THESE are South Africa’s top universities in 2024

The best and brightest students are clamouring to enrol in South Africa’s top universities in 2024. However, it’s still unclear whether allegations of corruption against Education Minister Blade Nzimande and NSFAS board chief Ernest Khosa will affect financial aid disbursements.

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Nevertheless, in spite of alleged wrongdoing in awarding of NSFAS tenders, students should equip themselves with knowledge of South Africa’s top universities in 2024. The list below is compiled by the Informatics Institute at the Middle East Technical University’s University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP), as reported by Business Tech.

SOUTH AFRICA’S TOP UNIVERSITIES IN 2024

In a good showing, South Africa’s top universities in 2024 have seen a new first-time entrant into the top 500 globally. URAP focuses primarily on academic quality, including scientific productivity, research impact and quality, as well as international acceptance. So, this is not about which offers the best scenery, nightlife or partying.

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In the ranking of South Africa’s top universities in 2024, 22 of 26 South African universities made the cut. The University of Cape Town is ranked top, followed by Wits University, Stellenbosch University climbs the SA standings to third and the University of KwaZulu-Natal sits in fourth.

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A surprise move saw the University of Johannesburg climbing the rankings, too, pushing ahead of the University of Pretoria, which ranked fifth in 2023. South Africa now boasts six in the top 500 globally. A fine showing considering the challenges faced by our Education Department.

HERE’S HOW SA’S TOP 15 RANK

The table below shows South Africa’s top universities in 2024 and how they rank globally and locally:

Local Rank	Global Rank	University	Score
1.	243	University of Cape Town	400.85
2.	340	University of the Witwatersrand	374.29
3.	362	Stellenbsoch University	369.38
4.	371	University of KwaZulu-Natal	366.08
5.	467	University of Johannesburg	343.35
6.	475	University of Pretoria	342.01
7.	589	North-West University	320.36
8.	884	University of the Free State	275.62
9.	970	University of South Africa (UNISA	267.38
10.	1048	University of the Western Cape	258.32
11.	1298	Rhodes University	229.59
12.	1328	Durban University of Technology	227.22
13.	1392	Tshwane University of Technology	220.61
14.	1432	Nelson Mandela University	217.49
15.	1952	University of Fort Hare	176.62

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Do you think this list accurately reflects South Africa’s top universities in 2024? Be sure to share your thoughts with our audience in the comments section below. And don’t forget to follow us @TheSANews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest updates.

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