New Report by Times Higher Education Ranks the Top Universities in Sub-Saharan Africa

The new ranking aims to spotlight African higher education institutions and address local higher education challenges. The 2023 rankings were officially announced at the organisation’s first forum in the region, which took place in partnership with Ashesi University in June 2023. According to the report, the list is led by South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand. The University of Johannesburg, and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania came in second and third, respectively. Despite South Africa having the most institutions in the top 10 (four), Nigeria is the most-represented nation overall, with 37 ranked institutions, led by Covenant University in seventh place. The ranking includes 88 institutions from 20 countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Mauritius, Kenya and Mozambique. A key part of the data collection was a survey of more than 20,000 students from 88 institutions. Students were asked a range of questions, including how challenged they felt by the teaching at the university, how much it supported critical thinking and the opportunities they had to interact with staff and peers.