UCT jumps 17 places and returns to world’s top 150
CAPE TOWN — The University of Cape Town has climbed 17 places to joint 147th in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, returning to the global top 150 while retaining its position as Africa’s highest-ranked university.
The improvement is significant because UCT achieved it while the number of institutions in the rankings increased. The 2027 edition assessed 2,297 universities, compared with 2,191 previously, with UCT moving from approximately the top 7.5% to the top 6.3% of ranked institutions.
UCT said its rise from joint 164th last year represents its best position in the Times Higher Education rankings in six years. Its strongest improvements were recorded in research reputation, teaching reputation and research strength.
Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela congratulated the university, describing its return to the top 150 as a significant achievement for both UCT and South African higher education.
UCT shares 147th position with Case Western Reserve University in the United States, Sapienza University of Rome and Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa in Italy, and Osaka University in Japan.
The ranking also strengthens UCT’s position across several major international university tables, although the different ranking systems produce markedly different results because of their methodologies.
UCT currently sits 184th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, joint 122nd in the US News Best Global Universities Rankings 2026-2027, 276th in the Center for World University Rankings and 286th in the Academic Ranking of World Universities. UCT says it ranks first in Africa across four major global ranking systems.
Its latest Times Higher Education performance therefore represents a notable improvement rather than a universal upward movement across every ranking. UCT dropped from 150th to 184th in the latest QS rankings and from 258th to 286th in the 2026 Academic Ranking of World Universities.
That difference illustrates why individual university rankings need to be interpreted according to what they measure. Times Higher Education assesses universities across teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement and international outlook, while other ranking systems place different weight on academic reputation, citations, research output and graduate outcomes.
The announcement came as UCT hosted the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit, the first time the event has been held on African soil. The three-day gathering from 29 September to 1 October brought together leaders from universities, government, business and civil society under the theme “Knowledge, justice and futures: Universities in the age of intelligence.”
Manamela used the gathering to argue that South African universities must translate their academic standing into wider economic and social benefits, including stronger partnerships with industry, practical learning opportunities, employment and entrepreneurship.
He also called for investment in digital infrastructure and training to ensure students and lecturers can use artificial intelligence responsibly, while stressing that international academic partnerships should create genuine exchanges of knowledge and opportunity for African institutions.
For UCT, the latest result adds another measure to its claim as Africa’s leading internationally ranked university. For South Africa, however, the bigger question is whether the global standing of institutions such as UCT can increasingly translate into research, skills and opportunities that address unemployment, poverty and inequality beyond university campuses.
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