24 Best universities for Development Studies in South Africa

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in South Africa ranked based on their research performance in Development Studies. A graph of 1.01M citations received by 75.7K 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 Development Studies

#1 in Africa

#72 in the World

Founded: 1874

2. University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Development Studies

#2 in Africa

#104 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1922

3. University of KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa | Durban

For Development Studies

#3 in Africa

#108 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 2004

4. University of Pretoria

South Africa | Pretoria

For Development Studies

#4 in Africa

#180 in the World

Enrollment: 48,174
Founded: 1908

5. University of Stellenbosch

South Africa | Stellenbosch

For Development Studies

#5 in Africa

#187 in the World

Founded: 1918

6. University of South Africa

South Africa | Pretoria

For Development Studies

#6 in Africa

#237 in the World

Enrollment: 420,000
Male:Female: 36:64
Founded: 1873

7. University of Johannesburg

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Development Studies

#7 in Africa

#269 in the World

Enrollment: 49,910
Founded: 2005

8. North-West University

South Africa | Potchefstroom

For Development Studies

#11 in Africa

#346 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Enrollment: 26,439
Male:Female: 42:58
Founded: 2004

9. University of the Western Cape

South Africa | Bellville

For Development Studies

#12 in Africa

#382 in the World

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

10. University of the Free State

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Development Studies

#13 in Africa

#455 in the World

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

11. Rhodes University

South Africa | Makhanda

For Development Studies

#23 in Africa

#625 in the World

Enrollment: 8,200
Founded: 1904

12. University of Fort Hare

South Africa | Alice

For Development Studies

#33 in Africa

#940 in the World

Founded: 1916

13. University of Limpopo

South Africa | Mankweng

For Development Studies

#36 in Africa

#984 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1959

14. Nelson Mandela University

South Africa | Port Elizabeth

For Development Studies

#37 in Africa

#985 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 2005

15. Durban University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Development Studies

#42 in Africa

#1042 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Enrollment: 10,213
Founded: 2002

16. Cape Peninsula University of Technology

South Africa | Cape Town

For Development Studies

#48 in Africa

#1158 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Founded: 2005

17. Tshwane University of Technology

South Africa | Pretoria

For Development Studies

#52 in Africa

#1239 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2003

18. University of Zululand

South Africa | Kwadlangezwa

For Development Studies

#61 in Africa

#1406 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1960

19. University of Venda

South Africa | Thohoyandou

For Development Studies

#70 in Africa

#1522 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1982

20. Walter Sisulu University

South Africa | Mthatha

For Development Studies

#82 in Africa

#1715 in the World

Enrollment: 27,039
Male:Female: 43:57
Founded: 2005

21. Vaal University of Technology

South Africa | Vanderbijlpark

For Development Studies

#85 in Africa

#1754 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Founded: 1966

22. Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

South Africa | Pretoria

For Development Studies

#89 in Africa

#1838 in the World

Enrollment: 5,000
Founded: 2014

23. Central University of Technology

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Development Studies

#114 in Africa

#2268 in the World

Founded: 1981

24. Mangosuthu University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Development Studies

#227 in Africa

#4077 in the World

Founded: 1979

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

Economics subfields in South Africa

Actuarial Science9

Agricultural Economics16

Econometrics and Mathematical Economics20

Environmental Economics13

Finance24

International Economics11

International Relations and Diplomacy12

International Trade14

Investment Banking and Stock trading15

Political Economy17