List of 100 best universities in Africa

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Top 100 universities in Africa ranked by EduRank based on research outputs, non-academic prominence, and alumni influence. The rankings are determined by analyzing 38.3M citations received by 2.74M academic publications made by 1,104 universities from Africa, the popularity of 4,177 recognized alumni, and the largest reference database available.

1. University of Cape Town

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Cape Town

#1 in South Africa

#246 in the World

Founded: 1874

2. University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Johannesburg

#2 in South Africa

#398 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1922

3. University of Pretoria

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Pretoria

#3 in South Africa

#406 in the World

Enrollment: 48,174
Founded: 1908

4. University of Stellenbosch

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Stellenbosch

#4 in South Africa

#428 in the World

Founded: 1918

5. Cairo University

#1 in Egypt

#522 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Enrollment: 207,853
Founded: 1908

6. University of KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Durban

#5 in South Africa

#618 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 2004

7. Makerere University

Uganda | Kampala

#1 in Uganda

#759 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1922

8. University of Johannesburg

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Johannesburg

#6 in South Africa

#769 in the World

Enrollment: 49,910
Founded: 2005

9. University of Nairobi

Kenya | Nairobi

#1 in Kenya

#815 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1970

10. University of South Africa

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Pretoria

#7 in South Africa

#840 in the World

Enrollment: 420,000
Founded: 1873

11. University of Ghana

#1 in Ghana

#943 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Enrollment: 67,914
Male:Female: 51:49
Founded: 1948

12. North-West University

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Potchefstroom

#8 in South Africa

#960 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 2004

13. University of Ibadan

Nigeria | Ibadan

#963 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 41,269
Founded: 1948

14. Ain Shams University

#2 in Egypt

#964 in the World

Enrollment: 220,000
Founded: 1950

15. Alexandria University

Egypt | Alexandria

#3 in Egypt

#1074 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 197,278
Founded: 1942

16. Rhodes University

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Makhanda

#9 in South Africa

#1089 in the World

Enrollment: 8,200
Founded: 1904

17. University of the Free State

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Bloemfontein

#10 in South Africa

#1109 in the World

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

18. University of the Western Cape

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Bellville

#11 in South Africa

#1156 in the World

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

19. Addis Ababa University

Ethiopia | Addis Ababa

#1183 in the World

Founded: 1950

20. Mansoura University

Egypt | Mansoura

#4 in Egypt

#1248 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1972

21. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

#2 in Ghana

#1258 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Enrollment: 85,000
Founded: 1951

22. American University in Cairo

Egypt | New Cairo

#5 in Egypt

#1266 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Enrollment: 6,857
Founded: 1919

23. University of Lagos

Nigeria | Lagos

#1342 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 48,680
Founded: 1962

24. Mohammed V University

Morocco | Rabat

#1409 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%

25. University of Nigeria

Nigeria | Nsukka

#1468 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Founded: 1960

26. University of Dar es Salaam

Tanzania | Dar es Salaam

#1560 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 24,000
Founded: 1970

27. Cheikh Anta Diop University

Senegal | Dakar

#1573 in the World

Founded: 1918

28. Obafemi Awolowo University

#1608 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Enrollment: 32,480
Founded: 1962

29. Tshwane University of Technology

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Pretoria

#12 in South Africa

#1701 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2003

30. Al-Azhar University

#6 in Egypt

#1719 in the World

Founded: 1961

31. Nelson Mandela University

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Port Elizabeth

#13 in South Africa

#1735 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 2005

32. University of Port Harcourt

Nigeria | Port Harcourt

#1839 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Founded: 1975

33. University of Zambia

Zambia | Lusaka

#1 in Zambia

#1931 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1965

34. University of Botswana

Botswana | Gaborone

#1952 in the World

Founded: 1964

35. University of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe | Harare

#1989 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Enrollment: 20,399
Founded: 1955

36. Assiut University

#7 in Egypt

#2002 in the World

Founded: 1957

37. Ahmadu Bello University

Nigeria | Zaria

#2013 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 49,436
Founded: 1962

38. Eduardo Mondlane University

Mozambique Flag

Mozambique | Maputo

#1 in Mozambique

#2034 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1962

39. Cadi Ayyad University

Morocco | Marrakesh

#2045 in the World

40. Kenyatta University

Kenya | Nairobi

#2 in Kenya

#2101 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1985

41. Covenant University

#2117 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2002

42. University of Khartoum

Sudan | Khartoum

#1 in Sudan

#2168 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Enrollment: 41,030
Founded: 1956

