24 Best universities for Sociology 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 Sociology. A graph of 3.84M citations received by 207K 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 Sociology

#1 in Africa

#150 in the World

Founded: 1874

2. University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Sociology

#2 in Africa

#170 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1922

3. University of KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa | Durban

For Sociology

#3 in Africa

#225 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 2004

4. University of Pretoria

South Africa | Pretoria

For Sociology

#4 in Africa

#241 in the World

Enrollment: 48,174
Founded: 1908

5. University of Stellenbosch

South Africa | Stellenbosch

For Sociology

#5 in Africa

#253 in the World

Founded: 1918

6. University of South Africa

South Africa | Pretoria

For Sociology

#6 in Africa

#310 in the World

Enrollment: 420,000
Founded: 1873

7. University of Johannesburg

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Sociology

#7 in Africa

#390 in the World

Enrollment: 49,910
Founded: 2005

8. North-West University

South Africa | Potchefstroom

For Sociology

#8 in Africa

#445 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 2004

9. University of the Western Cape

South Africa | Bellville

For Sociology

#12 in Africa

#572 in the World

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

10. University of the Free State

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Sociology

#13 in Africa

#592 in the World

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

11. Rhodes University

South Africa | Makhanda

For Sociology

#18 in Africa

#772 in the World

Enrollment: 8,200
Founded: 1904

12. Nelson Mandela University

South Africa | Port Elizabeth

For Sociology

#31 in Africa

#1087 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 2005

13. University of Limpopo

South Africa | Mankweng

For Sociology

#33 in Africa

#1154 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1959

14. University of Fort Hare

South Africa | Alice

For Sociology

#42 in Africa

#1320 in the World

Enrollment: 11,074
Founded: 1916

15. Tshwane University of Technology

South Africa | Pretoria

For Sociology

#49 in Africa

#1446 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2003

16. Cape Peninsula University of Technology

South Africa | Cape Town

For Sociology

#58 in Africa

#1584 in the World

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

17. Durban University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Sociology

#61 in Africa

#1642 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Founded: 2002

18. University of Venda

South Africa | Thohoyandou

For Sociology

#64 in Africa

#1704 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1982

19. University of Zululand

South Africa | Kwadlangezwa

For Sociology

#68 in Africa

#1731 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1960

20. Walter Sisulu University

South Africa | Mthatha

For Sociology

#91 in Africa

#2104 in the World

Founded: 2005

21. Central University of Technology

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Sociology

#116 in Africa

#2641 in the World

Founded: 1981

22. Vaal University of Technology

South Africa | Vanderbijlpark

For Sociology

#119 in Africa

#2662 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Founded: 1966

23. Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

South Africa | Pretoria

For Sociology

#122 in Africa

#2671 in the World

Enrollment: 5,000
Founded: 2014

24. Mangosuthu University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Sociology

#226 in Africa

#4426 in the World

Founded: 1979

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