23 Best universities for Meteorology and Atmospheric Science in South Africa

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in South Africa ranked based on their research performance in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science. A graph of 650K citations received by 25.8K academic papers made by 23 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 Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#1 in Africa

#247 in the World

Founded: 1874

2. University of KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa | Durban

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#2 in Africa

#482 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 2004

3. University of Pretoria

South Africa | Pretoria

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#3 in Africa

#484 in the World

Enrollment: 48,174
Founded: 1908

4. University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#4 in Africa

#490 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1922

5. University of Stellenbosch

South Africa | Stellenbosch

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#5 in Africa

#511 in the World

Founded: 1918

6. North-West University

South Africa | Potchefstroom

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#21 in Africa

#995 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 2004

7. University of Johannesburg

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#24 in Africa

#1083 in the World

Enrollment: 49,910
Founded: 2005

8. Rhodes University

South Africa | Makhanda

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#31 in Africa

#1211 in the World

Enrollment: 8,200
Founded: 1904

9. Cape Peninsula University of Technology

South Africa | Cape Town

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#36 in Africa

#1279 in the World

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

10. University of the Free State

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#41 in Africa

#1382 in the World

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

11. University of the Western Cape

South Africa | Bellville

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#52 in Africa

#1616 in the World

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

12. University of South Africa

South Africa | Pretoria

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#55 in Africa

#1657 in the World

Enrollment: 420,000
Founded: 1873

13. Tshwane University of Technology

South Africa | Pretoria

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#61 in Africa

#1787 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2003

14. University of Zululand

South Africa | Kwadlangezwa

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#62 in Africa

#1799 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1960

15. Nelson Mandela University

South Africa | Port Elizabeth

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#85 in Africa

#2114 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 2005

16. University of Fort Hare

South Africa | Alice

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#102 in Africa

#2312 in the World

Enrollment: 11,074
Founded: 1916

17. Durban University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#104 in Africa

#2333 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Founded: 2002

18. University of Limpopo

South Africa | Mankweng

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#109 in Africa

#2422 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1959

19. University of Venda

South Africa | Thohoyandou

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#119 in Africa

#2576 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1982

20. Central University of Technology

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#123 in Africa

#2647 in the World

Founded: 1981

21. Vaal University of Technology

South Africa | Vanderbijlpark

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#161 in Africa

#3293 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Founded: 1966

22. Walter Sisulu University

South Africa | Mthatha

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#227 in Africa

#4423 in the World

Founded: 2005

23. Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

South Africa | Pretoria

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#231 in Africa

#4450 in the World

Enrollment: 5,000
Founded: 2014

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