43. Durban University of Technology

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Durban

#14 in South Africa

#2208 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Founded: 2002

44. Future University in Egypt

Egypt | New Cairo

#8 in Egypt

#2247 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 9,085
Founded: 2006

45. Cape Peninsula University of Technology

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Cape Town

#15 in South Africa

#2307 in the World

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

46. University of Kinshasa

DR Congo | Kinshasa

#1 in the DR Congo

#2344 in the World

Founded: 1954

47. Helwan University

#9 in Egypt

#2359 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1975

48. Zagazig University

Egypt | Zagazig

#10 in Egypt

#2366 in the World

Enrollment: 117,299
Founded: 1974

49. University of Cape Coast

Ghana | Cape Coast

#3 in Ghana

#2384 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1962

50. University of Limpopo

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Mankweng

#16 in South Africa

#2415 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1959

51. Hassan II University of Casablanca

Morocco | Casablanca

#2461 in the World

52. University of Ilorin

Nigeria | Ilorin

#2494 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Founded: 1975

53. Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport

Egypt | Alexandria

#11 in Egypt

#2498 in the World

Enrollment: 18,000
Founded: 1972

54. Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

Kenya | Nairobi

#3 in Kenya

#2507 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 16%
Founded: 1994

55. University of Tunis El Manar

Tunisia | Tunis

#2591 in the World

56. University of Benin

Nigeria | Benin

#2639 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1970

57. Tanta University

#12 in Egypt

#2664 in the World

Founded: 1972

58. Sokoine University of Agriculture

Tanzania | Morogoro

#2688 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Founded: 1984

59. Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University

#2713 in the World

Enrollment: 98,720
Male:Female: 54:46

60. University of Fort Hare

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Alice

#17 in South Africa

#2782 in the World

Enrollment: 11,074
Founded: 1916

61. University of Namibia

Namibia | Windhoek

#2815 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1992

62. Egerton University

#4 in Kenya

#2909 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Founded: 1987

63. University of Sfax

#2950 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 8%

64. University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene

Algeria | Algiers

#3006 in the World

Enrollment: 54,549

65. Suez Canal University

Egypt | Ismailia

#13 in Egypt

#3017 in the World

Enrollment: 40,317
Founded: 1976

66. Sudan University of Science and Technology

Sudan | Khartoum

#2 in Sudan

#3044 in the World

Founded: 1990

67. Jimma University

Ethiopia | Jimma

#3049 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Founded: 1983

68. Federal University of Technology, Minna

Nigeria | Minna

#10 in Nigeria

#3070 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Enrollment: 26,181
Founded: 1982

69. Nnamdi Azikiwe University

#11 in Nigeria

#3079 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1991

70. Kampala International University

Uganda | Kampala

#2 in Uganda

#3104 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Founded: 2001

71. University of Mauritius

Mauritius | Reduit

#1 in Mauritius

#3151 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1965

72. Moi University

Kenya | Eldoret

#5 in Kenya

#3171 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Founded: 1984

73. Strathmore University

Kenya | Nairobi

#6 in Kenya

#3177 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Founded: 2002

74. University of Abomey-Calavi

Benin | Abomey-Calavi

#1 in Benin

#3183 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 1970

75. University of Lubumbashi

DR Congo | Lubumbashi

#2 in the DR Congo

#3199 in the World

Founded: 1955

76. Lagos State University

#12 in Nigeria

#3247 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 25%
Founded: 1983

77. Bayero University Kano

#13 in Nigeria

#3285 in the World

Enrollment: 45,810
Founded: 1975

78. Menoufia University

Egypt | Shibin El Kom

#14 in Egypt

#3293 in the World

Enrollment: 80,000
Founded: 1976

79. University of Tlemcen

Algeria | Tlemcen

#3297 in the World

80. University of Zululand

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Kwadlangezwa

#18 in South Africa

#3308 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1960

81. University of Malawi

#1 in Malawi

#3339 in the World

Founded: 1964

82. Mount Kenya University

#7 in Kenya

#3362 in the World

Founded: 2008

83. University of Monastir

Tunisia | Monastir

#3370 in the World

84. Kwara State University

Nigeria | Ilorin

#14 in Nigeria

#3396 in the World

Founded: 2009

85. Minia University

#15 in Egypt

#3400 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Founded: 1976

86. Federal University of Technology, Akure

Nigeria | Akure

#15 in Nigeria

#3422 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Enrollment: 23,100
Founded: 1981

87. University of Calabar

Nigeria | Calabar

#16 in Nigeria

#3424 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Enrollment: 40,645
Founded: 1975

88. University of Buea

Cameroon | Buea

#3460 in the World

Founded: 1992

89. University of Carthage

Tunisia | Tunis

#3479 in the World

Enrollment: 50,314

90. Abdelmalek Essaadi University

Morocco | Tetouan

#3497 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%

91. University of Jos

#17 in Nigeria

#3500 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 52,000
Founded: 1975

92. University of Yaounde I

Cameroon | Yaounde

#3518 in the World

Founded: 1962

93. University of Constantine 1

Algeria | Constantine

#3536 in the World

94. Namibia University of Science and Technology

Namibia | Windhoek

#3542 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 32%
Founded: 1985

95. Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences

Tanzania | Dar es Salaam

#3556 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 25%
Founded: 2007

96. Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Uganda | Mbarara

#3 in Uganda

#3559 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Founded: 1989

97. University of Sousse

Tunisia | Sousse

#3587 in the World

Enrollment: 19,311

98. Ibn Tofail University

Morocco | Kenitra

#3591 in the World

99. Tunis University

Tunisia | Tunis

#3601 in the World

100. Bahir Dar University

Ethiopia | Bahir Dar

#3605 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 57,852
Founded: 2001