The best universities in South Africa to study business, accounting and law
The latest edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject has been published, ranking South African universities with courses that are among the best in the world.
The QS ranking identifies which subjects universities are particularly strong at in relation to international competitors, looking specifically at academic reputation and research output.
Research citations, along with the results of major global surveys of employers and academics are also used to rank the 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 the highest-ranked in all but one of the subject fields, with the University of Pretoria trumping UCT as having the best course in accounting and finance.
South African universities have the strongest showing in the field of developmental studies in the QS rankings, with the University of Cape Town having the ninth-best course globally.
Wits University is also distinct in this field, ranking 22nd overall, with both Stellenbosch University and the University of KwaZulu Natal ranking within the top 100.
UCT has the further distinction of being the only South African university to be ranked among the best in the world for its courses on 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 Witwatersrand | 251-300 |
Business & Management Studies
| Local | University | Global |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cape Town | 301-350 |
| 2 | Stellenbosch University | 351-400 |
| 3 | University of Witwatersrand | 451-500 |
Economics & Econometrics
| Local | University | Global |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cape Town | 201-250 |
| 2 | University of Pretoria | 201-250 |
| 3 | Stellenbosch University | 351-400 |
| 4 | University of Johannesburg | 351-400 |
| 5 | University of Witwatersrand | 351-400 |
Law & Legal Studies
| Local | University | Global |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cape Town | 101-150 |
| 2 | University of Pretoria | 151-200 |
| 3 | University of Witwatersrand | 251-300 |
| 4 | Stellenbosch University | 301-350 |
Development Studies
| Local | University | Global |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cape Town | 9 |
| 2 | University of Witwatersrand | 22 |
| 3 | Stellenbosch University | 51-100 |
| 4 | University of KwaZulu-Natal | 51-100 |
| 5 | University of the Western Cape | 51-100 |
| 6 | University of Pretoria | 101-110 |
Overall ranking
Nine of South Africa’s universities are ranked in the QS global rankings for 2022, led by the University of Cape Town, which ranks 226th, overall.
| University | 2022 ranking | 2021 ranking |
|---|---|---|
| University of Cape Town | 226 | 220 |
| University of the Witwatersrand | 424 | 403 |
| University of Johannesburg | 434 | 439 |
| Stellenbosch University | 482 | 456 |
| University of Pretoria | 601-650 | 561-570 |
| Rhodes University | 801-1000 | 801-1000 |
| University of KwaZulu-Natal | 801-1000 | 801-1000 |
| North-West 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.
Over 80,000 academics and 40,000 employers contributed to the rankings through the QS global surveys, while QS said it analysed 99 million citations from 10.3 million papers, and 1,000 institutions were ranked.
The ranking’s biggest indicator, accounting for 40% of the total score, is based on academic reputation.
Academic reputation is measured using a global survey, in which academics were asked to identify the institutions where they believe the best work is currently taking place within their field of expertise.
The indicators and scores are:
- Academic reputation (40%)
- Employer reputation (10%)
- Student-to-faculty ratio (20%)
- Citations per faculty (20%)
- International faculty ratio (5%)
- International student ratio (5%)
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