The Times Higher Education (THE) ranking of universities in sub -Saharan Africa, has rated universities in South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda higher than many Nigerian institutions.
- The University of the Witwatersrand takes first place in the first-ever Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings.
- The top five is made up of universities from South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.
- While South Africa has the most institutions in the top 10 (four), Nigeria is the most-represented nation overall, with 37 ranked institutions.
A new report by Times Higher Education has ranked the top
universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The new ranking aims to spotlight African
higher education institutions and address local higher education challenges.
The 2023 rankings were officially announced at the
organisation’s first forum in the region, which took place in partnership with
Ashesi University in June 2023. According to the report, the list is led by
South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand. The University of Johannesburg,
and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania came in
second and third, respectively.
Despite South Africa having the most institutions in the top
10 (four), Nigeria is the most-represented nation overall, with 37 ranked
institutions, led by Covenant University in seventh place. The ranking includes
88 institutions from 20 countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Mauritius,
Kenya and Mozambique.
Insights from the report showed that about two-thirds of
participating universities are public institutions; a quarter are private,
not-for-profit organisations; and about a tenth are private, for-profit
organisations.
The ranking was put together with a hybrid methodology
covering teaching, impact and research elements. The methodology is made up of
five key pillars: resources and finance; access and fairness; teaching skills;
student engagement, and Africa impact.
A key part of the data collection was a survey of more than
20,000 students from 88 institutions. Students were asked a range of questions,
including how challenged they felt by the teaching at the university, how much
it supported critical thinking and the opportunities they had to interact with
staff and peers.
Top five universities in Sub-Saharan Africa according to
Times Higher Education 2023 ranking
1. University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
The University of the Witwatersrand, commonly known as
“Wits”, is located in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The university has five faculties encompassing the sciences;
commerce, law and management; engineering; health sciences; and humanities.
Famous alumni include Nelson Mandela, who studied law there
and became president of South Africa and the 1993 Nobel Laureate for peace;
novelist Nadine Gordimer (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1991); Aaron Klug (Nobel
Prize in Chemistry, 1982) and Sydney Brenner (Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine, 2002).
2. University of Johannesburg, South Africa
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is the second South
African university to feature in the top five of the SSA ranking.
The university has four campuses, each with its own unique
identity and history.
UJ has eight colleges and faculties – business and
economics; art, design and architecture; education; engineering and the built
environment; health sciences; humanities; law and science. There is also the
Johannesburg Business School.
3. Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences,
Tanzania
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences is a
public university in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The university focuses on teaching and research in medicine,
dentistry, public health, nursing and allied health.
The university has two campuses, one in Upanga West, in the
coastal city of Dar es Salaam, and another 31km west of Muhimbili Hospital,
which has a 571-bed teaching hospital.
4. University of Pretoria, South Africa
The University of Pretoria was founded in 1908 with just
four professors and 32 students. It has now expanded to become one of the
largest research universities in South Africa.
There are nine faculties encompassing economics and
management sciences; education; engineering, built environment and information
technology; health sciences; humanities; law; natural and agricultural
sciences; theology and religion and veterinary science. There is also the
Gordon Institute of Business.
5. Makerere University, Uganda
Makerere University was established in 1922 and is the
oldest university in Uganda.
It began as a technical school offering courses in
carpentry, building and mechanics and has since expanded to offer courses in
agricultural sciences, business and management sciences, computing and
information sciences, education, engineering, design art, health sciences,
humanities and social sciences, natural sciences and law.
The university is spread over three campuses in the
country’s capital, Kampala.
| SSA University Rank 2023 | University | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of the Witwatersrand | South Africa |
| 2 | University of Johannesburg | South Africa |
| 3 | Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences | Tanzania |
| 4 | University of Pretoria | South Africa |
| 5 | Makerere University | Uganda |
| 6 | University of the Western Cape | South Africa |
| 7 | Covenant University | Nigeria |
| 8 | UGHE – University of Global Health Equity | Rwanda |
| 9 | Ashesi University | Ghana |
| 10 | Ardhi University | Tanzania |