The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is ranked among the top 3.1% universities worldwide, at a global position 628. This is according to the latest 2023 global ranking from the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), released on Monday, 15 May 2023. This achievement demonstrates UJ’s commitment to excellence and its dedication to providing high-quality education and research opportunities.

For the 2023 edition of the CWUR World University Rankings, 20 531 institutions were assessed, making it the largest academic ranking of global universities. Of those assessed, only the best 2 000 made the final cut to attain a ranking placement on the published global list.

CWUR ranked UJ at position 628 in the world, one place up from 629 the previous year. There were 20 531 institutions evaluated, placing UJ among the top 3.1% of the world’s best-performing universities, and retaining its national and regional positions at sixth in South Africa and seventh in Africa.

Notable Ranking Achievement and Progress

Since its debut six years ago in 2017 at position 951 in the world, UJ has consistently climbed the CWUR World University Rankings by 323 places over the last six years to its current 2023 global ranking of 628. This is a noteworthy achievement as UJ is the only South African university that has consistently improved its position and climbed each year since it first featured.

The CWUR ranking uses its methodology of seven indicators grouped into four areas: education (25%), employability (25%), faculty (10%), and research (40%).

Education:Based on the academic success of a university’s alumni, and measured by the number of a university’s alumni who have received top academic distinctions relative to the university’s size (25%).
Employability:Based on the professional success of a university’s alumni, and measured by the number of a university’s alumni who have held top company positions relative to the university’s size (25%).
Faculty:Measured by the number of faculty (academic staff) members who have received top academic distinctions (10%).
Research:
i. Research output: measured by the total number of research articles (10%).
ii. High-quality publications: measured by the number of research articles appearing in top-tier journals (10%).
iii. Influence: measured by the number of research articles appearing in highly influential journals (10%)
iv. Citations: measured by the number of highly cited research articles (10%).