Top Ugandan Universities in 2026 Ranked: Makerere Leads as NCHE Unveils New Ranking Parameters

Makerere University has lived the test of time. The oldest higher institution of learning in East Africa has been ranked the top university in the region. It is followed by the University of Nairobi in second position. In Africa, it is ranked 7th. From research and innovation to PhDs and the largest enrolment, Makerere remains at the summit of a pack of 343 universities within the East African Community.

Rankings conducted by EduRank and Webometrics, both reputable research houses, place Makerere University in the lead, followed by Kampala International University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) in second and third position respectively.

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Whilst the two research houses agree on the top three positions, they differ in the subsequent numbers from fourth position to tenth. Edu-Rank places Kyambogo University in fourth position, Gulu University in fifth position, with Uganda Christian University (UCU) and Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) coming in sixth and seventh respectively.

On the other hand, Webometrics places Uganda Management Institute in fourth position, while Kyambogo, UMU and Gulu are ranked fifth, sixth and seventh respectively.

Methodology: How the Rankings Work

The positions of Ugandan universities according to Edu-Rank are based on its 2025 report, while those of Webometrics are based on the January 2026 report. According to EduRank.org, the institution ranks a total of 14,131 universities across 183 countries, utilising the world’s largest scholarly papers database, with 119,027,372 scientific publications and 3,164,054,493 citations, to rank universities across 246 research topics.

The overall rankings incorporate non-academic prominence and alumni popularity indicators, as well as information drawn from official university websites regarding the latest enrolment figures.

The Webometrics ranking of world universities, produced by the Cybermetrics Lab of the Spanish National Research Council, reviews at least 31,000 higher education institutions from 222 countries, based on their web presence, visibility and open-access scientific results.

NCHE Unveils New Ranking Parameters

According to the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), global rankings are a fair indication of the quality of universities. Dr. Vincent Sembatya, the director of quality assurance at NCHE, said being ranked by a reputable research house is a privilege to any institution and that it demonstrates that the institution has reached a higher benchmark.

“With such rankings, the higher institutions of learning are able to identify areas in which they should improve. Although some rankings are biased towards a certain goal, generally they are good for any institution,” he said.

Sembatya said research and innovation are key for a university to attain a higher position in global rankings. The New Vision has learnt that NCHE is set to roll out approximately 50 new parameters that would place Ugandan universities in better positions in global rankings.

In addition to the number of programmes offered and the level of education of university staff, the new parameters to be introduced by NCHE will capture the drop-out rate at each university, the employability of graduates and employer perception of graduates from each of the higher institutions of learning. Furthermore, NCHE will capture the research output of each member of academic staff at the universities, as well as the proportion of international students at each university.

Under the new parameters, NCHE will capture the sources of funding for higher institutions, including contributions from government, industry and development partners. While he confirmed that the parameters are being discussed, Sembatya said they are yet to be approved by the NCHE governing council.

First Lady: Universities Must Solve Problems, Not Just Acquire Knowledge

During the recent Makerere University graduation ceremony, the First Lady and Minister for Education, Mrs. Janet Museveni, noted that education must not only be about acquisition of knowledge, but problem solving alike. The need for innovation and problem solving, Mrs Museveni said, is the reason why the government, through her ministry, has tasked universities with introducing competence-based curriculum by July 2027, to aligned universities with lower education levels.

In her speech, the First Lady assured universities of government commitment to support research like it has already done with the Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF). Annually, the Government allocates sh30b towards the Mak-RIF programme.

What Experts Say

Prof. Francis Omaswa, a celebrated researcher, cardiovascular surgeon and retired public servant, backed the rankings, indicating that any university ought to be proud to be ranked. Omaswa advised universities, especially practical units such as medical schools, to prioritise hands-on training, in addition to research and innovation.

However, Omaswa indicated that several universities, especially private ones, are not performing well in terms of ranking because they have prioritised generating revenue and attracting large enrolments, as opposed to maintaining high standards. Omaswa has called on the Government to empower regulatory bodies such as NCHE to conduct regular inspections of higher institutions of learning.

Prof. Celestino Obua, the former vice-chancellor of MUST, urged Ugandan universities to prioritise the improvement of facilities, as well as research and innovation, in order to better their rankings. “These rankings matter. They are truly important for any institution. I wish to encourage universities to develop a culture in which they support their academic staff to conduct research and publish it,” he said.

Uganda University Rankings — Webometrics Global Position (January 2026)

1. Makerere University
2. Kampala International University
3. Mbarara University of Science and Technology
4. Uganda Management Institute
5. Kyambogo University
6. Uganda Martyrs University
7. Gulu University
8. Busitema University
9. Kabale University
10. Makerere University Business School
11. Islamic University in Uganda
12. Uganda Christian University
13. Ndeije University
14. Mountains of the Moon University
15. Kumi University
16. Uganda Technology and Management University
17. Nkumba University
18. Clarke International University
19. Lira University
20. Bishop Stuart University
21. Victoria University Kampala
22. Muni University
23. Bugema University
24. International University of East Africa
25. Cavendish University Uganda
26. Kampala University
27. Law Development Centre Kampala
28. Muteesa I Royal University
29. Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology
30. Livingstone International University
31. African Rural University
32. ISBAT University Kampala
33. University of Kisubi
34. Soroti University
35. St Lawrence University
36. Africa Reformation Theological Seminary
37. Uganda Pentecostal University
38. Insurance Training College
39. Ne.us International University
40. Metropolitan International University
41. Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services (UIBFS)
42. King Ceasor University
43. Institute of Petroleum Studies Kampala
44. Team University Kampala
45. Ibanda University
46. Ankole Western University
47. Africa Renewal University
48. Greenbridge School of Open Technology
49. All Saints University Lango
50. University of The Sacred Heart Gulu
51. Artfield Institute of Design Kampala
52. Valley University of Science and Technology
53. Fins Medical University
54. Glad Tidings Bible College
55. Institute of Advanced Leadership Uganda
56. Salaama Vocational Education Center
57. Permanent Centre for Education
58. Management and Accountancy Training Company Limited
59. Great Lakes Regional University
60. Monaco Institute
61. Kayima International University
62. Mulago School of Nursing and Midwifery
63. e uaton University of Science and Technology
64. Avance International University
65. Kampala School of Health Sciences

EduRank: Best Universities in Uganda — 2025

1. Makerere University
2. Kampala International University
3. Mbarara University of Science and Technology
4. Kyambogo University
5. Gulu University
6. Uganda Christian University
7. Uganda Martyrs University
8. Busitema University
9. Islamic University in Uganda
10. Nkumba University
11. Mountains of the Moon
12. St. Augustine International University
13. Victoria University
14. Ndeije University
15. International University of East Africa
16. Cavendish University Uganda
17. Kabale University
18. Bugema University
19. Bishop Stuart University
20. Kampala University
21. Uganda Technology and Management University
22. Clarke University
23. Kumi University
24. Muni University
25. Muteesa 1 Royal University
26. Lira University
27. Livingstone International University
28. African Rural University
29. Busoga University
30. Soroti University
31. Uganda Pentecostal University
32. St Lawrence University-Uganda
33. Team University
34. African Bible University
35. International Business, Science and Technology University
36. All Saints University
37. University of the Sacred Heart Gulu
38. Africa Renewal University
39. Ibanda University
40. Ankole Western University
41. Metropolitan International University
42. Avance International University
43. Staff University Uganda
44. Kayima International University
45. Valley University of Science and Technology
46. Mityana Agro-vet Institute