The latest edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject has been released, ranking South African universities with some of the best courses in the world.
The QS ranking identifies subjects in which universities are particularly strong compared to international competitors, looking specifically at academic reputation and research output.
Research citations, as well as results from major global employer and academic surveys are also used to rank universities.
Looking specifically at the fields of accounting, finance, business, and law, five South African universities stand out for having some of the best courses in the world for these subjects.
The University of Cape Town carries the distinction of being top ranked in all but one area, with the University of Pretoria ahead of UCT as having the best course in accounting and finance.
South African universities show the best performance in the field of development studies in the QS rankings, with the University of Cape Town having the ninth best course in the world.
Wits University also stands out in this area, ranking 22nd overall, with Stellenbosch University and the University of KwaZulu Natal ranking in the top 100.
UCT further holds the distinction of being the only South African university to be ranked among the best in the world for its courses in politics and social policy and administration.
Accounting and finance
| Local | University | Global |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pretoria | 101-150 |
| 2 | University of Cape Town | 151-200 |
| 3 | University of the Witwatersrand | 251-300 |
Business and management studies
| Local | University | Global |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cape Town | 301-350 |
| 2 | University of Stellenbosch | 351-400 |
| 3 | University of the Witwatersrand | 451-500 |
Economics and econometrics
| Local | University | Global |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cape Town | 201-250 |
| 2 | University of Pretoria | 201-250 |
| 3 | University of Stellenbosch | 351-400 |
| 4 | University of Johannesburg | 351-400 |
| 5 | University of the Witwatersrand | 351-400 |
Law and legal studies
| Local | University | Global |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cape Town | 101-150 |
| 2 | University of Pretoria | 151-200 |
| 3 | University of the Witwatersrand | 251-300 |
| 4 | University of Stellenbosch | 301-350 |
Development studies
| Local | University | Global |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cape Town | 9 |
| 2 | University of the Witwatersrand | 22 |
| 3 | University of Stellenbosch | 51-100 |
| 4 | University of KwaZulu-Natal | 51-100 |
| 5 | University of the Western Cape | 51-100 |
| 6 | University of Pretoria | 101-110 |
General classification
Nine of South Africa’s universities are ranked in the QS World Rankings for 2022, led by the University of Cape Town, which ranks 226th overall.
| University | Ranking 2022 | Ranking 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| University of Cape Town | 226 | 220 |
| University of the Witwatersrand | 424 | 403 |
| University of Johannesburg | 434 | 439 |
| University of Stellenbosch | 482 | 456 |
| University of Pretoria | 601-650 | 561-570 |
| Rhodes University | 801-1000 | 801-1000 |
| University of KwaZulu-Natal | 801-1000 | 801-1000 |
| Northwestern University | 1001-1200 | 1001+ |
| University of the Western Cape | 1001-1200 | 1001+ |
Methodology
The QS Ranking is based on a mix of survey responses and hard data across six indicators, compiled and weighted to formulate a final score.
More than 80,000 academics and 40,000 employers contributed to the rankings through QS’s global surveys, while QS said it analyzed 99 million citations from 10.3 million papers and 1,000 institutions were ranked.
The main ranking indicator, representing 40% of the total score, is based on academic reputation.
Academic reputation is measured using a global survey, in which scholars were asked to identify institutions where they believe the best work is currently taking place in their area of expertise.
The indicators and scores are:
- Academic reputation (40%)
- Employer reputation (10%)
- Student-faculty ratio (20%)
- Citations by faculty (20%)
- International faculty ratio (5%)
- Rate of international students (5%)
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