South Africa and Nigeria lead African university rankings for 2027

The 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings reveal significant shifts in African higher education. South Africa continues to dominate the continent, securing seven of the top ten spots. The University of Cape Town remains Africa’s highest-ranked institution, climbing to a joint 147th global position. Other top South African institutions include the University of the Witwatersrand, Stellenbosch University, and the University of Pretoria.

Nigeria has emerged as the country with the highest number of ranked universities in sub-Saharan Africa, with 29 institutions featured, up from 24 in the previous edition. Covenant University, the University of Ibadan, and the University of Lagos lead the Nigerian rankings, all placed within the 801–1,000 global band. Notably, Covenant University returned to the top position among Nigerian universities, while Osun State University made its debut in the 1,201–1,400 band.

The rankings, which assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries, evaluated institutions based on five pillars: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook. While South Africa holds the most elite positions, Nigeria shows the greatest growth in total representation within the sub-region.