UCT rises in key disciplines in QS subject rankings

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has maintained its position among the world’s leading institutions, ranking 15th globally in Development Studies in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject 2024. Anthropology and Medicine also remain in the top 100, reaffirming the university’s strength in these disciplines.

QS evaluated 1 747 universities across 55 specific subjects and five broad subject areas. These included Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences and Medicine, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and Management.

UCT’s highest-ranked broad subject area, Life Sciences and Medicine, showed the greatest improvement, rising from 117th in 2023 to 102nd in 2024. This area includes fields such as Medicine, Biological Sciences, Psychology and Agriculture.
 

“Our improved rankings in several subject areas highlight the strength of our academic community.”

UCT’s rankings have also improved in broader subject areas, including:

• Arts and Humanities: =174 (up from 214 in 2024)
• Engineering and Technology: 282 (up from 290 in 2024)
• Social Sciences and Management: 212 (up from 222 in 2024)
• Natural Sciences: =233 (same rank as 2024)

UCT subjects ranked in the Top 100

• Development Studies: 15
• Anthropology: 51–100 band
• Medicine: 99

The dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Professor Suki Goodman, described UCT’s Development Studies programme as an exemplar of the power of interdisciplinarity in addressing critical issues in global and local development.

“Our work in Development Studies produces stellar academic outputs while at the same time focusing on practical, policy-oriented social, economic and environmental challenges. This work informs government policies, development strategies and social interventions.

“Through active participation in public debates and collaborations with policymakers, our researchers help shape development agendas that aim to create a more just and equitable society, not only in South Africa but across the African continent. We are delighted by the ranking as it affirms the import and reach of the work of this outstanding cadre of dedicated staff and students,” she added.

UCT subjects ranked in the Top 150

The university also achieved strong placements in Anatomy and Physiology, Geography, Geophysics and English Language. “While rankings are just one of many ways in which we assess our impact, they provide valuable benchmarks for understanding where our strengths are recognised globally,” said Professor Jeff Murugan, acting deputy vice-chancellor for Research and Internationalisation.

“UCT’s continued strong performance in the QS World University Rankings by Subject reflects the bold thinking, pioneering research and dynamic teaching and learning that drive us forward. Our improved rankings in several subject areas highlight the strength of our academic community and reaffirm UCT’s critical role in advancing knowledge in Africa and globally, particularly in fields tackling society’s most pressing challenges.”

The QS methodology assesses universities using a weighted combination of indicators, namely, academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per paper, H-index and the International Research Network (IRN) which measures research connections and collaborations.

Academic reputation is assessed through the perspectives of international scholars who recognise institutions that demonstrate excellence in research and education. Their combined expertise highlights the quality of research, strategic collaborations, innovation and the broader impact of these universities on education and society.

The H-index measures a researcher’s academic influence by tracking their most-cited publications and the number of times these works have been referenced. Meanwhile, IRN evaluates the breadth and diversity of an institution’s global research collaborations and its success in building strong international partnerships.

In the assessment of all subject areas, the IRN is weighted between 5% and 10% of the overall institutional score. 

In UCT’s highest-ranked subjects, the IRN scores were particularly high: Development Studies scored 83,2/100 and Medicine scored 84,7/100. UCT’s strong performance in these subjects is a good indicator of the importance of worldwide collaborations in building the university’s success.