The top universities and colleges in Johannesburg, South Africa

The top universities and colleges in Johannesburg South Africa have a wide variety of courses that will ensure that you get a quality tertiary education.

There are many different things to consider when you decide to further your studies, but the institution at which you choose to study is certainly one of the most important considerations.

Even if you narrow your geographical location to Johannesburg, South Africa, there are plenty of great universities and colleges to choose from. This is why you should consider the top-ranking options if you want to get a quality tertiary education.

The importance of choosing the right university or college

Beginning or continuing your studies will be an exciting but stressful time for many, and there are many factors to consider before you take this big step.

One thing that is certain, is that where you choose to complete your studies will not only have an impact on the quality of your education, but also on the skills and experiences that you will need to accomplish everything that you want later in life.

For this reason, choosing where to study can often be just as important as choosing what to study and is not a decision that should be taken lightly.

The top universities and colleges in Johannesburg, South Africa

Fortunately, even though deciding where to study is such an important step, it does not have to be a daunting task. There are several things that you need to consider to find the university that is most suitable for you.

Sticking to one geographical area like Johannesburg, South Africa is a good place to start if you want to start narrowing down your options, but you also need to take other factors into consideration.

This includes things like the type of courses you would like to take, the facilities on the different campuses and the sports teams and societies that you may want to join, and more.

One of the most important aspects that should guide you when you are deciding where to continue your studies is the type of courses that you have to take for your qualification.

While there are some excellent public universities in Johannesburg, it is worth your while to consider some of the private colleges in the area, if you are looking for a smaller and more focused experience or if you want to complete your studies part-time.

Either way, the best way to ensure that your education is of the highest possible quality and that you are well-equipped in all of your future endeavours, is to choose from some of the highest-ranking universities and colleges in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ranking the top universities and colleges in Johannesburg

There are many different metrics through which you can determine the top universities and colleges in any area, which often means that rankings are completely subjective.

However, when the name of a particular tertiary institution keeps popping up among the most highly-ranked universities and colleges, the chances are high that it will be a good choice for pretty much any student.

For this reason, our ranking of the top universities and colleges in Johannesburg South Africa is as follows:

#5 Management College of Southern Africa

The Management College of Southern Africa, better known as MANCOSA, offers a variety of courses ranging from online short courses to postgraduate programs across a range of business-related subjects.

These courses are accredited through the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and Council on Higher Education (CHE).

MANCOSA is also known for being particularly flexible with its curriculum, which features a good combination of theoretical background and practical skills. MANCOSA also has mid-year admissions, which makes this college an excellent choice for part-time students.

#4 Eduvos

If the name ‘Eduvos’ does not seem familiar, it is probably because this institution used to be called the Pearson Institute of Higher Education and the Midrand Graduate Institute before that.

Regardless of these changes, though, Eduvos is still a fully accredited college and is an excellent choice for your higher education. Eduvos offers a variety of Pre-degree, part-time, certificates, degrees and honours degrees in the Arts-, Business- and Science-faculties.

#3 Damelin

Damelin is one of South Africa’s leading private colleges and it specialises in career-focused education through various full-time, part-time and specialised programmes.

Damelin is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution and its higher education programs, further education, and training qualifications are all accredited.

Damelin offers courses in humanities, commerce, science and technology, and education. Moreover, it takes a student-focused approach to learning.

#2 University of Johannesburg

There is a number of global institutions which rank universities from all across the globe to determine the best ones every year. The University of Johannesburg (UJ) continuously ranks among the top universities in South Africa in these rankings.

This includes the Times Higher Education Ranking for 2023, where UJ ranked 601, which put it in the sixth position for South African universities. And the TopUniversities Ranking for 2023 where it earned the 412^th spot overall, but it was one of only seven South African universities included.

UJ offers a wide array of courses including art, design, architecture, education, engineering, environmental studies, health studies, humanities, law, science, and business courses.

#1 University of the Witwatersrand

University of the Witwatersrand, which is also commonly knows as WITS, wins the top ranking spot on this list. This is because the university has been so consistent in its ranking as one of the best universities in the country.

WITS has been ranked 244^th in the Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report, 251^st in the World University Rankings by Times Higher Education, and 428^th in the QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities for 2023 and even earned the 301^st spot in the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2022.

WITS continuously excels across all of its faculties, including commerce law and management, engineering and the built environment, health sciences, humanities, and science.