The University of Pretoria (UP) reached a new global milestone in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, moving up to the 451-500 global band in the latest edition from the 501–600 band in the previous edition. This is a significant achievement for one of Africa’s top universities, as it represents its best-ever performance, but what does this mean exactly, especially for the students of this institution?
Let us start with what UP’s Vice-Chancellor Prof. Francis Petersen had to say. “This is an important milestone for the University of Pretoria, but what gives me particular confidence is the breadth of the improvement. We have not advanced because of one exceptional indicator. We have improved across all five pillars and in 13 of the 17 indicators assessed; that tells us that UP is strengthening across the academic enterprise.”
This achievement goes hand in hand with the institution’s Thrive UP 2038 goal which was launched in February this year. It also indicates measurable progress that this institution is making across several major international rankings such as teaching reputation, research reputation, research productivity, citation impact, and internationalisation (areas that speak directly to the quality, reach, and influence of UP’s academic work).
In a poll conducted by PDBY on Instagram, 52% of students voted that a university ranking was somewhat important when picking a university. Edmond Tiebane, a final-year BCom Statistics & Data Science student, agreed with this, saying, “The university’s reputation was an important consideration, as I wanted to study at an institution that is recognised for academic excellence and offers a qualification that would be respected in the job market.”
UP’s global ranking reflects certain aspects of the university’s academic strength, research output, and international standing. However, rankings do not always capture the full student experience. The quality of education is also shaped by factors such as access to resources, lecturer support, class sizes, practical learning opportunities, and how effectively students are supported throughout their academic journeys. A university can perform well internationally while still having areas where the student experience can improve. UP students expressed mixed views on whether the university’s global ranking accurately reflects the quality of education they receive, with 32% agreeing, 30% disagreeing and 34% believing it does to some extent.
With university rankings, one of the major questions is whether a university’s improved global standing benefits students directly. Tiebane believes so, adding that “UP’s reputation can also strengthen the credibility of our qualifications when applying for graduate programmes, internships, and further studies. However, I believe the university should continue to strengthen the connection between its academic reputation and the opportunities students can access in practice.” In the poll, 19% said definitely, while 46% said possibly and 32% believing it is unlikely.
This year, UP ranked first in South Africa (SA) for Employer Reputation QS World University Rankings, climbing to 326th position globally. According to QS, the employer reputation indicator is based on feedback from employers and measures how they perceive graduates from universities around the world. Rather than focusing only on academic performance, it considers employers’ confidence in graduates’ skills, preparedness, and ability to succeed in the workplace. This is a great thing for UP graduates, as it means they have employer confidence and are likely to get jobs even though there is a high unemployment rate in SA.
Although UP performs well in global rankings, students believe there are still areas that require greater attention. About 37% of students indicated that student well-being and mental health should be prioritised, while 34% felt that affordable accommodation and living costs should receive greater priority.
