University of KwaZulu-Natal
University of KwaZulu-Natal logo

University of KwaZulu-Natal

(UKZN )

🇿🇦 South Africa / KwaZulu-Natal / Durban
Est. 2004

About

The new University of KwaZulu-Natal unites two major educational institutions in KwaZulu-Natal - the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville.The University of KwaZulu-Natal aims to be a truly South African university that reflects the society in which it is situated not only in terms of race, gender and class but in terms of how it structures its values and priorities and how...

The new University of KwaZulu-Natal unites two major educational institutions in KwaZulu-Natal - the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville.The University of KwaZulu-Natal aims to be a truly South African university that reflects the society in which it is situated not only in terms of race, gender and class but in terms of how it structures its values and priorities and how it responds to social needs.As an institution of higher learning, it is committed to academic excellence, innovation in research and critical engagement with society.With its vision to be the Premier University of African Scholarship, the University of KwaZulu-Natal draws inspiration from an African identity and takes seriously its responsibilities to the development of the African continent.

Ranking Overview

Ranking Snapshot

Ranked Top 421 worldwide across 4 major ranking systems

US News #421 (2027)
THE #501–600 (2026)

Ranked in 55 subject rankings

QS QS World University Rankings
# =600
42
28.3
2027
THE Times Higher Education World University Rankings
# 501–600
43.6
2026
ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities
# 601-700
2026
US News U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings
# =421
3
51.7
2027

Key Facts

Students
33,675
Student-Staff Ratio
30.7 : 1
Int'l Students
2%
Female : Male
62 : 38
Staff
6,001

Historical Trend

Longitudinal View
QS QS
THE THE
ARWU ARWU
US News US News
1 101 201 301 401 501 601 701 801 901 950 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Rank
:
Score:

Top Subjects

Best-performing areas
51-75
Mining & Mineral Engineering
Top 100
51-100
Development Studies
Top 100
101-150
Public Health
Top 200
=104
Infectious Diseases
Top 200
=146
Space Science
Top 200
=179
Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
Top 200
=188
Microbiology
Top 200
=192
Immunology
Top 200
201-300
Geography
201-300
201-300
Veterinary Science
201-300
Clinical Medicine
201-300
201-250
Agriculture & Forestry
=233

Subject Rankings

Detailed breakdown

ARWU

22 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Mining & Mineral Engineering 51-75 - 2023
Public Health 101-150 - 2025
Geography 201-300 - 2021
Ecology 201-300 - 2025
Veterinary Science 201-300 - 2024
Clinical Medicine 201-300 - 2025
Nursing 201-300 - 2025
Earth & Marine Sciences 301-400 - 2025
Atmospheric Science 301-400 - 2019
Energy Science & Engineering 301-400 - 2020
Biological Sciences 301-400 - 2025
Human Biological Sciences 301-400 - 2025
Agricultural Sciences 301-400 - 2025
Politics 301-400 - 2020
Education & Training 301-400 - 2019
Physics & Astronomy 401-500 - 2022
Electrical & Electronic Engineering 401-500 - 2020
Chemical Engineering 401-500 - 2022
Environmental Sciences 401-500 - 2019
Biotechnology 401-500 - 2023
Pharmacy & Pharmacology 401-500 - 2022
Psychology 401-500 - 2019

QS

14 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Development Studies 51-100 - 2025
Agriculture & Forestry 201-250 - 2026
Life Sciences & Medicine =344 62.0 2026
Chemical Engineering 351-400 - 2023
Biological Sciences 351-400 - 2026
Medicine 401-450 - 2026
Materials Science 401-550 - 2026
Education & Training 401-450 - 2026
Arts & Humanities 451-500 - 2020
Natural Sciences 451-500 - 2026
Chemistry 501-550 - 2026
Environmental Sciences 501-550 - 2026
Mathematics 501-600 - 2025
Physics & Astronomy 501-550 - 2026

US News

19 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Infectious Diseases =104 50.1 2027
Space Science =146 48.4 2027
Public, Environmental and Occupational Health =179 57.3 2027
Microbiology =188 22.0 2027
Immunology =192 28.2 2027
Ecology =233 37.0 2026
Pharmacology and Toxicology =274 40.0 2027
Plant and Animal Science =312 45.6 2027
Clinical Medicine =369 47.3 2027
Social Sciences and Public Health =373 42.9 2027
Agricultural Sciences =404 28.0 2027
Geosciences 470 21.6 2027
Physics & Astronomy =516 39.8 2027
Environment/Ecology =528 37.5 2027
Chemistry =568 43.2 2027
Biology and Biochemistry =597 23.8 2027
Physical Chemistry =691 31.1 2026
Computer Science =768 22.2 2027
Engineering =811 33.4 2027

THE

11 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Education & Training 301–400 36.3 2026
Law & Legal Studies 301–400 24.7 2026
Computer Science 401–500 38.3 2026
Clinical & Health 401–500 36.7 2026
Life Sciences 401–500 38.8 2026
Social Sciences 401–500 34.6 2026
Arts & Humanities 401–500 27.4 2026
Psychology 401–500 33.6 2026
Physical Sciences 501–600 37.4 2026
Engineering & Technology 601–800 31.6 2026
Business & Economics 601–800 28.8 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ranking of University of KwaZulu-Natal?

University of KwaZulu-Natal's performance in the latest university rankings: QS Rank =600, THE Rank 501–600, ARWU Rank 601-700, US News Rank =421.

When was University of KwaZulu-Natal founded?

University of KwaZulu-Natal was founded in 2004.

What are the top subjects at University of KwaZulu-Natal?

Top subjects at University of KwaZulu-Natal include: Mining & Mineral Engineering, Development Studies, Public Health, Infectious Diseases, Space Science.

Where is University of KwaZulu-Natal located?

University of KwaZulu-Natal is located in Durban, South Africa.