UDSM Leads Tanzania, Rises Among Africa’s Finest in QS Sub-Saharan Africa Rankings 2026
By Jackson Isdory and Remmy Wilson, CMU
The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) has reaffirmed its position as Tanzania’s premier institution of higher learning after securing the top rank nationally and third place in East Africa in the 2026 regional rankings, underscoring its sustained excellence in teaching, research, and societal impact.
The 2026 assessment by QS Quacquarelli Symonds evaluated universities using a comprehensive framework designed to reflect the realities and priorities of African higher education systems. Founded in 1990 in the United Kingdom, QS Quacquarelli Symonds has grown into one of the world’s most reputable and influential higher education ranking bodies, shaping global perceptions of university excellence through rigorous, data-driven evaluation and international academic engagement.
UDSM delivered a strong, balanced performance across all five key pillars analysed namely Research and Discovery; Learning Experience; Global Engagement; Employability; and Sustainability, demonstrating institutional depth rather than isolated excellence.
In the Research and Discovery category, the University recorded 49.1 citations per paper and 19.7 papers per faculty, reflecting growing scholarly influence and knowledge production aligned with national and regional development priorities. Its Academic Reputation score of 55.4 further signals strong recognition among scholars and peers for the University’s research contributions.
UDSM also maintained a solid showing in Learning Experience, achieving a Faculty–Student Ratio score of 15.3, an indicator of the institution’s continued investment in accessible, high-quality teaching and mentorship. This performance highlights sustained efforts to balance enrolment growth with academic support and instructional quality.
Under Global Engagement, the University attained an International Research Network score of 59.1, demonstrating expanding collaboration with international partners and increasing participation in cross-border research initiatives, an essential driver of innovation and global knowledge exchange.
In the area of Employability, UDSM earned an Employer Reputation score of 53.3, reflecting confidence from industry and public-sector stakeholders in the competence, adaptability, and professionalism of its graduates. Complementing this, a Web Impact score of 50.3 points to the University’s growing digital visibility and knowledge dissemination footprint.
The University also distinguished itself in Sustainability, registering a Sustainability Score of 64, which recognises institutional efforts to integrate environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and sustainable development principles into research, teaching, and campus operations.
A strong showing in a competitive continental landscape
The 2026 edition marks the first dedicated Sub-Saharan Africa ranking, featuring 69 universities and highlighting the region’s increasingly dynamic higher education ecosystem. Within this competitive environment, UDSM secured an impressive 21st position across Sub-Saharan Africa, placing it among the continent’s leading universities and reinforcing its status as a key intellectual hub in East Africa.
University of Cape Town emerged as the top-ranked institution overall, while University of Ghana and University of Ibadan were the highest-ranked universities in their respective countries, illustrating the geographic diversity of academic excellence across the continent.
The rankings reveal that strong performance is no longer concentrated in a single country but distributed across multiple higher education systems, each contributing uniquely to Africa’s intellectual and socio-economic advancement.
UDSM’s performance reflects decades of strategic investment in research capacity, curriculum relevance, regional partnerships, and graduate employability. The results reinforce the University’s mission to advance scholarly excellence while responding to national priorities through innovation, professional training, and community-engaged research.
By maintaining its leadership in Tanzania and strengthening its continental profile, UDSM continues to shape the region’s intellectual future, demonstrating that African universities can compete with distinction while remaining deeply rooted in local development needs.