World rankings

  • 1st in Africa 123456

  • 180th in the world 1

  • 171st in the world 2
  • =116th in the world 3
  • 271st in the world 4
  • 201–300 in the world 5
  • =50 in the world 6
UCT rankings globe
  • 1 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025
  • 2 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2025
  • 3 US News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings 2024–2025 
  • 4 Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) 2024 
  • 5 ShanghaiRanking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities 2024
  • 6Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024

Reputation Rankings

THE Reputation Rankings 2022           (176–200)

Most international universities in the World Rankings

THE Most international universities in the World Rankings 2024 
(55th in the world)

Impact rankings

Overall rank

  • =77th in overall rankings7
Individual SDG ranks
  • SDG 1 – No Poverty7(=64th in the world)
  • SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being7(201—300 range)
  • SDG 5 – Gender Equality7(101-200 range)
  • SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation 7(23rd in the world)
  • SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth 7(101-200 range)
  • SDG 9 – Industry Innovation and Infrastructure 7(=98th in the world)
  • SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities7(201-300 range)
  • SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities7(101-200 range)
  • SDG 13 – Climate Action7(101-200 range)
  • SDG 14 – Life Below Water7(13th in the world)
  • SDG 15 – Life On Land7(101-200 range)
  • SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions7(=81st in the world)
  • SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals7(=7th in the world)

Sustainability rankings

  • Environmental impact6(=25th in the world)
  • Social impact6(=133rd in the world)
  • Governance6(=82nd in the world)

Subject rankings

Top 20

  • Development studies9(=15th in the world)

Top 50

  • Infectious diseases10(24th in the world)
  • Public, Environmental and Occupational Health10(44th in the world)
  • Environmental science & engineering11(33rd in the world)
  • Public health11(36th in the world)
  • Sport science schools and departments12(31st in the world)

Top 100

Clinical and health8 (81st in the world)

Education8 (=92nd in the world)

Social Sciences8(=100 in the world)

Anthropology9(51–100 range)

Geography9(51–100 range)

Immunology10(51st in the world)

Medicine9(=89th in the world)

Marine and Freshwater Biology10(69th in the world)

Atmospheric science11(76–100 range)

Clinical medicine11(76–100 range)

Ecology10(95th in the world)

Geography11(76–100 range)

Oceanography11(51–75 range)

Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences 10(92nd in the world)

Microbiology 10(97th in the world)

Neuroscience and Behavior 10(86th in the world)

Social sciences and public health 10(78th in the world)

Subject rankings graph
  • 7THE Impact Rankings 2024
  • 8 THE Subject Rankings 2024 
  • 9 QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024
  • 10 US News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings for Subjects 2024-2025
  • 11 ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023
  • 12 ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments 2023

UCT’s rankings in the news

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