24 Best universities for Paleontology in South Africa

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in South Africa ranked based on their research performance in Paleontology. A graph of 3.28M citations received by 127K academic papers made by 24 universities in South Africa was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Cape Town

South Africa | Cape Town

For Paleontology

#1 in Africa

#187 in the World

Founded: 1874

2. University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Paleontology

#2 in Africa

#214 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1922

3. University of Pretoria

South Africa | Pretoria

For Paleontology

#3 in Africa

#234 in the World

Enrollment: 48,174
Founded: 1908

4. University of Stellenbosch

South Africa | Stellenbosch

For Paleontology

#4 in Africa

#282 in the World

Founded: 1918

5. University of KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa | Durban

For Paleontology

#5 in Africa

#318 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 2004

6. University of Johannesburg

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Paleontology

#10 in Africa

#646 in the World

Enrollment: 49,910
Founded: 2005

7. North-West University

South Africa | Potchefstroom

For Paleontology

#11 in Africa

#652 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 2004

8. Rhodes University

South Africa | Makhanda

For Paleontology

#13 in Africa

#736 in the World

Enrollment: 8,200
Founded: 1904

9. University of the Free State

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Paleontology

#16 in Africa

#770 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 25%
Enrollment: 37,000
Founded: 1904

10. University of South Africa

South Africa | Pretoria

For Paleontology

#20 in Africa

#857 in the World

Enrollment: 420,000
Founded: 1873

11. University of the Western Cape

South Africa | Bellville

For Paleontology

#25 in Africa

#986 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 24,754
Founded: 1959

12. Nelson Mandela University

South Africa | Port Elizabeth

For Paleontology

#34 in Africa

#1181 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 2005

13. University of Fort Hare

South Africa | Alice

For Paleontology

#40 in Africa

#1279 in the World

Enrollment: 11,074
Founded: 1916

14. Tshwane University of Technology

South Africa | Pretoria

For Paleontology

#53 in Africa

#1510 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2003

15. University of Limpopo

South Africa | Mankweng

For Paleontology

#67 in Africa

#1813 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1959

16. Durban University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Paleontology

#76 in Africa

#1957 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Founded: 2002

17. Cape Peninsula University of Technology

South Africa | Cape Town

For Paleontology

#77 in Africa

#1963 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Enrollment: 35,047
Founded: 2005

18. University of Venda

South Africa | Thohoyandou

For Paleontology

#97 in Africa

#2224 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1982

19. University of Zululand

South Africa | Kwadlangezwa

For Paleontology

#117 in Africa

#2548 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1960

20. Central University of Technology

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Paleontology

#159 in Africa

#3286 in the World

Founded: 1981

21. Vaal University of Technology

South Africa | Vanderbijlpark

For Paleontology

#162 in Africa

#3350 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Founded: 1966

22. Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

South Africa | Pretoria

For Paleontology

#163 in Africa

#3353 in the World

Enrollment: 5,000
Founded: 2014

23. Walter Sisulu University

South Africa | Mthatha

For Paleontology

#169 in Africa

#3453 in the World

Founded: 2005

24. Mangosuthu University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Paleontology

#238 in Africa

#4503 in the World

Founded: 1979

The best cities to study Paleontology in South Africa based on the number of universities and their ranks are Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Stellenbosch.

Biology subfields in South Africa