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Hierarchical lists that rank universities are regularly published by the popular press.[1]These different tables (see below) attempt to fulfill a demand for information and transparency. However, rankings influence students' choices and distort higher education policies[2]. List producers allow well remunerated[3] vice-chancellors to claim a top spot for their university in an educational league. These ranking, the publishers claim, are determined by quantitative indicators. [4]Published research suggests otherwise, rankings are re-shaping public education and harming the academic project. According to an Independent Expert Group (IEG), convened by the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health, [5] Global university rankings are
- conceptually invalid
- based on flawed and insufficiently transparent data and methods
- biased towards research, STEM subjects, and English-speaking scholars
- are colonial and accentuate global, regional, and national inequalities.
Rankings of universities in South Africa are used to influence how students, parents, policymakers, employers, the wider public and other stakeholders think about higher education. These local league tables are based on international university rankings since there are no South African rankings yet. This absence might be attributed to international criticism of college and university rankings. Its generally agreed that rankings apply questionable criteria and an opaque methodology. The Council for Higher Education (CHE) has recently taken a critical perspective on university rankings, [6]publishing an opinion that argues that rankings are both neocolonial and neoliberal. According to the author, more than 47 publishing companies have used “inappropriate indicators …as a proxy for offering a quality education”.[7]
Higher Education is being re-shaped by private for-profit companies [8]and are part of a billion-dollar profit center for the companies owning them [9]. Ranking companies prey on universities and governments in the global south, and their anxieties to be seen as a “world class” university [10] This has led to number of gaming behaviors in the sector.[11] This is a global problem, and it seems that Higher Education priorities are misplaced, with marketing and communications officials focused on branding their institutions, looking appealing to prospective students, by referring repeatedly to rankings, instead of focusing on the needs of actual students[12] Since 2013, Rhodes University has held this critical position about rankings [13]Rhodes position was given credence by Wits University, when Wits recently re-published an article in “The Conversation”[14]entitled “ University rankings are unscientific and bad for education: experts point out the flaws”.[15] This stance is increasingly supported by notable institutions beyond North America, such as the University of Zurich, Utrecht University, and some of the Indian Institutes of Technology.[16] Recently Nature concurred with this opinion that rankings are methodologically problematic.[7]
Notwithstanding the above information, the numerous international university rankings do seem to agree that South Africa's university system is the strongest on the continent: it is home to 8 of the top 10 highest ranked African universities,[17][18], they just can’t seem to come to a consensus as to which of the big five are academically, after University of Cape Town , [19], also sit at the top of the league tables. The race for second place, takes place between Stellenbosch University, University of Pretoria, University of the Witwatersrand, University of Johannesburg and University of Kwa Zulu Natal as they each vie for the next highest position, with no consensus on who is ranked below the first position, in the Olympic rankings race.[20]
Context on South African higher educational institutions
A 2010 Centre for Higher Education Transformation report identified three university clusters in South Africa, grouped according to function. The input variables used to group universities were:
- Percentage of headcount enrolment in science, engineering and technology
- Masters and doctoral enrolments
- Student-to-staff ratios
- Permanent staff with doctoral degrees
- Private and government income
- Student fee income
The output variables were:
- Student success rates
- Graduation rates
- Weighted research output units per permanent staff member
The Red cluster constitutes the top research-intensive universities. The Blue cluster consists of institutions focused primarily on technical training, while the Green cluster includes institutions which show characteristics of both missions. The clusters are:[21]
| South African University Clusters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Red Cluster | Green Cluster | Blue Cluster |
| Top Research-Intensive Universities | Technical Training | Research-Intensive Universities & Technical Training |
| University of the Witwatersrand | University of the Free State | Vaal University of Technology |
| Stellenbosch University | University of KwaZulu-Natal | Central University of Technology |
| University of Cape Town | North-West University | Durban University of Technology |
| University of Pretoria | University of Fort Hare | Mangosuthu University of Technology |
| Rhodes University | University of Limpopo | Tshwane University of Technology |
| University of the Western Cape | Cape Peninsula University of Technology | |
| University of Johannesburg | University of Venda | |
| Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University | Walter Sisulu University | |
| University of Zululand | ||
Rankings
In part because of the inherent difficulty of ranking complex educational institutions, there are an expanding number of competing international university ranking schemes, each with a different emphasis. Four of the most prominent are the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (most widely accepted), The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), QS World University Rankings, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU, sometimes referred to as the "Shanghai Rankings").
Times Higher Education World University rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked the top South African universities as follows:[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]
| Times Higher Education 2011 to 2024 South Africa Rank | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA Rank | University | World Rank | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | ||
| 1 | University of Cape Town | 167 | 160 | 183 | 155 | 136 | 136 | 171 | 148 | 120 | 124 | 126 | 126 | 103 | 107 |
| =2 | Stellenbosch University | 301–350 | 251–300 | 251–300 | 251–300 | 251–300 | 251–300 | 351–400 | 401-500 | 301-350 | 276-300 | 301-350 | 301-350 | 251-275 | - |
| =2 | University of the Witwatersrand | 301–350 | 251–300 | 251–300 | 201–250 | 194 | 194 | 251–300 | 182 | 201-250 | 251-275 | 226-250 | 226-250 | 251-275 | - |
| 4 | University of Johannesburg | 401–500 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601-800 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| =5 | University of KwaZulu-Natal | 501–600 | 401–500 | 351–400 | 351–400 | 401–500 | 401–500 | 401–500 | 501-600 | 401-500 | - | - | - | - | - |
| =5 | University of Pretoria | 501–600 | 801–1000 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601-800 | 501-600 | - | - | - | - | - |
| =7 | North-West University | 601–800 | 601–800 | 501–600 | 501–600 | 501–600 | 501–600 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| =7 | University of the Western Cape | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601–800 | 601-800 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| =9 | University of the Free State | 801–1000 | 801–1000 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| =9 | Rhodes University | - | 801–1000 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| =11 | Durban University of Technology | 1001–1200 | 501–600 | 401–500 | 401–500 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| =11 | University of South Africa | 1001–1200 | 1001–1200 | 801–1000 | 1001+ | 1001+ | 1001+ | 801–1000 | 801+ | 601-800 | - | - | - | - | - |
| =13 | University of Venda | 1201–1500 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| =13 | Tshwane University of Technology | 1201–1500 | - | 1001–1200 | 1001+ | 801–1000 | 801–1000 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| =13 | University of Venda | 1201–1500 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| =13 | University of Fort Hare | - | 1201–1500 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
QS World University rankings
QS World University Rankings ranked the top South African universities as follows (before 2010 the ranking was known as the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings):[36]