The latest university rankings from Quacquarelli Symonds had some good news for UCT, as the Cape Town university has benefited from the organisation's improved ranking system.
The University of Cape Town has long been the country's top-ranked university when assessed by global ranking studies. One of the more prestigious is the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings report, which has seen UCT move up 21 places to number 150.
This places UCT in the top 3% of universities globally. 8,467 different universities were assessed in the report, which was released on the 19th of June.
The QS rankings assess institutions on six core metrics: academic reputation (30%), employer reputation (15%), faculty/student ratio (10%), citations per faculty (20%), international faculty (5%), and international students (5%).
"This excellent improvement in standing reflects a consistent, concerted effort from the university over recent years. Moving from 171 to 150 is not just a numerical rise, but a recognition of the real-world impact of UCT’s research, teaching and global partnerships," said Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela after the release of the report.
"While being placed high on the rankings is a cause for celebration and recognition of the hard work put in by staff and students, our mission remains rooted in generating quality, relevant knowledge that matters – for Africa and the world," he added.
UCT Funding Struggles
The good news comes at a difficult time for UCT, which is having to adjust to the sudden decision by the US President to cancel most funding from the US National Institutes of Health. Part of efforts to cut back on US government spending, the decision has seen UCT suffer the most in South Africa as it is the local university that has received the most grant funding from the organisation.
UCT is also fighting a legal battle over its Council's decision to stop working with Israeli universities and researchers over the country's actions in Gaza. The decision has been taken to court by pro-Israeli groups who have highlighted the drop in funding that could result from the decision.
The rise in position for UCT comes in part because of some changes to the research methodology. International Student Diversity is one ranking factor that has been a focus this year. This ranking factor looks at the number of foreign students and the range of different countries they come from.
UCT also scored highly as there was more focus on research, and UCT academics' research has been cited more frequently in the last year.
World university rankings remain slightly controversial as there is a strong focus on research output. This does not always directly impact the teaching experience that undergraduates receive at an institution. However, the prestige that comes from the rankings is probably a major benefit when graduates are searching for jobs after they complete their studies.
UCT Applications For 2026
UCT is currently open for applications for study in 2026 - with applications for study and residence closing on the 31st July 2025. No late applications are accepted.
