Image: University of the Western CapeThe University of the Western Cape (UWC) has strengthened key measures of its academic performance while retaining its place among the world’s top universities in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.
This year’s rankings include 2 297 institutions across 118 countries and territories, with 109 new entrants. UWC’s continued place among the top 800 universities suggests sustained competitiveness in an expanding field, while gains in its underlying indicators show progress beyond the ranking band position. UWC also retained its seventh place in South Africa despite four additional South African universities joining the rankings this year, bringing the national total of institutions ranked to 17.
The results recognise strengths central to UWC’s future: producing influential research, developing the next generation of scholars and contributing knowledge that responds to society’s needs. These scores align with UWC’s strategic plan (Institutional Operating Plan 2026–2030), which places research excellence, postgraduate education and the development of the next generation of scholars at the centre of its research ambitions.
Publishing research and developing doctoral graduates are among UWC’s clearest areas of progress. Its score for research publications per researcher rose from 74,6 to 84,9. UWC’s score for training doctoral graduates increased from 61,9 to 72,9.
UWC also stands out for the influence of its research and its cross-border connections. It scored 69,6 for Research Quality, reflecting how other scholars refer to UWC’s research and build on its work. For International Outlook, reflecting its international research collaboration, staff and students, UWC scored 61,2. On both measures, UWC scored higher than half of the universities ranked worldwide.
“We are encouraged by the progress these rankings recognise as UWC develops into a leading research university. Our purpose remains clear: to advance knowledge that transforms lives and environments for the public good,” said UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Robert Balfour.
Gains in research productivity and doctoral education, together with UWC’s international reach, provide a strong foundation for this direction. They highlight strengths the University can build on as it develops its research capacity and creates opportunities for emerging scholars.
For UWC, the achievement represents both global recognition and a foundation for its next chapter: developing researchers, advancing knowledge and bringing that expertise to bear on the issues that shape people’s lives.
