UG Makes Bold Strides - Tops Key Pillars in THE 2026 World University Rankings

The University of Ghana (UG) has achieved major success in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) 2026 World University Rankings, emerging as Ghana’s top-performing institution in key areas of research environment, industry engagement and international outlook.

This recognition comes as UG advances the implementation of its 2024–2029 Strategic Plan, which prioritises excellence in conducting impactful research, teaching, partnerships and global engagement.

In the 2026 rankings, UG ranked highest among Ghanaian universities in the Research Environment, outperforming its peers in building a strong ecosystem for knowledge creation and research support. The University also led in the Industry category, reflecting its growing partnerships with the private sector and its commitment to translating research into practical innovation.

In addition, UG recorded the best performance in International Outlook, underscoring its success in attracting international students and staff and strengthening global collaborations.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings assess universities across five broad categories, including Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry, and International Outlook, using 18 performance metrics designed to capture a university’s full mission.

In the Research Environment category, the most prominent measure is research reputation, based on responses to the global Academic Reputation Survey. Other measures include research income, adjusted for purchasing power parity and scaled by staff numbers, and research productivity, which considers publications per academic staff member as indexed in Elsevier’s Scopus database. These metrics assess how effectively universities generate and support high-quality research.

The International Outlook pillar considers the proportion of international students, international staff, and international research collaborations. These factors evaluate how globally connected and diverse a university’s community is, qualities UG continues to enhance through exchange partnerships, international recruitment and research networks.

In the Industry category, THE measures industry income and patents, reflecting how well a university translates research into innovation and engages with the private sector. UG’s strong showing in this area highlights its growing relevance to national development and its contributions to technology transfer and industry-driven solutions.

UG’s performance across these categories underscores the tangible impact of its strategic direction. The University’s focus on research infrastructure, innovation ecosystems, and international partnerships is positioning it as a leading hub for knowledge creation and dissemination in Africa.

As global higher education continues to evolve amid increased competition and collaboration, UG’s upward trajectory reflects both institutional resilience and Ghana’s rising influence in the world of academia.