23 Best universities for Anatomy / Physiology 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 Anatomy and Physiology. A graph of 752K citations received by 27.9K 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 Anatomy and Physiology

#2 in Africa

#271 in the World

Founded: 1874

2. University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Anatomy and Physiology

#3 in Africa

#332 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1922

3. University of Stellenbosch

South Africa | Stellenbosch

For Anatomy and Physiology

#7 in Africa

#442 in the World

Founded: 1918

4. University of Pretoria

South Africa | Pretoria

For Anatomy and Physiology

#8 in Africa

#466 in the World

Enrollment: 48,174
Founded: 1908

5. University of KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa | Durban

For Anatomy and Physiology

#9 in Africa

#517 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 2004

6. University of the Western Cape

South Africa | Bellville

For Anatomy and Physiology

#30 in Africa

#1226 in the World

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

7. North-West University

South Africa | Potchefstroom

For Anatomy and Physiology

#31 in Africa

#1232 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 2004

8. University of the Free State

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Anatomy and Physiology

#33 in Africa

#1257 in the World

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

9. University of Johannesburg

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Anatomy and Physiology

#38 in Africa

#1426 in the World

Enrollment: 49,910
Founded: 2005

10. University of Limpopo

South Africa | Mankweng

For Anatomy and Physiology

#39 in Africa

#1434 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1959

11. Rhodes University

South Africa | Makhanda

For Anatomy and Physiology

#53 in Africa

#1701 in the World

Enrollment: 8,200
Founded: 1904

12. Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

South Africa | Pretoria

For Anatomy and Physiology

#70 in Africa

#2290 in the World

Enrollment: 5,000
Founded: 2014

13. Nelson Mandela University

South Africa | Port Elizabeth

For Anatomy and Physiology

#74 in Africa

#2352 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 2005

14. Tshwane University of Technology

South Africa | Pretoria

For Anatomy and Physiology

#78 in Africa

#2390 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2003

15. University of South Africa

South Africa | Pretoria

For Anatomy and Physiology

#86 in Africa

#2517 in the World

Enrollment: 420,000
Founded: 1873

16. University of Fort Hare

South Africa | Alice

For Anatomy and Physiology

#96 in Africa

#2710 in the World

Enrollment: 11,074
Founded: 1916

17. University of Zululand

South Africa | Kwadlangezwa

For Anatomy and Physiology

#111 in Africa

#2918 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1960

18. Cape Peninsula University of Technology

South Africa | Cape Town

For Anatomy and Physiology

#118 in Africa

#2971 in the World

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

19. Durban University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Anatomy and Physiology

#121 in Africa

#2985 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Founded: 2002

20. Walter Sisulu University

South Africa | Mthatha

For Anatomy and Physiology

#154 in Africa

#3621 in the World

Founded: 2005

21. Central University of Technology

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Anatomy and Physiology

#181 in Africa

#3926 in the World

Founded: 1981

22. Vaal University of Technology

South Africa | Vanderbijlpark

For Anatomy and Physiology

#193 in Africa

#4106 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Founded: 1966

23. University of Venda

South Africa | Thohoyandou

For Anatomy and Physiology

#201 in Africa

#4191 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1982

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