university is the University of the Witwatersrand. The 2014 ranking is as follows:[23]

SA RankWorld RankUniversity
18University of the Witwatersrand

Additional context on South African higher educational institutions

2010 Centre for Higher Education Transformation report

A 2010 report by Centre for Higher Education Transformation identified 3 different university clusters in South Africa, grouped according to function. The input variables used to group universities were:

  • Percentage of headcount enrolment in science, engineering and technology
  • Masters and doctoral enrolments
  • Student to staff ratios
  • Permanent staff with doctoral degrees
  • Private and government income
  • Student fee income

The output variables were:

  • Student success rates
  • Graduation rates
  • Weighted research output units per permanent staff member

The Red cluster constitutes the top research-intensive universities. The Blue cluster consists of institutions focused primarily on technical training, while the Green cluster includes institutions which show characteristics of both missions. The clusters are:[24]

Red Cluster Green Cluster Blue Cluster
University of the Witwatersrand University of the Free State Vaal University of Technology
Stellenbosch University University of KwaZulu-Natal Central University of Technology
University of Cape Town North-West University Durban University of Technology
University of Pretoria University of Fort Hare Mangosuthu University of Technology
Rhodes University University of Limpopo Tshwane University of Technology
University of the Western Cape Cape Peninsula University of Technology
University of Johannesburg University of Venda
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Walter Sisulu University
University of Zululand

References

  1. ↑ "URAP – University Ranking by Academic Performance". urapcenter.org. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "World Rankings – Africa 2013-14". University Ranings. Times Higher Education. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  3. ↑ "World University Rankings". Times Higher Education (THE). 20 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "University of Cape Town". Top Universities. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  5. ↑ "University of Witwatersrand". Top Universities. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "University of Johannesburg". Top Universities. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  7. ↑ "South Africa Universities in Top 500 – 2014". Academic Ranking of World Universities. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "South Africa Universities in Top 500 – 2013". Academic Ranking of World Universities. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "South Africa Universities in Top 500 – 2010". Academic Ranking of World Universities. Archived from the original on 17 August 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  10. ↑ "South Africa Universities in Top 500 – 2010". Academic Ranking of World Universities. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  11. ↑ "South Africa Universities in Top 500 – 2009". Academic Ranking of World Universities. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  12. ↑ "South Africa Universities in Top 500 – 2008". Academic Ranking of World Universities. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  13. ↑ "South Africa Universities in Top 500 – 2007". Academic Ranking of World Universities. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  14. ↑ "South Africa Universities in Top 500 – 2006". Academic Ranking of World Universities. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  15. ↑ "South Africa Universities in Top 500 – 2005". Academic Ranking of World Universities. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  16. ↑ "ARWU 2004". Academic Ranking of World Universities. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  17. ↑ "ARWU 2003". Academic Ranking of World Universities. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  18. ↑ "CWUR 2018-2019 Top Universities in the World". cwur.org. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  19. ↑ "CWUR 2015 Top Universities in the World". cwur.org. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  20. ↑ "URAP – University Ranking by Academic Performance". Top Universities. Informatics Institute of Middle East Technical University. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  21. ↑ "THE Alma Mater Index:Global Executives 2013". University Rankings. Times Higher Education. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  22. ↑ "Global Employability University Ranking 2013". University Ranings. Emerging. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  23. ↑ "Bloomberg Best (and Worst)". University Rankings. Bloomberg. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  24. ↑ McGregor, Karen (23 May 2010). "SOUTH AFRICA: New university clusters emerge". University World News. Retrieved 11 June 2010.

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See also

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