For the first time ever, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has been ranked among the top 500 universities in the world, according to the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2021.

These latest results, which were released on June 10, 2020, show a rise of 62 places from last year’s ranking, with the university now globally positioned at 439. This jump in the rankings places UJ in third position in South Africa, and fourth in Africa – and has given the university’s global standing and academic robustness a significant boost.

The QS World University Rankings are based on six performance indicators, related to global academic and employer reputation, research output and quality, internationalisation, and teaching and learning.

While the University of Cape Town (UCT) remains the top-ranked university in Africa (in position 220 in the world), UJ was the only university in South Africa to actually climb this year’s rankings. Its high overall score was achieved, in part, by its increased cohort of international staff and students, which is well above the national average of other participating South African universities.

Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, UJ Vice-Chancellor and Principal said the achievement was a well-deserved accolade for the university’s staff and students.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment and recognition for UJ. The latest global rankings reaffirm the fact that our academic programmes remain strong and relevant, as we continue with our mission to position UJ as the international university of choice, anchored in Africa and dynamically shaping the future.

“These rankings are a wonderful tribute to the sustained work of our staff and students as we continue to forge ahead and scale new heights,” he said.