24 Best universities for Ecology 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 Ecology. A graph of 4.57M citations received by 176K 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 Ecology

#1 in Africa

#132 in the World

Founded: 1874

2. University of Pretoria

South Africa | Pretoria

For Ecology

#2 in Africa

#149 in the World

Enrollment: 48,174
Founded: 1908

3. University of KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa | Durban

For Ecology

#3 in Africa

#203 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 2004

4. University of Stellenbosch

South Africa | Stellenbosch

For Ecology

#4 in Africa

#224 in the World

Founded: 1918

5. University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Ecology

#5 in Africa

#287 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1922

6. University of Johannesburg

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Ecology

#7 in Africa

#488 in the World

Enrollment: 49,910
Founded: 2005

7. North-West University

South Africa | Potchefstroom

For Ecology

#10 in Africa

#577 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 2004

8. Rhodes University

South Africa | Makhanda

For Ecology

#13 in Africa

#609 in the World

Enrollment: 8,200
Founded: 1904

9. University of the Free State

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Ecology

#15 in Africa

#683 in the World

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

10. University of South Africa

South Africa | Pretoria

For Ecology

#21 in Africa

#755 in the World

Enrollment: 420,000
Founded: 1873

11. Nelson Mandela University

South Africa | Port Elizabeth

For Ecology

#29 in Africa

#989 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 2005

12. University of the Western Cape

South Africa | Bellville

For Ecology

#32 in Africa

#1027 in the World

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

13. Tshwane University of Technology

South Africa | Pretoria

For Ecology

#38 in Africa

#1118 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2003

14. University of Fort Hare

South Africa | Alice

For Ecology

#42 in Africa

#1132 in the World

Enrollment: 11,074
Founded: 1916

15. Durban University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Ecology

#57 in Africa

#1366 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Founded: 2002

16. University of Limpopo

South Africa | Mankweng

For Ecology

#71 in Africa

#1495 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1959

17. Cape Peninsula University of Technology

South Africa | Cape Town

For Ecology

#76 in Africa

#1577 in the World

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

18. University of Venda

South Africa | Thohoyandou

For Ecology

#89 in Africa

#1797 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1982

19. University of Zululand

South Africa | Kwadlangezwa

For Ecology

#104 in Africa

#2013 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1960

20. Central University of Technology

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Ecology

#142 in Africa

#2657 in the World

Founded: 1981

21. Vaal University of Technology

South Africa | Vanderbijlpark

For Ecology

#155 in Africa

#2832 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Founded: 1966

22. Walter Sisulu University

South Africa | Mthatha

For Ecology

#182 in Africa

#3163 in the World

Founded: 2005

23. Mangosuthu University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Ecology

#214 in Africa

#3750 in the World

Founded: 1979

24. Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

South Africa | Pretoria

For Ecology

#217 in Africa

#3783 in the World

Enrollment: 5,000
Founded: 2014

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