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The University of Cape Town (UCT) has retained its position as Africa's leading university, rising to joint 147th in the world in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027, up from joint 164th in the previous edition.
The 2027 rankings evaluated 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories, the most comprehensive assessment THE has conducted. Universities were judged on five pillars: teaching, research, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook. The number of sub-Saharan African universities featured in the rankings grew from 55 to 69 institutions.
Founded in 1829, UCT is home to roughly 20,318 students and achieved an overall score of 62.4. Seven of Africa's ten best-ranked universities are South African, underlining the country's continued dominance in continental higher education.
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The University of the Witwatersrand, widely known as Wits, came in second across Africa at 301 to 325 globally, scoring between 53.4 and 54.8. Stellenbosch University followed at 326 to 350 globally, with Johannesburg, Pretoria, KwaZulu-Natal, and the University of the Western Cape completing South Africa's representation in the continental top ten.
The University of Johannesburg, which was formed in 2005 through the merger of three institutions, ranked between 351 and 375 globally. The University of KwaZulu-Natal, which maintains partnerships with more than 250 institutions worldwide, placed 501 to 550.
Outside South Africa, Morocco's Mohammed VI Polytechnic University claimed fifth place on the continent, ranked 376 to 400 globally. The institution, established in 2016 as part of a sustainability-focused urban development initiative, has a student population of 2,650 and a student-to-staff ratio of 7:1.
Egypt contributed two universities to the continental top ten. The American University in Cairo, founded in 1919, ranked 701 to 800 globally with a score between 40.2 and 42.3. Al-Azhar University, whose origins stretch back to 970 AD, placed 801 to 1,000. Although Al-Azhar only received formal university status in 1961, it currently enrols 296,734 students, with international students accounting for 14% of that figure.
Full list of Africa's top 10 universities in the THE World University Rankings 2027:
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Jeffrey Owusu-Mensah (HOD Entertainment)
Jeffrey is the Head of the Entertainment Desk and a graduate of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) with over 15 years of experience in journalism. He started as a reporter with Ghana News Agency (GNA). He joined Primnewsghana.com in 2016 as an editor. He moved to YEN.com.gh in 2017 as an editor and has risen to his current position. You can contact him via e-mail: j.owusu-mensah@yen.com.gh
Source: Music
