In Summary:
- Ashesi has been ranked ninth in Africa in a new Sub-Saharan University Ranking published by Times Higher Education (THE).
- The ranking is led by South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand, with the University of Johannesburg ranked second and the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania ranked third.
- The development work for the ranking was undertaken in consultation with university leaders across sub-Saharan Africa in a project initiated by a consortium of African and international higher education organisations and companies, which include the Education Collaborative, Botho Emerging Markets Group, Maverick and MyCos in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.
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The Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings were developed to assess the impact of universities in addressing some of the toughest challenges faced in the region, with a focus on three critical areas: teaching, research and societal impact. The data also includes results from a survey which gathered the opinions of more than 20,000 university students on the continent.
The ranking is led by South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand, with the University of Johannesburg ranked second and the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania ranked third. Other universities in the top ten (in order of ranking) are the University of Pretoria, Makerere University, University of the Western Cape, Covenant University, UGHE – University of Global Health Equity, Ashesi and Ardhi University.
88 Universities from 19 African countries are ranked in the 2023 Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings, with Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa being the most represented on the list. While South Africa has the most institutions in the top 10 (four), Nigeria is the most-represented nation overall, with 37 ranked institutions, led by Covenant University in seventh place. Other universities from Ghana on the rankings are Academic City University College, the University of Ghana, Accra Technical University, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, University of Development Studies, and Presbyterian University.
“Not all universities that might be expected to be ranked are present in this inaugural edition, and not every country is featured, as the process is voluntary and minimum thresholds were set for responses to the fledgling student survey,” shared Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officers at THE. “But we expect the rankings to grow rapidly in the coming years as they are embraced as an important resource.”
The development work for the ranking was undertaken in consultation with university leaders across sub-Saharan Africa in a project initiated by a consortium of African and international higher education organisations and companies. THE independently managed all data collection and calculations. About two-thirds of participating universities are public institutions; a quarter are private, not-for-profit organisations; and about a tenth are private, for-profit organisations.
The rankings were announced following a Sub-Saharan Africa University forum hosted at Ashesi University on the 26th of June, 2023. The inaugural convening focused on what universities in the region need to do to deliver transformational teaching and research, ensure sustainable opportunities for their students and graduates, and improve citizenship across the continent.
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