24 Best universities for Meteorology and Atmospheric Science 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 Meteorology and Atmospheric Science. A graph of 697K citations received by 26.7K 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 Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#1 in Africa

#247 in the World

Founded: 1874

2. University of Pretoria

South Africa | Pretoria

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#2 in Africa

#477 in the World

Enrollment: 48,174
Founded: 1908

3. University of KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa | Durban

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#3 in Africa

#481 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 2004

4. University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#4 in Africa

#489 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1922

5. University of Stellenbosch

South Africa | Stellenbosch

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#5 in Africa

#508 in the World

Founded: 1918

6. North-West University

South Africa | Potchefstroom

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#21 in Africa

#991 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 2004

7. University of Johannesburg

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#22 in Africa

#1062 in the World

Enrollment: 49,910
Founded: 2005

8. Rhodes University

South Africa | Makhanda

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#34 in Africa

#1236 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

#1291 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

#1383 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

#51 in Africa

#1598 in the World

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

12. University of South Africa

South Africa | Pretoria

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#53 in Africa

#1625 in the World

Enrollment: 420,000
Founded: 1873

13. Tshwane University of Technology

South Africa | Pretoria

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#60 in Africa

#1776 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2003

14. University of Zululand

South Africa | Kwadlangezwa

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#64 in Africa

#1798 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1960

15. Nelson Mandela University

South Africa | Port Elizabeth

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#84 in Africa

#2078 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 2005

16. University of Fort Hare

South Africa | Alice

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#104 in Africa

#2315 in the World

Enrollment: 11,074
Founded: 1916

17. Durban University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#105 in Africa

#2323 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Founded: 2002

18. University of Limpopo

South Africa | Mankweng

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#112 in Africa

#2422 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1959

19. University of Venda

South Africa | Thohoyandou

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#118 in Africa

#2558 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1982

20. Central University of Technology

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#123 in Africa

#2632 in the World

Founded: 1981

21. Vaal University of Technology

South Africa | Vanderbijlpark

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#161 in Africa

#3276 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Founded: 1966

22. Mangosuthu University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#207 in Africa

#4096 in the World

Founded: 1979

23. Walter Sisulu University

South Africa | Mthatha

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#226 in Africa

#4374 in the World

Founded: 2005

24. Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

South Africa | Pretoria

For Meteorology and Atmospheric Science

#230 in Africa

#4434 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, Pretoria, Durban, and Johannesburg.