Stellenbosch University (SU) has reaffirmed its place among the world’s top academic institutions, ranking within the top 350 universities globally in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.
This marks the third consecutive year that SU has achieved this distinction, maintaining its position as South Africa’s second-highest-ranked university for the fifth year running, alongside the University of the Witwatersrand.
Global Recognition for Academic Excellence
The THE World University Rankings are among the most respected international benchmarks for higher education performance. They evaluate research-intensive universities across five key areas:
- Teaching: The learning environment and academic experience
- Research Environment: Reputation, income, and productivity
- Research Quality: Citations, excellence, and strength
- International Outlook: Diversity of staff, students, and co-authorship
- Industry: Income and patents
Strengthening a Legacy of Innovation
Reflecting on the results, Prof Sibusiso Moyo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, said SU’s consistent performance underscores its growing reputation as a leading research-intensive institution in Africa.
“Although rankings are complex and influenced by multiple factors, they reaffirm the quality of our academic programmes and the continuous, high-level contributions of our researchers to global knowledge,” said Prof Moyo.
She added that the recognition highlights the university’s appeal to aspiring scholars and its influence in research and innovation across the continent.
“We continue to attract and retain exceptional talent at all levels, which strengthens our teaching, research environment, and industry collaboration. These results affirm our progress towards becoming Africa’s leading research-intensive university.”
Strong Performance Across Indicators
SU achieved improvements across several performance metrics, with its overall score rising from 51.3 to 52.8. Key gains included:
- Teaching: up from 31.2 to 34.8
- Research Environment: up from 40.1 to 40.8
- Research Quality: up from 74.6 to 75.5
- Industry: up from 89.5 to 91.8
Teaching showed the most significant year-on-year improvement, while industry collaboration emerged as SU’s strongest area. The university ranked 191st globally in this category — the highest score in South Africa.
According to THE, the industry indicator measures how effectively universities collaborate with businesses through innovation, consultancy, and invention. It reflects both institutional relevance and the ability to attract commercial research funding, a key measure of applied research impact.
Driving Research, Innovation and Impact
With steady gains in teaching, research quality, and industry partnerships, Stellenbosch University continues to strengthen its global reputation as one of the most innovative and respected universities in Africa. The results affirm SU’s commitment to advancing knowledge, nurturing excellence, and delivering tangible societal value through research and collaboration.
