24 Best universities for Political 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 Political Science. A graph of 3.4M citations received by 221K 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 Political Science

#1 in Africa

#181 in the World

Founded: 1874

2. University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Political Science

#2 in Africa

#250 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1922

3. University of Stellenbosch

South Africa | Stellenbosch

For Political Science

#3 in Africa

#312 in the World

Founded: 1918

4. University of Pretoria

South Africa | Pretoria

For Political Science

#4 in Africa

#323 in the World

Enrollment: 48,174
Founded: 1908

5. University of KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa | Durban

For Political Science

#5 in Africa

#358 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 2004

6. University of South Africa

South Africa | Pretoria

For Political Science

#6 in Africa

#382 in the World

Enrollment: 420,000
Founded: 1873

7. University of Johannesburg

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Political Science

#7 in Africa

#406 in the World

Enrollment: 49,910
Founded: 2005

8. North-West University

South Africa | Potchefstroom

For Political Science

#8 in Africa

#524 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 2004

9. University of the Western Cape

South Africa | Bellville

For Political Science

#10 in Africa

#731 in the World

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

10. University of the Free State

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Political Science

#12 in Africa

#785 in the World

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

11. Rhodes University

South Africa | Makhanda

For Political Science

#15 in Africa

#972 in the World

Enrollment: 8,200
Founded: 1904

12. Nelson Mandela University

South Africa | Port Elizabeth

For Political Science

#23 in Africa

#1205 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 2005

13. University of Fort Hare

South Africa | Alice

For Political Science

#33 in Africa

#1396 in the World

Enrollment: 11,074
Founded: 1916

14. Tshwane University of Technology

South Africa | Pretoria

For Political Science

#40 in Africa

#1648 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2003

15. University of Limpopo

South Africa | Mankweng

For Political Science

#41 in Africa

#1669 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1959

16. Cape Peninsula University of Technology

South Africa | Cape Town

For Political Science

#49 in Africa

#1783 in the World

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

17. Durban University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Political Science

#56 in Africa

#1896 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Founded: 2002

18. University of Zululand

South Africa | Kwadlangezwa

For Political Science

#66 in Africa

#2136 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1960

19. Vaal University of Technology

South Africa | Vanderbijlpark

For Political Science

#88 in Africa

#2557 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Founded: 1966

20. University of Venda

South Africa | Thohoyandou

For Political Science

#89 in Africa

#2561 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1982

21. Walter Sisulu University

South Africa | Mthatha

For Political Science

#101 in Africa

#2673 in the World

Founded: 2005

22. Central University of Technology

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Political Science

#112 in Africa

#2929 in the World

Founded: 1981

23. Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

South Africa | Pretoria

For Political Science

#150 in Africa

#3536 in the World

Enrollment: 5,000
Founded: 2014

24. Mangosuthu University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Political Science

#229 in Africa

#4719 in the World

Founded: 1979

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