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In Africa, there are top-ranked colleges that provide great education to both local and international students. Academic benchmarks such as stability, infrastructural development, and academic facility provision are used to evaluate these universities. Most importantly, a wide variety of schools and institutions across the continent offer world-class education. Medicine, politics, foreign languages, music, international relations, and international development are among areas where African universities excel. Of course, any subject is available and is determined by the university.\

However, knowing the best and suitable Institution to choose to further your academics can be a herculean task due to the numerous numbers of Institutions in the Continent

Therefore, in this article, we will be making a list of the best universities in Africa should in case considering studying in a top college in Africa.

Below are the Best Universities in Africa based on academic standards, exposure

1. University of Cape Town

The Institution of Cape Town (UCT) is a South African public university based in Cape Town. UCT is South Africa’s oldest university, having been founded in 1829. It has a long history of academic distinction and cutting-edge research, faculty, and students. The remarkable beauty of UCT is also well-known. The campus is situated at the base of Devil’s Peak on Table Mountain, with a stunning panoramic vista.

In both the QS World University Rankings and the Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities, the University of Cape Town Campus is the highest ranked African university. In the 2009 THES-QS rating, the University is ranked 146th. It is the only African university in the top 200 universities in the world.  The UCT campus resembles Cape Town in that it represents a thriving, cosmopolitan community. UCT is a cultural melting pot where everyone brings their own unique perspective and knowledge. The faculty and students hail from more than 100 African and international countries. The university is well-known for forging connections, partnerships, and exchange agreements with top African and worldwide institutions, all of which contribute to the campus’s intellectual, social, and cultural diversity. UCT has a long history of academic success and is currently Africa’s top-rated university as well as one of the best in the world.

Its researchers continue to contribute to the development of African-based solutions to global issues such as climate change, urbanization, safety and security, education, and health, to name a few. Many UCT scholars are world leaders in their fields, which means that collaborating or studying with UCT will expose you to the most cutting-edge scholarly work and research breakthroughs.

UCT encourages students to develop their leadership and service abilities in addition to offering great instruction. Students are encouraged to participate in the many volunteer projects taking place in the community, to join one of the campus’s 100+ organizations or over 40 sports groups, or to give back to the university by serving in student government.

UCT continues to develop as a globally linked and relevant institution, enhancing the uniqueness of our own African scholarship by drawing students and academics from around the world to experience what the continent’s premier university has to offer.

2. Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University is one of South Africa’s premier research universities. It is proud of having one of the greatest proportions of postgraduate students in the country, with about 10 percent of international students. In the heart of the Western Cape Winelands, the University is located in the scenic Jonkershoek Valley. The University’s early roots may be traced back to the 17th century, when it began with normal classroom education. The Stellenbosch Gymnasium opened in 1866 and the Theological Seminary in 1859. The Stellenbosch Gymnasium’s “Arts Department” became the Stellenbosch College in 1881, then the Victoria College in 1887. In 1918, Victoria College was demolished to make way for a new university, and Stellenbosch University welcomed 500 students and 39 instructors. Since then, the University has grown into the internationally renowned institution of excellence it is today, with over 24 000 students, 800 lecturers, and 50 research and service organizations. The University has ten faculties, eight of which are located on the main campus in Stellenbosch (AgriSciences, Arts and Social Sciences, Education, Engineering, Law, Science, Theology, and the majority of Economic and Management Sciences), and the Faculty of Health Sciences is located on the Tygerberg campus. The Business School and the school’s Executive Development program are both located on the Bellville Park site. The Faculty of Military Sciences is based in the coastal town of Saldanha. The four campuses of Stellenbosch University are a thriving melting pot of different cultures, with a diverse range of student organizations. They cover a wide range of topics, including culture, politics, religion, spirituality, and relaxation. There are also a number of well-known and established student activities, such as RAG, that contribute to the distinctive experience of being a Matie, as a Stellenbosch student is affectionately known. SU also has the second-highest number of scientists ranked by the National Research Foundation (NRF) in South Africa, with 306 in 2012. The University is a leader in biomedical tuberculosis research and management, wine biotechnology, animal sciences, and mathematical biosciences, with 18 research chairs under the NRF South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChi). Another SARChi chair is shared between SU and the University of Venda in the topic of invasion biology. This is only one of SU’s many local and worldwide collaborations. SU also participates in a number of international academic networks as a preferred research partner.

 3. University of Witwatersrand

The University of the Witwatersrand, also known as “Wits,” sprang out of the South African School of Mines, which was founded in Kimberley in 1896. The university relocated to Johannesburg in 1904 and was granted full university status in 1922. It espoused a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of race from the outset, which led to considerable dispute with the government during the apartheid era, involving police raids and the arrest of both teachers and students.

