Top 10 Best Universities in Africa 2025 (Updated List)

Though education in Africa has encountered so many challenges over the years, but it’s worthy to emphasize that significant progress has been made towards education over the past decades, with more africans now interested in school including tertiary education than before.

Under this blog post, the comprehensive list of the Top 10 best universities in Africa and their school fees, the challenges and progresses made as regards to education in africa, are all being discussed.

List of Best Universities in Africa

Below are the list of the top 10 best higher institutions in Africa:

1. University of Cape Town, South Africa

Being established as a university in 1918, the university is the best university in Africa. The university is in fact best leading higher education institutions in Africa and it’s tradition of academic excellence is respected worldwide. The school also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, sports facilities, study abroad and exchange programs, as well as administrative services.

• School Fee: $1,399-$2,919 per year depending on your program.
• Address: Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa.
• Contact: +27 21 650 9111

2. University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

Being the third oldest South African university, the univeristy was established in 1922, and today it is regarded as a very top school in Africa. Nelson Mandela,  who is a popular name in Africa, is also an alumni of the school. The university offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctorate degrees in several areas of study.

• School Fee: $4,700 per year
• Address: 1 Jan Smuts Ave, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017, South Africa.
• Contact: +27 11 717 1000

3. Stellenbosch University,South Africa

The university was founded in 1918 and poses to be one the best tertiary institutions in africa today. It is the oldest university in South Africa. The university is equipped with lot good facilities and services including a library, housing, sports facilities, study abroad and exchange programs, online courses and distance learning opportunities, as well as administrative services.

• School Fee: $2,394-$4,735
• Address: Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
• Contact: +27 21 808 9111

4. University of Johannesburg, South Africa

The university was founded not long ago in 2005. It is a very great school with good conducive envoironment. The university offers good courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees in several areas of study.

• School Fee: $2,335-$2,532
• Address: and, Corner Kingsway, University Rd, Johannesburg, 2092, South Africa.
• Contact: +27 11 559 4555

5. Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Morocco

The university was founded in 1957, and is situated in the urban setting of the large city of Rabat. The tertiary institution offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctorate degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study table below for further details.

• School Fee: $4,516-$6,523
• Address: Lot 660, Ben Guerir 43150, Morocco
• Contact: +212 525-073100

6. University of Lagos, Nigeria

The university which is located in Lagos, Nigeria, was established in 1962. The university offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as pre-bachelor’s degrees (i.e. certificates, diplomas, associate or foundation), bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctorate degrees in several areas of study.

• School Fee: $108-$114
• Address: University of Lagos, University Road Lagos Mainland Akoka, Yaba, Lagos.
• Contact: 0814 728 2316

7. The American University in Cairo, Egypt

Since the university’s inception in 1919, being located in medium city of New Cairo, it has been one of the best universities in Africa till date. The school offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as pre-bachelor’s degrees (i.e. certificates, diplomas, associate or foundation), bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctorate degrees in several areas of study.

• School Fee: Approximately $22,050
• Address: AUC Ave, New Cairo 1, Cairo Governorate 11835, Egypt.
• Contact: +20 2 2615 1000

8. University of Ghana

It is one of or the best university in Ghana, and also one of the finest universities in Africa which was founded in 1948.The university also offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as pre-bachelor’s degrees (i.e. certificates, diplomas, associate or foundation), bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctorate degrees in several areas of study.

• School Fee: $2,500-$14,000 per year
• Address: Legon Boundary, Accra, Ghana.
• Contact: +233 30 221 3850

9. University of Pretoria, South Africa 

The university of Pretoria was founded in 1908. The university also offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctorate degrees in several areas of study. The school has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students’ past academic records and grades.

• School Fee: $1,741-$3,374
• Address: Lynnwood Rd, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
• Contact: +27 12 420 4111

10. University of Nairobi, Kenya

The university is a high-ranked school in Kenya, and was established in 1970. The school have branch campuses in Kikuyu, Parklands, Lower Kabete, Upper Kabete, Chiromo and Kisumu. Also, it offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as pre-bachelor’s degrees (i.e. certificates, diplomas, associate or foundation), bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctorate degrees in several areas of study.

• School Fee: Approximately $609-$1,181 per year
• Address: University Wy, Nairobi, Kenya.
• Contact: +254 20 2245566

Challenges of Education in Africa

Africa which still have more of developing countries, have problems which is limiting students to full education. Those challenges includes:

1. Poverty: In Nigeria for example, lot of famillies are lavishing in hunger making their children financially handicapped to go to school. Poverty is a big factor limiting education and really needs to be addressed by the government to improve education in afriac at large.
2. Lack of Quality Education: This is also a challenge to education in Africa. Some school offers little or no quality education to it’s students. Also there is lack of essential facilities that facilitates learning in schools therefore making full learning of students to be limited.
3. Indecency in School: Indecency which includes bullying of students by fellow students, maltreatment of students, students hard labour, excessive flogging, lecturers lusting on opposite sex students, in one way or the other discourages education in Africa and it needs to be addressed.
4. Lack of good Teachers/Lecturers: Lack of good teachers is a challenge to education in Africa because bad lectures may inculcate wrong informations to the students therefore causing misinformation among the students. Thus, an uninformed man is an uneducated man.
5. Shortage of Teachers/Lecturers: As a result of shortaage of teachers in a school, it may warrant one teacher to be covering more than one course for students, which may waeken the teacher because he/she is being tasked physically and mentally enormously.
6. Wars: When one country and another or two groups of people in the same country fights against another, this means that schools in that particular area that there is an ongoing war will be closed. Wars should is not a good activity, and it should be desisted from by Africans.

Look out for: The best universities to study law abroad as a Nigerian

What Progresses are made towards Eduaction in Africa?

Yes, there may be challenges challenging education in Africa, but is worthy to note that there are also obvious progresses made towards education in Africa, and they are:

• Many children have more access to school now than before through Scholarships.
• Before there was a notion that “women belongs to the kitchen” but today it is no longer the case, women now have more access to education than ever.
• UNESCO has been intoduced which one of it’s aims is developing inclusive educational policies aimed at reducing inequalities and promoting equity throughout Africa.
• There is high school completion rates in primary, secondary and tertiary education over last decade unlike before.

See Also: How to get scholarship to study aboad as a Nigerian

Conclusion

I strongly believe that after going through this blog post, you must have gained little knowledge on the best tertiary institutions in africa, and how far education in Africa is going about. Education should be a basic tool of a man because it develop skills that can improve their lives. So therefore, the governments in the still-developing countries like Nigeria, should put in more work in place to help African students to attain the level that the western had attained in terms of education.