Ranking 20 of the best South African Universities in 2026
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View Editorial TeamWant to study at one of South Africa's top 20 Universities? Read this article which is updated annually through analytics of all the major universities in South Africa.
Best Universities in South Africa for the 2026/27 intake
| Rank | Name | Main Campus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cape Town (UCT) | Cape Town, Western Cape |
| 2 | University of Johannesburg (UJ) | Johannesburg, Gauteng |
| 3 | Stellenbosch University (SU) | Stellenbosch, Western Cape |
| 4 | University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) | Johannesburg, Gauteng |
| 5 | University of Pretoria (UP) | Pretoria, Gauteng |
| 6 | University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal |
| 7 | Rhodes University (RU) | Makhanda, Eastern Cape |
| 8 | University of South Africa (UNISA) | Pretoria, Gauteng (Distance Learning) |
| 9 | University of the Free State (UFS) | Bloemfontein, Free State |
| 10 | University of the Western Cape (UWC) | Bellville (Cape Town), Western Cape |
| 11 | North-West University (NWU) | Potchefstroom, North West |
| 12 | Nelson Mandela University (NMU) | Gqeberha, Eastern Cape |
| 13 | Durban University of Technology (DUT) | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal |
| 14 | Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) | Pretoria, Gauteng |
| 15 | Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) | Cape Town, Western Cape |
| 16 | University of Fort Hare (UFH) | Alice, Eastern Cape |
| 17 | Central University of Technology (CUT) | Bloemfontein, Free State |
| 18 | University of Venda (UniVen) | Thohoyandou, Limpopo |
| 19 | Vaal University of Technology (VUT) | Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng |
| 20 | Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) | Ga-Rankuwa (Pretoria), Gauteng |