The University of Cape Town (UCT) has improved its global standing to 122nd in the latest US News Best Global Universities Rankings, retaining its position as Africa’s highest-ranked institution. The rankings emphasize research output, academic reputation, and citations, with UCT showing particular strength in infectious diseases, ranking 14th globally. These results underscore UCT’s significant contributions to international research, especially in areas addressing societal challenges like infectious diseases, public health, and environmental studies.

• UCT is ranked 122nd globally in the 2026-2027 US News Best Global Universities Rankings, up from 124th.
• It remains the highest-ranked university in Africa and is among the top 5% of 2,250 assessed institutions worldwide.
• UCT performed particularly well in infectious diseases, ranking 14th globally.
• The rankings focus on research output, academic reputation, publications, citations, and international collaboration.
• The university’s research impact is noted in areas such as infectious diseases, public health, mental health, and environmental studies.