A total of 45 universities across 14 African countries had 422 academic programmes ranked in the 16th edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, with Egypt and South Africa representing 90% of Africa’s entries.
Egypt, with 195 entries, and South Africa with 167 in 2026 also dominated the subject rankings in 2025.
Other African countries with ranked programmes were Tunisia (17), Ghana (9), Nigeria (9), Morocco (7), Algeria (4), Kenya (4) and Uganda (4). The rest of the African cohort were Ethiopia (2), Mauritius (1), Sudan (1), Tanzania (1) and Zimbabwe (1).
Top Performing Universities
The rankings benchmarked about 21,000 academic programmes in 1,900 universities across more than 100 countries, covering 55 disciplines within five broad faculty areas.
The University of Cape Town emerged as the most ranked institution in Africa with 40 entries, followed by Cairo University with 38. Other leading universities included the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Johannesburg, Alexandria University, the University of Pretoria, Stellenbosch University, Ain Shams University and the American University in Cairo.
Health Sciences and Medicine Take the Lead
Life sciences and medicine were the most represented faculty areas in Africa’s rankings, with the University of Cape Town ranked 100th globally.
“That prominence reflects the priorities of many African higher education systems, where well-established, high-output disciplines with a direct impact on careers, mobility and public health remain especially important.”
Ben Sowter, senior vice president at QS
He noted that universities across the continent are strengthening their roles in public health resilience, vaccine research and clinical training, while emphasising the need for sustained investment and collaboration.
“The greater opportunity is to position medical schools in Africa as hubs of health sovereignty, innovation and economic growth,” said Sowter.
Growth in Engineering and Technology
Engineering and technology ranked as the second most represented faculty area, led by Cairo University at 141st globally.
Sowter explained that these fields are increasingly central to industrial policy, green growth and digital transformation. He highlighted the need for increased investment in equipment, doctoral training and university industry collaboration to support future competitiveness.
Agriculture and Emerging Disciplines
Agriculture and forestry also gained traction, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, with strong representation from universities across multiple countries. The University of KwaZulu-Natal led this category within the 201 to 250 global band.
Six African universities ranked in the global top 50 in specific disciplines, including development studies, mining engineering, theology, hospitality management, veterinary science and petroleum engineering.
The University of Mauritius also marked a milestone by becoming the first institution from the country to feature in the rankings, debuting in hospitality and leisure management.
Regional Trends and Progress
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the number of ranked programmes slightly declined, although new subject areas such as economics, hospitality and sports showed growth.
In North Africa, Egypt recorded notable progress, increasing its total entries and achieving the highest number of improved rankings across the continent. Universities in Algeria and Morocco also made gains, particularly in engineering and science disciplines.
Despite ongoing challenges, including conflict affecting infrastructure, institutions such as the University of Khartoum maintained their presence in the rankings.
QS evaluates universities based on academic reputation, employer reputation, research impact, international outlook and teaching quality.
