Sources
| footnote | title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026 |
| 2 | Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2027 |
| 3 | US News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings 2026–2027 |
| 4 | Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) World University Rankings 2026 |
| 5 | ShanghaiRanking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026 |
| 6 | Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026 |
| 7 | THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026 |
| 8 | THE World University Rankings by Subject 2026 |
| 9 | QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 |
| 10 | ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) 2026 |
| 11 | ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments 2025 |
World Rankings Data
| detail | max | min | name | source | value | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 | 164 | 164 | THE World | 1 | =164th | 2191 |
| Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings 2027 | 184 | 184 | QS World | 2 | 184th | 1503 |
| Best Global Universities Rankings 2026–2027 | 122 | 122 | US News Global | 3 | =122nd | 2250 |
| Center for World University Rankings 2026 | 276 | 276 | CWUR | 4 | 276th | 2000 |
| Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026 | 286 | 286 | ARWU | 5 | 286th | 1000 |
| QS Sustainability 2026 | 59 | 59 | QS Sustainability | 6 | =59th | 1994 |
Sustainability Rankings Data
| label | rank | total |
|---|---|---|
| Governance | 38 | 2001 |
| Environmental impact | 55 | 2001 |
| Social impact | 111 | 2001 |
Times Higher Education SDG Ratings Data
| title | rank |
|---|---|
| SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals | 8th in the world |
| SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation | 28th in the world |
| SDG 14 – Life Below Water | 36th in the world |
| SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions | =36th in the world |
| SDG 1 – No Poverty | 50th in the world |
| SDG 5 – Gender Equality | =64th in the world |
| SDG 15 – Life on Land | =72nd in the world |
| SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities | =82nd in the world |
| SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure | 72nd in the world |
Subject Rankings Data
| band | rank | Ranking organisation | source | subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 20 | 10th in the world | ShanghaiRanking | ShanghaiRanking Sport Science 2025 | Sport science schools and departments |
| Top 20 | 11th in the world | QS | QS Subject Rankings 2026 | Development studies |
| Top 50 | 28th in the world | US News | US News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings 2026-2027 | Infectious diseases |
| Top 50 | 36th in the world | ShanghaiRanking | ShanghaiRanking GRAS 2026 | Geography |
| Top 50 | 48th in the world | US News | US News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings 2026-2027 | Public, Environmental and Occupational Health |
| Top 100 | =69th in the world | US News | US News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings 2026-2027 | Immunology |
| Top 100 | =75th in the world | US News | US News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings 2026-2027 | Microbiology |
| Top 100 | 51–75 range | ShanghaiRanking | ShanghaiRanking GRAS 2026 | Oceanography |
| Top 100 | 51–100 range | QS | QS Subject Rankings 2026 | Anthropology |
| Top 100 | 51–100 range | QS | QS Subject Rankings 2026 | Archaeology |
| Top 100 | 51–100 range | QS | QS Subject Rankings 2026 | Mineral & Mining Engineering |
| Top 100 | 51–100 range | QS | QS Subject Rankings 2026 | Sports-Related Subjects |
| Top 100 | 76–100 range | ShanghaiRanking | ShanghaiRanking GRAS 2026 | Mining & Mineral Engineering |
| Top 100 | 76–100 range | ShanghaiRanking | ShanghaiRanking GRAS 2026 | Public Health |
| Top 100 | =75th in the world | THE | THE Subject Rankings 2026 | Medical and health |
| Top 100 | =88th in the world | QS | QS Subject Rankings 2026 | Medicine |
| Top 100 | =89th in the world | THE | THE Subject Rankings 2026 | Social Sciences |
| Top 100 | 94th in the world | THE | THE Subject Rankings 2026 | Education Studies |
| Top 100 | =100 | QS | QS Subject Rankings 2026 | Life Sciences and Medicine |
Other Featured Rankings Data
| title | value |
|---|---|
| THE Reputation Rankings 2025 | 201-300 range |
| Financial Times Executive Education Rankings 2026 | 71st in the world for open enrolment |
University of Cape Town
Rankings at a glance
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is recognised in a range of global and regional university rankings. These rankings provide different perspectives on UCT’s performance, including its research, teaching, global engagement and contribution to society.
Continental position 1st in Africa Across four major global ranking systems
Headline world rankings
UCT’s position across leading global university rankings provides a broad view of its international standing and performance.
World ranking comparison
Compare UCT’s position across leading global ranking systems, each of which uses different methodologies, indicators and measures of university performance.
Sustainability rankings
QS evaluates the sustainability performance of more than 2,000 institutions worldwide, assessing their environmental and social impact, as well as governance.
Impact and SDG rankings
SDG results are grouped by exact ranks and ranking bands.
THE Impact Rankings 2025 101–200 Overall ranking band
Subject ranking explorer
Filter by subject, ranking band or ranking provider.
Other featured rankings
Other featured rankings highlight UCT’s international reputation, global outlook and performance in specific areas of higher education.