There are some fantastic universities in this list, which was generated from data compiled by the US News Education body. Most of the universities on the list are from South Africa. This could be an indication that South African universities are perceived to be widely accepted globally. Here is a list of the Top 20 best universities in Africa.
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University of Cape Town, South Africa
It is ranked at 109 globally and has a global score of 70.0.
According to the university’s website, it is an exclusive and a hands-on African university that is research-focused. The environs inspire creativity and make outstanding achievements in learning, discovery, and citizenship.
The goal is to enhance the lives of the students and staff intellectually. They are committed to encouraging equitable and sustainable social order and the building of influence in the higher education landscape globally.
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University Of Witwatersrand, South Africa
The university is pegged at 212 globally and has a global score of 63.2. This university is also from South Africa and is the oldest university in South Africa.
It is located in Johannesburg and is a multi-campus. It is popularly known as the University of Wits. A noteworthy university is recognized internationally, the University of Witwatersrand has a strong focus on research and excellent academic standards. They distinguish themselves by a commitment to social justice.
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Stellenbosch University, South Africa
It is ranked globally at 317 and has a global score of 63.2. A public research university is found in Stellenbosch, this university is located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.
It is one of the three public universities in the country. They have details of their university online for inquiries.
As a testament to its commitment to research and inventions, the university designed and manufactured Africa’s first microsatellite, SUNSAT, which was launched in 1999.
They were the first African university to sign the Berlin Declaration of Open Access to Knowledge in Sciences and Humanities.
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University Of Kwazulu-Natal
It is also a university located in South Africa. It is ranked globally at 371 and has a global score of 56.5.
The university has five campuses and in 1994, the merger of the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westwill created it.
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Cairo University, Egypt
It is ranked globally at 392 and has a global score of 55.8. It is located in Cairo, the capital of Egypt.
The best university in Egypt, it is known for offering its facilities to Arabs and foreign students and scientists all over the world for research.
Cairo University began in 1908 as a dream that had been in the hearts of renowned Egyptian thinkers and philosophers for a long time.
They called for a university in Egypt that would be a source of liberal thought and usher in academic revival in all fields of knowledge. It was founded in response to a royal decree in 1925.
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University of Johannesburg, South Africa
It is ranked globally at 471 and has a global score of 55.1. A public university in Johannesburg, it was created as a result of a merger between Rand Afrikaans University, the Soweto and East Rand campuses of Vista University, and the Technikon Witwatersrand University.
They offer various courses and the process for application and acceptance is on their website on the internet.
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University of Ibadan, Nigeria
This university is ranked 425 globally and has a score of 54.9. It is a university known for its focus on research and inventions that affect nations. The University of Ibadan was founded in 1948 as one of the many colleges within the University of London.
It became independent in 1963 and is the oldest tertiary education institution in Nigeria. Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and renowned author Chinua Achebe have the university of Ibadan as their alma mater.
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University of Pretoria, South Africa.
One of Africa’s top universities and largest contact universities in South Africa, this tertiary institution has a global ranking of 434. It has a global score of 54.8.
According to the university website, there is a strong focus on research as it affects African wildlife animals.
The university got established in 1908 as the Pretoria campus of Johannesburg-based Transvaal University College. It is the fourth South African institution that received an award of university status.
It was established as the University of Pretoria in 1920. As the oldest veterinary school in Africa and the only one in South Africa, it is of high significance.
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Mansoura University, Egypt
Mansoura University is a university in Egypt and is globally ranked at 477, while its global score is 53.1. It was founded in 1971 in Mansoura City and is located in the middle of the Nile Delta.
One of the largest universities in Egypt, it contributed to the growth of cultural and scientific life at the university and in Egypt at large.
The faculty of Medicine, Mansoura began as a branch in Cairo University. The University was created in 1972 by a presidential decree and called East Delta University. The name was changed to Mansoura University the following year.
As a testament to its commitment to research, the Mansourasaurus, a genus of herbivorous lithostrotian sauropod dinosaur was discovered in 2018. This was done under Hesham Sallam, a University paleontologist. It was named after the University.
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Northwest University, South Africa
Located in South Africa, Northwest University is globally ranked at 510. It also has a score of 51.7. It is tenth on the list of best universities in Africa.
The North-West University (NWU) is a public research university located on three campuses in Potchefstroom, Mahikeng, and Vanderbijlpark in South Africa.
