Best universities in Africa 2024

Top 10 universities in Africa 2024

Scroll down for the full list of best universities in Africa and a breakdown of the top four

Africa Rank 2024	World University Rank 2024	World University Rank 2023	University	country
1	167	160	University of Cape Town	South Africa
=2	301–350	251–300	Stellenbosch University	South Africa
=2	301–350	251–300	University of the Witwatersrand	South Africa
4	401–500	601–800	University of Johannesburg	South Africa
=5	501–600	401–500	University of KwaZulu-Natal	South Africa
=5	501–600	801–1000	University of Pretoria	South Africa
=7	601–800	351–400	University of Cape Coast	Ghana
=7	601–800	NR	Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST)	Egypt
=7	601–800	601–800	North-West University	South Africa
=7	601–800	601–800	University of the Western Cape	South Africa

The best universities in Africa span 16 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 2024.

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Overall, Egypt and Algeria are the two best represented African countries in the ranking, with 28 and 15 universities each. While the top 10 is dominated by universities in South Africa, 12 South African universities are represented in the full ranking. 

Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa all have universities in the top 1,000 of the global ranking.

The ranking rates university performance using 18 indicators measuring teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry. The full methodology can be found here.

Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings

It’s important to note that we also produce a separate Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings, which aim to shine a spotlight on the higher education institutions in this African region and to address local higher education challenges. 

The difference between the World University Rankings and the Sub-Saharan Africa Rankings is that the World University Rankings provide an insight into highly research-intensive universities across the world. They are ideal for students who are interested in postgraduate careers in academia. 

Meanwhile, the Sub-Saharan Africa Rankings are focused more specifically on the quality of teaching and the strengths of the universities across Sub-Saharan Africa. This ranking has been designed to take aspects of both Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals into consideration. 

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. 

You can see the full Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings here or the top 10 universities in the table below.

SSA 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

 

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Top 4 universities in Africa 2024

4. University of Johannesburg

The University of Johannesburg (UJ), situated in South Africa, is renowned for its dedication to diversity and forward-thinking approach. It excels in various academic fields, emphasises critical thinking and collaboration, and offers a wide range of programmes across eight faculties.

As a research institution, UJ addresses various challenges, from early childhood development to cutting-edge technologies. It fosters personal and academic growth through sports, arts and culture.

UJ’s diverse community, with members from more than 50 countries, benefits from global collaborations. The university is dedicated to inclusion and seeks to be a premier African institution promoting respect and innovation.

The University of Johannesburg also takes the second place position in the Sub-Saharan Africa Rankings. 

=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.,

Wits University also takes the first place position in the Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings. 

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=2. 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.

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

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.

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. Some 18 per cent of the student body are international.

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.

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Best universities in Africa 2024

