List of 10 Best Universities in Africa in Latest Times University Rankings

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries, its largest exercise to dateUniversity of Cape Town climbed to joint 147th in the world, leading all African institutions in the new editionSouth Africa dominated the continent's top 10, with seven universities featuring alongside institutions from Morocco and EgyptPAY ATTENTION: Mark YEN.com.gh as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has retained its position as Africa's leading university, rising to joint 147th in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027, up from joint 164th in the previous edition.

Times Higher Education releases list of10 best universities in Africa in latest ranking Source: FacebookThe 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.

25 St. Louis SHS old students graduate as doctors after 6 years at KSMD

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.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow YEN's WhatsApp channel for a daily dose of breaking news on the go!

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.

University of Ghana makes major strides in THE World University Rankings 2027

Full list of Africa's top 10 universities in the THE World University Rankings 2027:

No Ghanaian university, including the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and the University of Cape Coast, made the top 10 list.

Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!

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