The University of Johannesburg has claimed the top position in the latest Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings, overtaking previous leader University of the Witwatersrand. The rankings, released in November 2024, assessed 171 institutions across the region and revealed South Africa’s continued dominance in higher education excellence.
Johannesburg’s rise to the summit comes from particularly strong performance in access and fairness metrics, alongside robust resources and finance indicators. The institution climbed from second place in the previous edition, demonstrating consistent improvement in key academic areas that evaluators consider crucial for modern universities.
South African institutions claimed four of the top 10 positions, including the first three spots. This concentration of excellence reflects decades of investment in higher education infrastructure and research capabilities that other regional countries are now working to match.
The University of Ghana has emerged as the highest-ranked West African institution, climbing to fifth place overall in the Sub-Saharan rankings. This achievement reinforces Ghana’s position as a regional education hub and validates ongoing efforts to strengthen research output and international collaboration.
Ghana’s flagship university maintained its QS World University Rankings position in the 851 to 900 global bracket for 2026, retaining its status as the best-ranked institution in Ghana and across the entire West African sub-region. The consistency suggests stable quality despite resource challenges facing many African universities.
Meanwhile, QS announced plans to launch a dedicated Sub-Saharan Africa ranking in February 2026, recognizing the region’s growing importance in global higher education. This new ranking will provide additional perspective on institutional performance beyond existing global and regional assessments.
The Times Higher Education rankings evaluate universities across multiple pillars, including teaching quality, research environment, knowledge transfer, and international outlook. African institutions have historically faced challenges in these metrics due to funding constraints and brain drain issues.
However, recent improvements signal changing dynamics. Several universities are investing heavily in research infrastructure and forming international partnerships that boost their global visibility. Tanzania’s Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences has consistently performed well, particularly in specialized health sciences rankings.
Education experts note that ranking methodologies sometimes disadvantage African institutions that prioritize different missions than Western universities. Community engagement and local development impact, for instance, receive less weight than international publications and citations in most global ranking systems.
Despite these limitations, rankings remain influential for attracting international students, securing research grants, and building institutional reputations. Universities across Sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly strategic about improving their performance in measured areas while maintaining focus on regional development needs.
The dominance of South African universities partly reflects the country’s relatively larger investment in higher education as a percentage of GDP. Other nations are working to close this gap, though economic constraints and competing priorities often limit rapid progress.
Looking ahead, the October 2025 release of the World University Rankings 2026 will provide updated global context for African institutions. Observers will watch closely to see whether recent continental investments translate into improved international standings.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
