The University of Pretoria has once again performed strongly in the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject, with 16 of its subject offerings ranked in the top 450 offerings by universities worldwide, and 18 ranked in the top three among South African universities.

The annual QS subject rankings cover 55 narrow subject areas, which are then grouped into five broad subject areas: Arts and Humanities; Engineering and Technology; Life Sciences and Medicine; Natural Sciences; and Social Sciences and Management.

UP improved its global position in Life Sciences and Medicine (ranked 314 in the world) and Natural Sciences (401-450 in the world) while showing strong performance in the other three broad subject areas.

Among South African universities, UP  improved its domestic ranking in Natural Sciences (jointly ranked Number 3).

Mathematics is ranked Number 1 among South African universities.

The QS subject rankings also use five broad metrics to rank universities and departments: Academic Reputation; Employer Reputation; Citations; H-Index; and International Research Network (IRN), which is a measure of global engagement and how institutions create and sustain research partnerships that result in internationally co-authored publications with other institutions across borders.  

UP’s achievements in the global and domestic arenas are as follows:

Improvement: Broad subject areas (2024 global rank):

• Life Sciences and Medicine (314, up by 11 positions)
• Natural Sciences (401-450, up from 451-500)

Improvement: Narrow subject areas global rankings:

• Chemistry (501-550, up from 551-600)
• Physics & Astronomy (551-600, up from 601-620)

Narrow subject areas: Ranked in top 450 globally (global rank):

• Agriculture & Forestry (101-150)
• Biological Sciences (301-350)
• Mathematics (401-450)

Ranked first in South Africa (global rank):

• Mathematics (401-450)

Ranked second in South Africa (global rank):

• Agriculture & Forestry (101-150)
• Biological Sciences (301-350)

Ranked third in South Africa (global rank):

• Chemistry (501-550)

H-Index (productivity and citation impact of an academic or university department):

• Top 100: Agriculture & Forestry and Development Studies (number 75)

International Research Network

• Top 100: Agriculture & Forestry (number 30), Environmental Sciences (number 58), Biological Sciences (number 60), and Mathematics (number 68)
• Top 150: Computer Science, Physics, and Medicine
• Top 250: Chemical Engineering & Chemistry

Citations

• Top 200: Agriculture & Forestry and Economics & Econometrics