Makerere University, in fresh rankings by The Times Higher Education (THE), has maintained third place among the best universities in Africa after being edged out by the University of Cape Town (UTC) and Witwatersrand University (Wits) both of which are in South Africa.
The two South African universities appear in the top 200 of the worldwide rankings; UTC at position148, and Wits University at 182, beating many prestigious universities in Germany, the UK, Canada, the US and Hong Kong.
Overall, Egypt and South Africa are the two best represented African countries in the ranking, with eight universities each.
But South Africa and Uganda are the only two countries with a university in the top 500.
The ranking rates university performance using 13 different indicators measuring teaching, research, research impact, innovation and international outlook.
UTC, the best in Africa, is located at the foot of the Table Mountain, offering spectacular views of Devil’s Peak and across the city.
The university was founded in 1829, earning its status as the oldest university in the country and the second oldest in Africa, behind the University of Sierra Leone founded two years earlier.
Around 18 per cent of its student body are international.
Mekerere University Kampala (MUK), on the other hand, is the largest university in Uganda. It was established as a technical school in 1922 and has become one of the most prestigious universities in Africa.
The university is made up of nine colleges and a School of Law, serving around 36,000 undergraduates and 4,000 postgraduates.
The university was also a centre for literary activity and culture that formed a nationalistic identity in independent Uganda.The full list
1. University of Cape Town – South Africa
2. University of the Witwatersrand – South Africa
3. Makerere University – Uganda
4. Stellenbosch University – South Africa
5. University of kwaZulu Natal – South Africa
6. American University in Cairo – Egypt
7. University of Ghana – Ghana
8. University of Johannesburg – South Africa
9. University of Pretoria – South Africa
10. Sohag University – Egypt
