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University of Ibadan

Best Universities in Sub-Saharan Africa

Have you ever considered going to a university in the beautiful continent of Africa and perhaps in Sub-saharan Africa? Then read our article until the end. We’ve picked out the best universities to look into. 

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We’ve picked our choices from Webometrics’ extensive and large ranking chart. Their rankings are based on a certain methodology by using:

  • Their own indicators.
  • Bibliometric indicators.

Webometrics assures us that the people behind their global university rankings are world-class public researchers with vast experience in evaluation. Moreover, they openly let the web communicate with them if there are any mistakes in their rankings and regularly post updates if changes come. 

So with that out of the way, let’s take a look at the thoroughly evaluated picks for the best universities across Sub-Saharan Africa.

University of Cape Town 

  • Cape Town, South Africa
  • Students: Around 28,233

University of Cape Town (UCT) is the number one University in the country of South Africa and in the whole of Africa. It currently has six campuses. The university has a substantially large amount of administrative staff, which makes sense since it has around 28,233 students or more now. 

UCT wants to be an inclusive university; they also have cutting-edge research and facilities dedicated to the workings of its students and professors. They vow to make their students leaders for a better future. The university vows to provide students with academic excellence, shown in its ranking on the continent. 

They want to provide solutions relating to urbanization, climate change, security, education, and health issues. The university gives its students many chances to participate and be part of the community. They want the students to learn hands-on by providing them with opportunities to work on volunteer projects. They also have over a hundred societies for students to join on campus.

Athletic students have a chance to join 40 sports clubs. In addition, UCT reportedly has a diverse community of students, with South African students present in the student body and students from 100 other countries across Africa and the world. 

Makerere University

  • Kampala, Uganda
  • Students: Around 35,000

Makerere University is quite an old and well-established University, with its roots dating back to 1922. Makerere is one of the oldest and most prestigious campuses in the whole of the African continent and not just Sub-Saharan Africa. Students can learn about medicine here, as well as agriculture, veterinary sciences, and teacher training, amongst other courses. 

Makerere University has recently announced that they want to become more of a research-intensive University in order to become a stronger engine of development for the country of Uganda. 

Makerere is in Uganda, which is quite a beautiful country. Neighboring Tanzania and Kenya, studying on this campus could be an unforgettable experience.

Addis Ababa University

  • Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 
  • Students: Around 47,610

This university, called AAU for short, started in 1950 and is one of the oldest and largest universities in the country of Ethiopia. The university is a leader in teaching-learning, community services, and research. It has a very large student body, as you can see, and has a whopping 14 campuses in total. 

The university also provides a myriad of undergraduate and graduate programs, with 70 bachelor’s degree programs and 293 master’s degree programs. That’s a plethora to choose from. In addition, the university aims to serve the fast-changing international educational dynamics.

Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/q3Si_spMPHo 

University of Ghana

  • Accra, Ghana
  • Students: Around 37,940 as of 2016

The premier university of Ghana was founded in 1948 and has provided educational services since. It’s a research-intensive university and wants to make an impact on a national and international level. Their vision is to gradually become a world-class research-intensive institution. 

The University of Ghana wants to provide its students with high-quality teaching and learning. At the moment, as an applicant, you can join the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Humanities, College of Health Sciences, and College of Education. 

University of Ibadan

  • Ibadan, Nigeria
  •  Students: Around 41,743

The University of Ibadan is actually the very first university that established itself in the country of Nigeria. It has 16 faculties now, which is huge. Academic programs range from Science, Art, Basic Medical Sciences, Public Health, Clinical Sciences, Social Sciences, Technology, and Economics, just to name a few. There are more to consider, so do check out their website.

The university even offers academic units in the hopes of understanding the development and well-being of children. They have the institute of child health, center for adolescents, and mental health, to name a few. This is a great feature that we think makes this university very worthy of being considered by any applicant.

This university produces a lot of the required human resources for university systems and beyond in Nigeria. The university’s vision is to be a world-class university that can meet society’s needs and to further expand its ventures on the frontiers of knowledge.

Final Thoughts

Africa is a huge and vast continent with a lot of natural beauty, rich history, and culture. It would be a wonderful learning environment for any student who wants to expand their perspective of the world. It would certainly be a great exchange program opportunity for any student. 

We hope this article has shed some light on the best university picks across Sub-Saharan Africa and perhaps will steer some of our readers to a decision. Be sure to check out the universities’ websites to learn more about specific programs and to check out the campuses. 

Author

Jane Leon is a freelancer primarily operating as a writer but is also a graphic designer and photographer. In her free time, she loves gardening and long walks in nature with her husband and their two Pomeranians. 

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