The University of Ghana (UG) has been ranked as the top university in both Ghana and West Africa, and eighth overall in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the inaugural QS World University Rankings: Sub-Saharan Africa 2026.
UG achieved an impressive overall score of 74.8, reflecting strong results across various indicators. It excelled particularly in Academic Reputation (90.6), International Research Network (88.3), and Sustainability (86.6), underscoring its respected position among academics, robust global research partnerships, and dedication to sustainable practices.
Other notable scores included 79.2 in Web Impact, 65.6 in Employer Reputation, 52.1 in Citations per Paper, 50.3 in Staff with PhD, 48.1 in Papers per Faculty, and 10 in Faculty–Student Ratio. The results were unveiled during the official launch of the inaugural QS World University Rankings: Sub-Saharan Africa 2026, hosted by the Association of African Universities (AAU) in Accra.
In response, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo extended congratulations to the entire UG community, calling the accomplishment a shared triumph worth celebrating. She highlighted the eighth-place ranking in Sub-Saharan Africa as a key milestone that reinforces the university’s rising prominence both regionally and internationally.
While celebrating the success, Prof. Amfo stressed the importance of ongoing progress. She pointed to opportunities for improvement—especially in the faculty–student ratio—and urged increased government investment and approval to hire more faculty members. Such steps, she noted, would enhance staffing levels, reduce workloads, allow more focus on research, and ultimately boost research productivity.
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Prof. Amfo called on faculty, staff, and students to sustain their pursuit of excellence, affirming that with unified effort and adequate support, UG has the potential to reach even higher positions in future editions.
This inaugural ranking evaluated 69 institutions from 21 locations across Sub-Saharan Africa. It employs regionally tailored criteria to assess performance in areas such as research output, academic and employer reputation, employability, sustainability, and international engagement—adapting QS’s established methodology to better suit local contexts and priorities in African higher education.
QS remains a globally respected provider of comparative university assessments, drawing on rigorous data, expert surveys, and analytical methods to highlight metrics most relevant to students, including reputation, research impact, and student experience.