​​​​​The University of Johannesburg (UJ), the youngest of all ranked universities in South Africa, has once again retained its prominent position amongst the top 4 % of universities globally.

In the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings (2015/16), UJ, which made its debut as one of the world’s top universities in 2013, falls in the 601-650 category of global excellence and stature and is the only comprehensive university without a medical school in South Africa to make the category. The QS world rankings was released on Tuesday, 15 September 2015.

More than 3 500 universities were considered this year and of these, only the top 891 were ranked by QS.

UJ has, as one of only seven South African universities in the top 650, through its QS ranking redefined its place among national and global universities. The 2015 ranking also saw two additional South African universities enter the list, with North West University and the University of the Western Cape both ranked within the top 700 institutions.

The outstanding showing of UJ’s drive as a world-class institution is further underscored by exceptional performances in several QS sub-categories. In the subject area of International Faculty UJ holds position number 239, globally. For the Arts and Humanities, UJ holds the admirable 338, globally.

UJ also ranked high in the areas of academic and employer reputation, which assesses the employability of students at the institution.

​The number of students at the university is a crucial factor in determining its ranking. Of all ranked SA universities, QS classifies UJ as “large”, according to the number of full time degree-seeking students, meaning the institution is competing against medium and small-sized universities which would fare better due to their smaller numbers. UJ’s achievements in the ranking system demonstrate that the University is well on track in terms of establishing its global reputation as a place of research and academic repute.