In 2004, the merger between Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Vanderbijlpark, and the University of North-West created the university. The latter university was called the University of Bophuthatswana.
Due to the merger, they became larger and stronger and are referred to as the university with the third-largest population in South Africa.
The university saw its formation after the apartheid era in South Africa as a vehicle to help reconciliation and nation-building. Its aspiration to be distinguished for scholarships, social responsiveness, and ethnic care is admirable.
In addition, they are multi-lingual and hold classes in the following language such as English, Afrikaans, and Setswana.
11. Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
This University has a Global score: of 51.5. It is a highly residential national university in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The oldest school for tertiary education in Ethiopia has thirteen campuses and twelve of them are in Addis Ababa. They have many associated research institutions one of which is the Institute of Ethiopian Studies.
12. Kwame Nkrumah University Science and Technology, Ghana
Kwame Nkrumah University has a global score of 49.9. An excellent academic institution is at the forefront of technological advancement in West Africa, it is located in Ghana. It is a public university and the largest in the Kumasi Metropolis and the Ashanti region.
Its origin is found in the plans of Agyeman Prempeh I, Asantehene to found a university as part of his goals to modernize his Ashanti kingdom. He never got to accomplish it because of the expansion of the British empire and its contrary plans.
King Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh II, his younger brother continued the vision in 1935 when he sat on the Golden Stool. The events in the 1940s created a favorable circumstance and a University College was established on the Gold Coast. Then the 1948 riots, followed by the Watson Commission report recommended a university of sciences be started in Kumasi. In 1949, their dream came to pass and construction began on the Kumasi College of Technology.
13. Ain Shams University, Egypt
The Ain Shams University in Egypt has a global score of 49.0. Located in Cairo Egypt, it was founded in 1950. The goal was for it to provide education at all levels. It is the third oldest non-sectarian native public Egyptian university under the name of Ibrahim Pasha’s University. Its current site was originally a former royal palace called the Zafarana Palace.
14. Mohammed First University of Oujda, Morocco
The Mohammed First University of Oudja, Morocco has a global score of 48.7. it was founded in 1978 and has three sites namely Oudja, Nador, and Al Hoceima. There are 590 professors and 440 personal and technical staff.
15. Makerere University, Uganda
The Makerere University has a global score of 46.6 and is located in Kampala, Uganda. It is the largest and oldest tertiary institution.
It began as a technical school in 1922 and became an independent national university in 1970. Today it has nine colleges and one school. It offers programs for 36,000 undergraduates and 4000 postgraduates.
16. University of the Western Cape, South Africa
The University of Western Cape, South Africa has a global score of 46.1. It is located in Bellville, a suburb of the city of Cape Town in South Africa. Established in 1960, it was originally a university for blacks in South Africa. There were other universities near Cape Town such as the University of Cape Town, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and the Stellenbosch University (for whites who spoke Afrikaans). It was an ethnic university.
17. Alexandria University, Egypt
This university has a global score of 45.8 and is a public university located in Alexandria, Egypt. It was established as a satellite university of Fouad University. It became an independent entity in 1941.
Farouk University was its name until 1952 when its name changed to the University of Alexandria. Now the second-largest university in Egypt, its founding director was Taha Hussein. Today it has many affiliations to various universities for ongoing research.
The university has other branches, Damanhour and Matrough, which eventually became independent universities. More branches have been set up.
18. University of Casablanca Hassan 2, Morocco
The University of Casablanca Hassan 2 has a global score of 44.9. Established in 1975, it is a public university that was created as a result of a merger as recent as 1 September 2014. The two universities in question are Hassan II University Ain Chock, Casablanca, and the Hassan II University Mohammedia.
19. University of Nairobi, Kenya
The University of Nairobi has a global score of 44.9 and is located in Kenya. It is a research-based university in Nairobi. The university is the largest amongst all the universities in the country.
It was founded as early as 1956 but became independent in 1970. In 1970, the University of East Africa was split into three namely Makerere University in Uganda, the Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and the University of Nairobi, Kenya.
20. University of Gondar, Ethiopia
The University of Gondar, Ethiopia, has a global score of 44.4. Until 2003, it was known as Gondar College of Medical Sciences. It is the oldest medical school in Ethiopia. It was known as the Public Health College in 1954 and is located in Gondar. Gondar was the former capital of Ethiopia.
Source: US News Education
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