10 Best Universities in Africa, According to Latest Ranking

• The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 ranked the University of Cape Town as Africa's top university at joint 147th globally
• South Africa dominated Africa's top 10, claiming seven of the ten spots on the 2027 list
• Morocco and Egypt also featured in the top 10, with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and Al-Azhar University making the cut

The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027 has placed the University of Cape Town (UCT) at the top of Africa's university standings, with the South African institution climbing to joint 147th in the world, up from joint 164th in the previous edition.

The 2027 edition assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories, making it the largest ranking exercise THE has conducted to date.

Institutions were measured across five areas: teaching, research, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook. The number of sub-Saharan African universities on the list rose from 55 to 69.

Top African universities in the 2027 rankings

South Africa accounts for seven of the ten highest-ranked African institutions. UCT, founded in 1829 and home to about 20,318 students, scored 62.4 overall.

The University of the Witwatersrand, commonly known as Wits, came in second among African universities at 301 to 325 globally, with a score of 53.4 to 54.8. Stellenbosch University followed at 326 to 350 globally, scoring 52.3 to 53.3.

The University of Johannesburg, formed in 2005 through a merger of three institutions, ranked 351 to 375, while the University of Pretoria placed 451 to 500.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal, which has links to more than 250 institutions worldwide, ranked 501 to 550. The University of the Western Cape rounded out South Africa's contingent at 701 to 800.

Morocco and Egypt also feature

Outside South Africa, Morocco's Mohammed VI Polytechnic University ranked 376 o 400 globally. Established in 2016 as part of a sustainability-focused urban development project, the university has a notably low student-to-staff ratio of 7:1 and a student population of 2,650.

Egypt placed two institutions in the top 10. The American University in Cairo, founded in 1919, ranked 701 to 800 globally with a score of 40.2 to 42.3. Al-Azhar University, one of the world's oldest universities with roots tracing back to 970 AD, ranked 801 to 1,000. Despite its historical origins, Al-Azhar only received formal university status in 1961 and now enrols 296,734 students, with international students making up 14% of its population.

Full list here:

1. University of Cape Town — South Africa (147th)

2. University of the Witwatersrand — South Africa (301–325)

3. Stellenbosch University — South Africa (326–350)

4. University of Johannesburg — South Africa (351–375)

5. Mohammed VI Polytechnic University — Morocco (376–400)

6. University of Pretoria — South Africa (451–500)

7. University of KwaZulu-Natal — South Africa (501–550)

8. American University in Cairo — Egypt (701–800)

9. University of the Western Cape — South Africa (701–800)

10. Al-Azhar University — Egypt (801–1,000)

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