Though primarily based in the central Johannesburg district of Braamfontein, the institution expanded significantly in the 1960s and 1970s, constructing facilities in regions such as Hillbrow and Parktown. It also purchased two farms, Sterkfontein and Swartkrans, about 40 kilometers to the north-west, which include a well-known complex of limestone caves and have proven to be a rich source of archaeological artifacts. We support cross-disciplinary research and collaborate with the top scholars and institutions throughout the world, with more than 85 percent of our research published in approved international publications. Wits is at the vanguard of everything from recounting the story of life to solving deep level mining challenges, from hunting for the Higgs boson at CERN to understanding the complexity of human connection.

Wits University generates more millionaires than any other university in South Africa. Our graduates have gone on to become world leaders in every field. They have developed cultural institutions, battled inequalities, and made their communities better places to live as a result of their civic involvement. Our alumni office offers special services, networks, and news. Being a member of Wits has numerous advantages. Wits is on the ground making a difference, from finding what lies beneath the earth’s surface to saving lives through better health care systems. We have over 50 current initiatives across Africa, and our relationships, collaborations, personnel, student exchanges, and alumni give us a global presence. Nelson Mandela, the most famous alumnus of the university, studied law there before becoming President of South Africa and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Nadine Gordimer (Nobel Prize for Literature, 1991) and Aaron Klug (Nobel Prize for Chemistry, 1982) both earned their bachelor’s degrees at Wits, as did Sydney Brenner (Nobel Prize for Medicine, 2002). The African Research Universities Alliance was co-founded by Wits University.

4. University of Cape Coast

The University of Cape Coast is the highest ranked university in Ghana and West Africa, and it is one of the top five universities in Africa according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2022. The University of Cape Coast is also ranked first in the world for research impact. The University of Cape Coast is 500 meters from the Atlantic Ocean. This makes it one of the world’s few seafront universities. The university is located in Cape Coast, which is renowned as one of the most popular tourist destinations in West Africa due to its historic sites, national park, and gorgeous and clean beaches. The University of Cape Coast is an equal opportunity institution with a unique position to deliver high-quality education through comprehensive, liberal, and professional programs that push students to be creative, imaginative, and morally responsible citizens. Humanities, social sciences, engineering, and science are all areas of specialization. The University of Cape Coast lies in Cape Coast, Ghana’s central region, one of the country’s most intellectually vibrant and culturally diversified places. The University was founded in response to a critical shortage of highly trained and talented individuals in education to provide leadership and enlightenment. Its original goal was thus to train graduate professional teachers for Ghana’s second cycle institutions and the Ministry of Education, in order to meet the country’s accelerated education program’s staffing demands at the time. With the development of some of its faculties and the diversification of its programs, the University now has the capacity to address the workforce demands of the country’s other ministries and sectors, in addition to the Ministry of Education.

5. University of Kwazulu Natal

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), one of South Africa’s largest residential universities, combines the resources, facilities, and intellectual capital of two major regional universities following the merging of the Universities of Natal and Durban-Westville. The University is dedicated to academic excellence and the advancement of knowledge through globally competitive teaching, learning, scholarship, research, and innovation, as well as academic freedom. UKZN boasts over 49 000 students and provides a broad portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate programs on five campuses, as well as the knowledge of South Africa’s best professors and internationally renowned scientists. The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) was founded on January 1, 2004, when the University of Durban-Westville and the University of Natal merged to form the University of KwaZulu-Natal. UKZN has five campuses, with a total student population of over 49000 in 2019 and over 1300 academic staff. In 2019, at least 14% of full-time academics and 18% of postgraduates (Masters and Doctoral) were international. UKZN offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in a variety of fields. UKZN is a research-intensive university, and the Department of Higher Education’s evaluation of South African publicly financed universities’ research outputs in 2018 placed UKZN in first place. The NIH-funded Centre for AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), and the Kwazulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform are all located at UKZN (KRISP). The DST-NRF Centre for African Indigenous Knowledge Systems is also based at UKZN (AIKS). All of this happened while UKZN was merging and undergoing a huge shift. UKZN is committed to transformation in its broadest sense, and has produced a Transformation Charter to that aim. Its goal is to lay the groundwork for Africa’s premier university, one that is united in and leverages its diversity.

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6. Cairo university

Cairo University is one of Egypt’s premier universities. The university is ranked 476 in international rankings, placing it within the top 5% in the world. Several students have attended medical school at the University of Cairo each year. Due to its historical significance as one of Egypt’s earliest colleges, Egyptian universities refer to it as the “mother of universities.”

The objective of Cairo University’s Faculty of Medicine is to prepare world-class physicians who will benefit the community and take over the world. Through disciplined study and excellent research facilities, the university tries to bring forth the best in its students. Students are taught interactive learning approaches so that they can overcome future challenges. The institution was ranked first in Egypt in the ARWU 2014 ranking, and it was the only Egyptian university in the list. It received a global rating of 401-500. The university has adopted interactive learning strategies in order to better prepare students for future difficulties. They grow proficient enough in completing tasks that no obstacle will be able to stop them. There are currently 26 faculties, all of which are capable of producing the results that the folks want. Over 5000 students have applied for admission, and they are all well settled in their employment and gaining knowledge in their fields.

