Universities across sub-Saharan Africa have expanded their presence in the global higher education landscape, with 69 institutions from 16 countries included in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027.
The latest edition represents an increase from 55 universities across 14 countries or territories in the previous ranking, highlighting the growing number of African institutions participating in one of the world’s major assessments of research-intensive universities.
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The University of Cape Town leads the region, returning to the global top 150 at joint 147th place. Its position marks its highest ranking in seven years and an improvement from joint 164th in the 2026 edition.
South Africa continues to have the largest concentration of highly ranked universities in the region. The country has 17 institutions in the 2027 rankings, including five universities in the global top 500 and eight in the top 1,000.
The University of the Witwatersrand is ranked in the 301–325 band, followed by Stellenbosch University in the 326–350 band and the University of Johannesburg in the 351–375 band. The University of Pretoria is placed in the 451–500 band, its highest showing in the ranking, while the University of KwaZulu-Natal is in the 501–550 band.
Nigeria has the largest number of ranked institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, with 29 universities included, five more than in the previous edition. Covenant University, the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos are all placed in the 801–1,000 band.
The expansion also includes new and returning representation from several African countries. Ethiopia returns to the rankings through Mekelle University, which is placed in the 1,201–1,400 band. Malawi makes its debut with Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in the same band.
Ghana has five ranked universities, led by the University of Cape Coast and the University of Ghana, both positioned in the 801–1,000 band. Uganda has two institutions, with Makerere University also in the 801–1,000 band.
Tanzania has three ranked universities, while Botswana and Kenya each have two. Mauritius, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Rwanda, Zambia and Senegal are among the other countries represented.
The broader African presence comes as the 2027 global ranking itself reaches a record 2,297 institutions across 118 countries and territories. The ranking is based on 17 performance indicators covering teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry engagement.
According to Times Higher Education Chief Global Affairs Officer Phil Baty, the increased African representation reflects the continent’s expanding participation in global higher education.
“Make no mistake: Africa is a growing force in the geopolitics of knowledge,” Baty said, adding that African universities are gaining a stronger presence on the international stage.
The ranking was launched during the World Academic Summit hosted by the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Globally, the University of Oxford retained first place for the 11th consecutive year. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked second, while Princeton University and Stanford University shared third place.
For African universities, the 2027 edition provides a snapshot of a higher education sector with a wider institutional footprint and increasing representation across countries. The results also place greater visibility on universities contributing to research, teaching, knowledge transfer and international academic networks across the continent.