The latest international university rankings have placed UWC in the Top 10 universities in SA. Images: Shelley Christians/UWC

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has once again secured its place among the world's leading research institutions, according to the latest US News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings that were released in June.

The rankings, which evaluate more than 2 250 universities across 105 countries based largely on academic research performance, global reputation, publications, citations and international collaboration over a five year period (2021-2025), ranked UWC as the 26th best university in Africa, the eighth in South Africa and the 657th globally. 

To be eligible for inclusion in the rankings, universities must have published at least 100 research papers indexed in the Scopus database over a recent five-year period.

The latest score placed UWC in the same bracket as major universities in Europe, the United States, South America and Asia - such the University of Central Lancashire and University of Bradford in the UK, Hasselt University in Belgium, and Villanova University in the US - that fall within 600th and 700th place globally.

In the latest rankings, several of UWC’s science disciplines achieved strong international rankings, with some outperforming the University’s overall rankings. These include Space Science, which was ranked 143rd globally; Public, Environmental and Occupational Health, which ranked 327th globally; followed by Social Sciences and Public Health at 578th place.

UWC’s science disciplines, such as Space Science, achieved strong international rankings in the latest U.S News university rankings.

UWC’s Chemistry programme has been ranked 1,298th globally. The University’s rising international profile was reflected in its strong citation performance and an international co-authorship score of 85.3, demonstrating its growing influence as a globally connected institution for teaching, research and innovation.

UWC’s Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Prof Priscilla Baker, said the University’s continuous inclusion in the US News Best Global Universities rankings “is a powerful testament to its transformation from a historically disadvantaged institution into a formidable, research-intensive global contender”.

“Ranking in the top 15 South African universities and placing firmly within the top tier worldwide - UWC continues to punch well above its weight on the international stage,” she said.

The latest US News rankings were consistent with the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, which placed UWC in the 601–800 global band and 7th among South African universities. The THE rankings also highlighted UWC's strong international research collaborations, awarding the University an international co-authorship score of 85.3, reflecting its growing global research network and reputation as a centre of teaching, research and innovation.

More than half of UWC's research output was produced through international collaborations, with these partnerships generating significantly higher citation rates than single-institution publications. UWC's Social Sciences discipline was ranked in the 501–600 global band by THE rankings, reflecting the faculty's resilience and growing international competitiveness.