7. Addis Ababa University

Addis Ababa University (AAU), founded in 1950 as the University College of Addis Ababa (UCAA), is Ethiopia’s oldest and largest higher learning and research school. Since its foundation, the University has been recognized as a premier center for teaching-learning, research, and community service.

AAU began with 33 students in 1950 and now has 47,610 students (29,872 undergraduate, 15,398 Master’s, and 2,340 PhD students) and 8,709 employees (3,110 academics, 4,346 admin support staff and 1253 health Professionals). The University offers 70 undergraduate programs, 293 graduate programs (72 PhD and 221 Masters), and numerous specialities in Health Sciences across its 14 campuses. In recent years, the University has implemented a number of reform initiatives in order to keep up with and respond to the rapidly changing national and international educational dynamics. The University currently includes ten colleges, four institutes that perform both teaching and research, and six research institutes that primarily undertake research. There are 55 departments, 12 centers, 12 schools, and two teaching hospitals among these academic units. The following academic units are available at the University

8. Alexandria University

Alexandria University is one of Egypt’s largest institutions and the third to be created, following Cairo University and the American University in Cairo. Alexandria University was founded in 1938 as a branch of Cairo University (formerly Fouad I) and initially consisted of only two faculties: the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Law. It was later formed as Farouk I University in Alexandria by royal order on August 2, 1942, with seven faculties. At the time, Dr. Taha Hussein (Dean of Arabic Literature) was the first to assume the presidency of Alexandria University (1942-1944). It was awarded the name “Alexandria University” in July 1952, and its function has grown since then with the development of new faculties and specializations. Alexandria University today has 21 university faculties as well as three postgraduate specialty institutes. In 2010, the university opened two branches in African countries, namely the N’djamena branch (Chad) and the Tong branch (South Sudan). 

Alexandria University is one of the world’s largest universities, with over 142 thousand students. Both domestic and international students are welcome at the university. Around 3% of AU’s students are international. The university employs more than 7,000 faculty members. The university’s international exchange programs are open to both students and academic personnel. You can follow the university on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook to learn more about its day-to-day operations.

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 9. University Of Ibadan 

The Institution of Ibadan (U.I.) was founded in 1948 and is Nigeria’s oldest university, with over 33,000 students and 150,000 alumni in 160 countries worldwide. It is presently a designated post-graduate university that trains thousands of people to satisfy labor market demands. U.I is a federally supervised public institution in the center of Ibadan, Oyo state, West Africa’s largest city. The National Universities Commission recently named U.I as the greatest university in Nigeria (2015). (NUC). The University’s outstanding Social Science faculty and College of Medicine have earned it international acclaim. The University is also known for having the most Professors and the most collaborations in Nigeria. It is linked with the University College Hospital (UCH), which was founded in response to the country’s demand for medical personnel and other healthcare professionals training. Among government-owned hospitals, it is regarded as one of the best in the country. The institution is also linked with Northwestern University’s Global Health Center, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the National Medical Association (NMA), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). The University’s outstanding Social Science faculty and College of Medicine have earned it international acclaim. The university is also known for having the most professors and the most collaborations in Nigeria. It is linked with the University College Hospital (UCH), which was founded in response to the country’s need for medical and other healthcare workers to be trained. Among other government-owned hospitals, it is regarded as one of the best in the country. The Global Health Center at Northwestern University, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the National Medical Association (NMA), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the Association of Commonwealth Universities are all connected with the institution (ACU).

10. University of Pretoria

The University of Pretoria (UP) is one of Africa’s finest institutions and South Africa’s largest contact university. We do research that has a social impact in order to identify solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

As one of South Africa’s largest research universities, we focus on discovering answers to societal problems. We attract students from all around the world who wish to work and study with our world-class researchers in our exceptional facilities The University of Pennsylvania contains nine Faculties that enroll undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). According to the most recent audited numbers given by the Department of Education, the University of Pretoria remains South Africa’s premier university. Collaborative research is highly valued at the University of Pretoria. Collaborations with institutions in the European Union (48 percent) were the most common in 2006, followed by the United States (26 percent), Oceania (5 percent), and Southern African Development Community countries (4 percent ).

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In Africa, a wide number of commercial and state-run institutions provide tertiary education and training. Education in South Africa is overseen by the Ministry of Higher Education. It is also worthy to note that Africa is an important region with some of the world’s fastest developing economies. Africa is a continent with thousands of languages and cultures, an unrivaled eco-diversity, and over a billion dynamic and innovative people. So, If you are looking for top colleges in Africa to apply to, this article’s comprehensive list of ten greatest universities in Africa is all you need.