Top 30 Universities in Africa - 2025 Rankings
Summary
Discover Africa's top 30 universities based on July 2025 Webometrics rankings. South African institutions dominate, with UCT leading the continent.
Top 30 Universities in Africa - 2025 Rankings
African universities have made significant strides in global rankings, with institutions from South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia leading the continent in academic excellence. Based on the July 2025 Webometrics rankings, here are the top 30 universities in Africa.
The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities evaluates institutions based on web presence, research output visibility, and the impact of their publications according to external citations.
Note: Rankings are from the July 2025 edition of independent university ranking platforms using the Webometrics methodology, as the official webometrics.info site is no longer operational.
About the Webometrics Ranking Methodology
The Webometrics Ranking promotes academic web presence and supports Open Access initiatives for increasing the transfer of scientific and cultural knowledge generated by universities to society. The ranking is published twice yearly (January and July), covering more than 30,000 higher education institutions worldwide.
The volume and quality of content a university publishes on the web determines its Webometrics rank. Web indicators serve as proxies for evaluating university global performance, taking into account activities, outputs, relevance, and impact.
Top 30 African Universities (July 2025)
| Africa Rank | World Rank | University | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 241 | University of Cape Town | South Africa |
| 2 | 333 | University of the Witwatersrand | South Africa |
| 3 | 371 | University of Pretoria | South Africa |
| 4 | 382 | Stellenbosch University | South Africa |
| 5 | 405 | Cairo University | Egypt |
| 6 | 434 | University of Johannesburg | South Africa |
| 7 | 494 | University of Kwazulu Natal | South Africa |
| 8 | 517 | Alexandria University | Egypt |
| 9 | 588 | University of South Africa | South Africa |
| 10 | 658 | Ain Shams University | Egypt |
| 11 | 662 | Mansoura University | Egypt |
| 12 | 667 | Future University | Egypt |
| 13 | 687 | North West University | South Africa |
| 14 | 741 | University of Ghana | Ghana |
| 15 | 761 | University of the Western Cape | South Africa |
| 16 | 778 | Makerere University | Uganda |
| 17 | 826 | University of the Free State | South Africa |
| 18 | 845 | University of Nairobi | Kenya |
| 19 | 849 | American University in Cairo | Egypt |
| 20 | 867 | Zagazig University | Egypt |
| 21 | 879 | Al Azhar University | Egypt |
| 22 | 887 | Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology | Ghana |
| 23 | 889 | Rhodes University | South Africa |
| 24 | 890 | Addis Ababa University | Ethiopia |
| 25 | 897 | University of Ibadan | Nigeria |
| 26 | 899 | Assiut University | Egypt |
| 27 | 917 | Benha University | Egypt |
| 28 | 975 | University of Lagos | Nigeria |
| 29 | 1003 | Tanta University | Egypt |
| 30 | 1004 | Université Cadi Ayyad Marrakech | Morocco |
Key Observations from the 2025 Rankings
South African Dominance: South African universities occupy 9 of the top 30 positions, with the University of Cape Town leading the continent at #241 globally. This reflects South Africa's long-standing investment in higher education infrastructure and research.
Egyptian Strength: Egypt contributes 8 universities to the top 30, with Cairo University (#405 globally) leading Egyptian institutions. The country's large number of universities and research output contribute to this strong showing.
Regional Leaders:
- Southern Africa: University of Cape Town (#1 in Africa)
- West Africa: University of Ghana (#14 in Africa, #741 globally)
- East Africa: Makerere University, Uganda (#16 in Africa, #778 globally)
- North Africa: Cairo University (#5 in Africa, #405 globally)
Nigerian Universities: Nigeria has two universities in the top 30 - University of Ibadan (#25) and University of Lagos (#28).
Understanding African University Rankings
The Webometrics rankings measure universities based on:
- Web Presence: Volume of web content and online visibility
- Impact: Number of external links and citations to university publications
- Openness: Commitment to open access and knowledge sharing
- Excellence: Research quality and academic output
While rankings provide useful benchmarks, prospective students should consider factors like program availability, research opportunities, location, fees, and career prospects when choosing a university.
Explore More:
- Top 10 Universities in Nigeria
- Top Universities in Ghana
- Top Universities in South Africa
- Top Universities in Ethiopia
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