The best universities in the African continent span 10 countries in the region.
Overall, Egypt and South Africa are the two best represented African countries in the ranking, with 19 and nine universities each.
But South Africa is the only country with a university in the top 500.
The ranking rates university performance using 13 different indicators measuring teaching, research, research impact, innovation and international outlook.
Top Five Universities in Africa 2019
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.
The university was founded in 1829, making it the oldest university in the country and the second oldest in Africa, after the University of Sierra Leone which was founded two years earlier.
The main campus contains many teaching faculties, the main library and some halls of residence, and 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: the built environment, health sciences, commerce, engineering, humanities, science and law.
In addition, the university’s graduate business school runs independently from the commerce faculty.
2. University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, commonly called Wits University, is a public research university in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The university was founded as a school of mining. It grew significantly in the late 20th century and the campus expanding with many new buildings.
There are five campuses, with two joined by a walkway. The campuses are home to student residences, including female-only dorms, and academic departments.
Academic research and teaching is spread across five faculties: commerce, engineering and the built environment, health sciences, law and management, science and humanities.
Through the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, the medical school trains more specialists than any other university in southern Africa.
3. Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is located in South Africa’s western cape, not very far from the country’s capital.
Among the university’s many achievements, it designed Africa’s first microsatellite in 1999.
Teaching at the university is split between four campuses, with the main one in Stellenbosch and the others nearby.
Students can write 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 around 150 academic departments within 10 faculties, and many other research centres.
4. University of KwaZulu-Natal
The University of Kwazulu-Natal is the youngest among the top five. It was formed from a merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville in 2004.
The university consists of four colleges spread across five campuses in the KwaZulu-Natal region.
The college of agriculture, engineering and science teaches all science subjects except for clinical and health studies, and the college of humanities teaches across arts, social sciences and humanities. The college of health sciences contains the medical school, and the college of law and management studies provides courses in law, business and management.
4. Makerere University
Mekerere University Kampala (MUK) is the largest university in Uganda. It was established as a technical school in 1922 and has since become one of the most prestigious universities in Africa.
The university is made up of nine colleges and one school, serving around 36,000 undergraduates and 4,000 postgraduates.
Many East African politicians have attended the MUK, including the presidents of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Kenya.
The university was also a centre for literary activity and culture that formed a nationalistic identity in independent Uganda.
Academic colleges function as faculties, spanning natural sciences, business and management, health sciences, education and engineering.
List of the Best Universities in Africa 2019
| Africa Rank 2019 | WUR Rank 2019 | University | Country | City | |
| 1 | 156 | University of Cape Town | South Africa | Cape Town | |
| 2 | 201–250 | University of the Witwatersrand | South Africa | Johannesburg | |
| 3 | 301–350 | Stellenbosch University | South Africa | Stellenbosch | |
| 4 | 401–500 | University of KwaZulu-Natal | South Africa | Durban | |
| 5 | 501–600 | Makerere University | Uganda | Kampala | |
| 6 | 601–800 | American University in Cairo | Egypt | Cairo | |
| 6 | 601–800 | Benha University | Egypt | Banha | |
| 6 | 601–800 | Beni-Suef University | Egypt | Beni Suef | |
| 6 | 601–800 | Covenant University | Nigeria | Ota | |
| 6 | 601–800 | University of Ibadan | Nigeria | Ibadan | |
| 6 | 601–800 | University of Johannesburg | South Africa | Johannesburg | |
| 6 | 601–800 | Kafrelsheikh University | Egypt | Kafr el-Sheikh | |
| 6 | 601–800 | Mansoura University | Egypt | Dakahlia | |
| 6 | 601–800 | University of Pretoria | South Africa | Pretoria | |
| 6 | 601–800 | Suez Canal University | Egypt | Ismailia | |
| 6 | 601–800 | University of the Western Cape | South Africa | Cape Town | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | Alexandria University | Egypt | Alexandria | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | University of Béjaïa | Algeria | Béjaïa | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | Cairo University | Egypt | Cairo | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | Fayoum University | Egypt | Fauyoum | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | Ferhat Abbas Sétif University 1 | Algeria | Setif | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | University of Ghana | Ghana | Accra | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | University of Marrakech Cadi Ayyad | Morocco | Marrakech | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | Mohammed V University of Rabat | Morocco | Rabat | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | University of Sfax | Tunisia | Sfax | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University | Morocco | Fez | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | Sohag University | Egypt | Sohag | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | Tanta University | Egypt | Tanta | |
| 17 | 801–1000 | Tshwane University of Technology | South Africa | Pretoria | |
| 30 | 1001+ | Ain Shams University | Egypt | Cairo | |
| 30 | 1001+ | Al-Azhar University | Egypt | Cairo | |
| 30 | 1001+ | Assiut University | Egypt | Assiut | |
| 30 | 1001+ | Badji Mokhtar University – Annaba | Algeria | Annaba | |
| 30 | 1001+ | University of Constantine 1 | Algeria | Constantine | |
| 30 | 1001+ | Helwan University | Egypt | Ain Helwan | |
| 30 | 1001+ | Menoufia University | Egypt | Menoufia | |
| 30 | 1001+ | Minia University | Egypt | Minya | |
| 30 | 1001+ | University of Monastir | Tunisia | Monastir | |
| 30 | 1001+ | University of Nairobi | Kenya | Nairobi | |
| 30 | 1001+ | University of Nigeria Nsukka | Nigeria | Nsukka | |
| 30 | 1001+ | University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene | Algeria | Bab-Ezzouar | |
| 30 | 1001+ | University of South Africa | South Africa | Pretoria | |
| 30 | 1001+ | South Valley University | Egypt | Qena | |
| 30 | 1001+ | University of Tlemcen | Algeria | Tlemcen | |
| 30 | 1001+ | University of Tunis El Manar | Tunisia | Tunis | |
| 30 | 1001+ | Université Hassan II de Casablanca | Morocco | Casablanca | |
| 30 | 1001+ | Zagazig University | Egypt | Zagazig | |
Data Source: timeshighereducation.com
Tags: Higher Education