Makerere University, Uganda’s premier institution of higher learning, has recorded a sharp decline in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025, falling from 13th position in 2023 to a joint 41st place this year.
This marks one of the most significant year-on-year drops among Africa’s leading universities, sparking concerns about the university’s competitiveness amid growing pressure to meet evolving academic standards across the continent.
The 2025 rankings place Makerere in a tie with 31 other universities at 41st position—far from the top-tier status it held just a year ago.
Despite the setback, Makerere remains Uganda’s only university featured in the rankings and retains its position as East Africa’s top-ranked institution. It remains ahead of Kenya’s Kenyatta University, which ranks 74th. No universities from Tanzania, Rwanda, or Burundi made the list.
This year’s edition assessed more than 100 African institutions, with the results reflecting a notable shift in academic performance. South African and Egyptian universities continue to dominate, with South Africa claiming five of the top 10 positions. The University of Cape Town retained its status as the continent’s best-ranked university.
Egypt led in terms of the number of institutions featured, with 35 universities ranked, followed by Algeria with 26. Nigeria, Ghana, and Morocco also increased their presence, underscoring the impact of sustained investment and reforms in higher education across these countries.
The rankings evaluate universities based on 18 performance indicators grouped under five key areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry engagement. Universities that demonstrated strong research impact and higher levels of international collaboration moved up the rankings—factors that may explain Makerere’s decline.
While Makerere continues to lead in East Africa, its steep drop signals that regional dominance is no longer sufficient in an increasingly competitive academic landscape. The decline comes at a time when Uganda’s higher education sector is grappling with issues such as limited research funding, academic freedom concerns, infrastructure constraints, and governance challenges.
Experts say reversing the downward trend will require Makerere to prioritize improvements in research output, global partnerships, and teaching quality—areas where many African universities are making rapid progress.
Once celebrated as a cradle of intellectual thought and academic excellence in Africa, Makerere’s current trajectory highlights the urgent need for institutional reforms and strategic reinvestment to restore its continental stature.
