Africa’s top universities are steadily strengthening their global standing, carving out a more visible presence in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026.

Trusted worldwide by students, academics, and policymakers, the rankings assess over 2,100 institutions across 115 countries, evaluating their performance across teaching, research, industry impact, and international outlook.

While the latest rankings reveal stagnation in parts of Asia and a continuing decline in U.S. performance, Africa’s best-performing universities, particularly in South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco, continue to make incremental gains. Nigeria is, however, conspicuously missing from the list.

South Africa leads the continent, boasting seven of the top eleven African universities in the rankings.

At the top is the University of Cape Town (UCT), a global institution with over 5,000 academic and professional staff and 29,000 students from more than 100 countries.

UCT’s six faculties, Commerce, Engineering & the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law, and Science, collectively produce about 7,200 graduates every year.

Next is Stellenbosch University, which began humbly in 1918 with four faculties, Arts, Science, Education, and Agriculture, 503 students, and 40 lecturers.

Today, it has grown into a vibrant institution with 32,225 students and 3,400 staff across five campuses and ten faculties, solidifying its reputation as one of Africa’s foremost hubs of research and innovation.

Best universities in Africa (2026)

Rank Name Country Overall Score Teaching Research Environment Research Quality Industry International Outlook

1 =164 University of Cape Town South Africa 60.8 39 47 88 85 78

2 301–350 Stellenbosch University South Africa 51.6–54.2 35 41 76 92 59

3 301–350 University of the Witwatersrand South Africa 51.6–54.2 35 43 71 92 74

4 351–400 Mohammed VI Polytechnic University Morocco 49.9–51.5 35 35 73 56 73

5 351–400 University of Johannesburg South Africa 49.9–51.5 30 38 70 81 82

6 501–600 University of KwaZulu-Natal South Africa 43.6–46.1 31 38 62 49 55

7 501–600 University of Pretoria South Africa 43.6–46.1 32 35 58 61 65

8 601–800 American University in Cairo Egypt 39.0–43.5 30 26 54 34 72

9 601–800 Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) Egypt 39.0–43.5 31 27 65 41 53

10 601–800 Kafrelsheikh University Egypt 39.0–43.5 29 10 77 22 53

11 601–800 University of the Western Cape South Africa 39.0–43.5 23 25 68 24 62

Table: Adekunle Agbetiloye (Business Insider Africa)