Lists thatrank universities are regularly published by the popular press.^[1] Intended originally as a marketing or a benchmarking tool, university rankings are also used for research evaluation and policy initiatives.^[2] Major ranking organizations (see tables below) attempt to fulfill a demand for information and transparency. However, rankings influence evaluation choices and distort higher education policies.^[3] Organizations that publish these university rankings also use data analytics and maintain repositories of data that is related to institutions. They use this information to offering consulting services.^[4] The effect is that a few private data compnow are effectively responsible for educational governance.^[5] Termed the “analytics-industrial complex" ranking are more than measurements of quality, these privately held rankings define quality, shaping policy discussions and decisions.^[5]

These list producers also allow well remunerated^[6]vice-chancellors to justify their remuneration and claim a top spot for their university in an educational league.

These ranking, the publishers claim, are determined by quantitative indicators.^[7] Published research suggests otherwise, rankings are re-shaping public education and harming the academic project. According to an Independent Expert Group (IEG), convened by theUnited Nations University International Institute for Global Health,^[1] 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 internationaluniversity rankings since there are no South African rankings yet. This absence might be attributed tointernational 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,^[8] publishing an opinion that argues that rankings are bothneocolonial andneoliberal. According to the author, more than 47 publishing companies have used “inappropriate indicators …as a proxy for offering a quality education”.^[9]

Higher Education is being re-shaped by private for-profit companies^[10] and are part of a billion-dollar profit center for the companies owning them.^[11] Ranking companies prey on universities and governments in the global south, and their anxieties to be seen as a “world class” university.^[11] This has led to number of gaming behaviors in the sector.^[1] 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] RecentlyNature concurred with this opinion that rankings are methodologically problematic.^[9]

Notwithstanding the above information, the numerous international university rankings do seem to agree thatSouth 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] The top five universities in the country areStellenbosch University,University of Pretoria,University of the Witwatersrand,University of Cape Town, andUniversity of Johannesburg. The University of Cape Town is currently the highest ranked university in Africa, although the University of the Witswatersrand is generally regarded as being in a firm second place, having exceeded or tied with the University of Cape Town in major rankings in recent years. In recent years the University of Stellenbosch has created contest for the second place.^[19][20][21]

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:^[22]

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 theTimes Higher Education World University Rankings (most widely accepted), TheCenter for World University Rankings (CWUR),QS World University Rankings, and theAcademic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU, sometimes referred to as the "Shanghai Rankings").

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked the top South African universities as follows:^{[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]}

QS World University Rankings ranked the top South African universities as follows (before 2010 the ranking was known as theTimes Higher Education-QS World University Rankings):^[37]

TheAcademic Ranking of World Universities has ranked the top South African universities as follows:

Note: These are the only ranked South African universities.

The CWUR ranked the top South African Universities as follows:^[58][59]

URAP, which is a newer ranking scheme based solely on quantitative measures of academic productivity, includes data for a larger number of global universities, and thus gives an alternative view of the relative standing of more South African institutions. The 2020-2021 edition of URAP ranked the top South African Universities as follows:^[64]

University admissions in South Africa are highly competitive. South Africa has many universities renowned for their quality education and research opportunities. The limited number of spots available and the growing demand for tertiary education create high competition among matriculating students.

South African universities have some of the lowest admission rates, as onlyNSC Results, standardized test scores (National Benchmark Test) and demographic information play a role in determining admission.

In 2023, around 900 000 students participated in the NSC final exams, with around 570 000 students passing. South African universities have around 140 000 spaces for first years. Application costs range from Free to R300 ($15). Applications request the student's Grade 11 NSC results, Gender, Race and additionally may require the student to take the National Benchmark Test. Acceptance rates range from 1.35% to 20%.^[65]

• College and university rankings

• University and college rankings
• Universities in South Africa
• South Africa education-related lists

• Articles with short description
• Short description with empty Wikidata description
• Use dmy dates from June 2022
• Use South African English from March 2013
• All Wikipedia articles written in South African English