NWU excels again in QS World University Rankings – now 10th in Africa

Prof Linda du Plessis (left), deputy vice-chancellor for Planning and Vanderbijlpark Campus Operations, receives the QS award from Jessica Turner, chief executive officer of QS, during the ceremony in Dubai, where she also attended a workshop presented by Quacquarelli Symonds.

---

The North-West University (NWU) has shown great improvement in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings – moving up in ranking position locally, in Africa and globally. 

The NWU’s performance in these rankings has been consistent for the past five years and the latest results affirm the university’s position among the cream of the crop of local and international universities.

According to QS, the NWU is now among the top seven South African universities in its rankings for top global universities in 2024, which were published on 27 June. The university was in eighth position in the previous edition, which was published last year.

Globally, the NWU has shown significant improvement, moving into the 801 to 850 ranking category – an upwards move from last year’s 1 001 to 1 200 placing.

It is not only locally and globally that the university has climbed the rankings ladder. The NWU is now ranked 10th in Africa – five positions higher than last year’s 15th place.

This ranking by the London-based QS was the 20th edition and included 1 500 institutions from across 101 locations around the world. It considers survey responses and hard data to calculate a final score for each university. QS is the only ranking of its kind to emphasise employability and sustainability.

This year, QS implemented its largest-ever methodological enhancement by introducing three new metrics: sustainability, employment outcomes and international research network. Its indicators include:

1. Academic reputation (30%);
2. Employer reputation (15%);
3. Student-to-faculty ratio (10%);
4. Citations per faculty (20%);
5. International faculty ratio (5%);
6. International student ratio (5%);
7. International research network (5%);
8. Sustainability (5%); and
9. Employment outcomes (5%).

For more information, visit: North-West University : Rankings, Fees & Courses Details | Top Universities, and for more about the NWU’s performance in various rankings visit: Rankings | NWU | North-West University.