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2024 results

Africa Rank 2024	World University Rank 2024	World University Rank 2023	University	country
1	167	160	University of Cape Town	South Africa
=2	301–350	251–300	Stellenbosch University	South Africa
=2	301–350	251–300	University of the Witwatersrand	South Africa
4	401–500	601–800	University of Johannesburg	South Africa
=5	501–600	401–500	University of KwaZulu-Natal	South Africa
=5	501–600	801–1000	University of Pretoria	South Africa
=7	601–800	351–400	University of Cape Coast	Ghana
=7	601–800	NR	Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST)	Egypt
=7	601–800	601–800	North-West University	South Africa
=7	601–800	601–800	University of the Western Cape	South Africa
=11	801–1000	801–1000	Al-Azhar University	Egypt
=11	801–1000	801–1000	Alexandria University	Egypt
=11	801–1000	801–1000	American University in Cairo	Egypt
=11	801–1000	401–500	Aswan University	Egypt
=11	801–1000	801–1000	Cairo University	Egypt
=11	801–1000	601–800	Covenant University	Nigeria
=11	801–1000	501–600	Damietta University	Egypt
=11	801–1000	801–1000	University of the Free State	South Africa
=11	801–1000	401–500	University of Ibadan	Nigeria
=11	801–1000	501–600	Kafrelsheikh University	Egypt
=11	801–1000	801–1000	Makerere University	Uganda
=11	801–1000	601–800	Mansoura University	Egypt
=11	801–1000	1201–1500	University of Tunis El Manar	Tunisia
=11	801–1000	801–1000	Zagazig University	Egypt
=25	1001–1200	1001–1200	Ain Shams University	Egypt
=25	1001–1200	601–800	Benha University	Egypt
=25	1001–1200	801–1000	Beni-Suef University	Egypt
=25	1001–1200	NR	Université Djillali Liabès de Sidi Bel-Abbès	Algeria
=25	1001–1200	501–600	Durban University of Technology	South Africa
=25	1001–1200	601–800	Fayoum University	Egypt
=25	1001–1200	1001–1200	Federal University of Technology Akure	Nigeria
=25	1001–1200	1001–1200	University of Ghana	Ghana
=25	1001–1200	501–600	Jimma University	Ethiopia
=25	1001–1200	1001–1200	Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology	Ghana
=25	1001–1200	401–500	University of Lagos	Nigeria
=25	1001–1200	601–800	Minia University	Egypt
=25	1001–1200	401–500	Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences	Tanzania
=25	1001–1200	NR	Nile University	Egypt
=25	1001–1200	1201–1500	University of Sfax	Tunisia
=25	1001–1200	1001–1200	Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University	Morocco
=25	1001–1200	1001–1200	University of South Africa	South Africa
=25	1001–1200	NR	Suez University	Egypt
=25	1001–1200	801–1000	Suez Canal University	Egypt
=25	1001–1200	801–1000	Tanta University	Egypt
=25	1001–1200	801–1000	Zewail City of Science and Technology	Egypt
=46	1201–1500	1201–1500	Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport	Egypt
=46	1201–1500	1001–1200	Assiut University	Egypt
=46	1201–1500	1001–1200	Bayero University	Nigeria
=46	1201–1500	1001–1200	University of Botswana	Botswana
=46	1201–1500	NR	Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST)	Botswana
=46	1201–1500	1201–1500	The British University in Egypt	Egypt
=46	1201–1500	1201–1500	University of Carthage	Tunisia
=46	1201–1500	601–800	Universidade Eduardo Mondlane	Mozambique
=46	1201–1500	401–500	Ferhat Abbas Sétif University 1	Algeria
=46	1201–1500	1201–1500	Université Hassan II de Casablanca	Morocco
=46	1201–1500	1201–1500	Helwan University	Egypt
=46	1201–1500	1001–1200	Ibn Tofaïl University	Morocco
=46	1201–1500	1201–1500	University of Ilorin	Nigeria
=46	1201–1500	1001–1200	University of Manouba	Tunisia
=46	1201–1500	1001–1200	University of Marrakech Cadi Ayyad	Morocco
=46	1201–1500	1001–1200	University of Mauritius	Mauritius
=46	1201–1500	1201–1500	Mohammed V University of Rabat	Morocco
=46	1201–1500	1201–1500	University of Monastir	Tunisia
=46	1201–1500	601–800	University of Nairobi	Kenya
=46	1201–1500	601–800	University of Namibia	Namibia
=46	1201–1500	1201–1500	University of Nigeria Nsukka	Nigeria
=46	1201–1500	1001–1200	Port Said University	Egypt
=46	1201–1500	NR	Université de Skikda	Algeria
=46	1201–1500	1001–1200	Sohag University	Egypt
=46	1201–1500	1201–1500	University of Sousse	Tunisia
=46	1201–1500	1001–1200	South Valley University	Egypt
=46	1201–1500	1501+	University of Tunis	Tunisia
=46	1201–1500	1201–1500	University of Venda	South Africa
=46	1201–1500	501–600	University of Zambia	Zambia
=46	1201–1500	1001–1200	University of Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe
=76	1501+	1201–1500	Université 8 Mai 1945 Guelma	Algeria
=76	1501+	NR	University Abdelhamid Ibn Badis Mostaganem	Algeria
=76	1501+	1201–1500	Abdelmalek Essaâdi University	Morocco
=76	1501+	1501+	University of Abou Bekr Belkaïd Tlemcen	Algeria
=76	1501+	NR	Afe Babalola University	Nigeria
=76	1501+	1501+	Badji Mokhtar University – Annaba	Algeria
=76	1501+	NR	University of Batna 2	Algeria
=76	1501+	1501+	University of Béjaïa	Algeria
=76	1501+	1201–1500	University of Benin	Nigeria
=76	1501+	1501+	University of Biskra	Algeria
=76	1501+	1501+	Blida 1 University	Algeria
=76	1501+	1201–1500	Université Chouaïb Doukkali	Morocco
=76	1501+	1501+	University of Dar es Salaam	Tanzania
=76	1501+	NR	University for Development Studies	Ghana
=76	1501+	1501+	Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta	Nigeria
=76	1501+	1501+	Université Frères Mentouri Constantine 1	Algeria
=76	1501+	1201–1500	Université de Gabès	Tunisia
=76	1501+	1201–1500	German University in Cairo	Egypt
=76	1501+	1501+	Université Hassan 1er	Morocco
=76	1501+	NR	Hassiba Benbouali University of Chlef	Algeria
=76	1501+	NR	University of Jijel	Algeria
=76	1501+	NR	Université Kasdi Merbah Ouargla	Algeria
=76	1501+	1501+	Ladoke Akintola University of Technology	Nigeria
=76	1501+	NR	University of Laghouat	Algeria
=76	1501+	NR	Lagos State University	Nigeria
=76	1501+	NR	University of Mascara	Algeria
=76	1501+	1501+	M’Hamed Bougara University of Boumerdès	Algeria
=76	1501+	1501+	University Mohamed Boudiaf of M’Sila	Algeria
=76	1501+	NR	Université Mohammed Premier	Morocco
=76	1501+	NR	Moulay Ismail University	Morocco
=76	1501+	1501+	Université Mouloud Mammeri de Tizi-Ouzou	Algeria
=76	1501+	1501+	Nnamdi Azikiwe University	Nigeria
=76	1501+	1201–1500	Obafemi Awolowo University	Nigeria
=76	1501+	1201–1500	Oran 1 University	Algeria
=76	1501+	NR	University of Port Harcourt	Nigeria
=76	1501+	NR	University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene	Algeria
=76	1501+	1501+	University of Science and Technology of Oran Mohamed-Boudiaf	Algeria
=76	1501+	NR	Université Sultan Moulay Slimane	Morocco