Top 10 Best Medical Universities in Africa (2023)

There are more than 200 medical universities in 54 countries in Africa. They are expected to produce 15,000 doctors per year. We have the top medical schools that be competitive with the best medical schools in the west.

The University of Cape Town is the best medical university in Africa. 

Top 10 Best Medical Universities in Africa

Certain medical schools are attracting students from across the globe, who seek the MBBS degree. Incredibly, the top hospitals in Africa are found across all regions from North, South, West to East Africa.

1. University of Cape Town

As per Times Higher Education, the University of Cape Town (UCT) is the best medical university in Africa. It is a multicultural and multi-cultural community comprising about 5500 academic and professional staff, administrative and support personnel as well as 29,000 students that hail from more than 100 nations around the world.

The university was established in 1829 and it offers degrees in six faculties: Commerce, Engineering & the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law, and Science. The university also awards bachelor’s degrees to 7200 students each year.

2. University of the Witwatersrand

The University of the Witwatersrand is the second-best medical university in Africa. The university is often referred to by the name Wits and it was established in 1896, by Kimberley. The school relocated to Johannesburg in 1904 before gaining full university status in 1922. The University’s Faculty of Health Sciences has been long regarded as one of the top schools for education in health sciences in sub-Saharan Africa.

In collaboration in collaboration with Gauteng Health Department and the National Health Laboratory Service, the university employs more than 1100 dental and medical consultants who work with postgraduates and undergraduate students in the research programs. The University also graduates approximately 1200 students annually.

3. Cairo University

Cairo University is one of the oldest universities in Egypt that was established in 1908 and is home to around 230,000 students, of which 3% of them are foreign students. The University of Cairo is located in the city of Giza and has a view of the Nile.

It is believed that the University of Cairo has more than 25 faculties that include engineering, medicine, agriculture, and archaeology. Although the official language in Egypt is Arabic, English is the first language in universities as per Ashraf Mahmoud Haitem, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Universities in Egypt. Cairo University is one of the best medical universities in Africa.

4. Mansoura University

Mansoura University is one of the best medical universities in Africa and It was established in 1962. The school was initially a faculty of medicine, under the authority of Cairo University. In 1972, the university was established under the name East Delta University but it was renamed by the title Mansoura University a year later.

The main campus of the university is in the center of Mansoura city.  The main campus comprises fifteen faculties and three huge housing complexes, a students’ hospital, restaurants, a dining hall, and an incredibly well-equipped sports facility.

The university is famous for its health facilities which include nine major hospitals & medical centers, an infant’s hospital, a Medical Experimental Research Centre (MERC), and a Urology and Nephrology Centre. this Urology and Nephrology Centre may be one of the largest of its kind across all of Africa. It was founded by the well-known Egyptian Urologist Mohamed Ghoneim.

5. Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University has one of the top hospitals in Africa and it is one of the best medical universities in Africa. The university has developed to become a South African higher education institution to become the top research-intensive university in the African continent and to be internationally recognized as exceptional and inclusive and where research is advancing in the service of society.

The university was founded in 1918 with just four faculties comprising Arts, Science, Education, and Agriculture. 503 students and 40 lecturers were employed on the 2nd of April 1918. The university today has 10 faculties spread over five different campuses.

The University also boasts a diverse and multicultural community that includes more than 32,000 students from undergraduate and postgraduate programs that include more than 4,000 international students from more than 100 nations. The University employs around 3300 full-time staff members as well as 352 postdoctoral fellowships.

6. Ain Shams University

Established in 1950, Ain Shams University is one of the best medical universities on the African continent. The university is located in Cairo, and it was the third higher-education institution established in Egypt. The university is spread across seven distinct campuses, which are all situated in the Greater Cairo area.  The University has 15 faculties as well as various research institutes.

There are accommodation facilities for students on campus as well as athletic and leisure facilities. The administration of the university and the faculties that comprise Arts, Law, and Science are all on the central campus located in the Abassia region of Cairo. However, its faculties of Commerce, Engineering, Medicine, Agriculture, Education, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Computers and Information Sciences, Nursing, and Education are situated in different locations.

Ain Shams encourages study abroad opportunities for students. Ain Shams offers a variety of academic alliances with international institutions. These include universities like the University of Birmingham and Imperial College London in the UK, Monash University in Australia, and McGill University in Canada.

7. University of Ibadan

Established in 1948, the University of Ibadan (UI) was the first institution to be founded in Nigeria. The university was originally an affiliated college of the University of London and was then granted independent status in 1962. The University began its journey as a tiny institution with three departments of Science and Medicine and the Arts before rapidly expanding into one of the nation’s most respected colleges of higher education.

The University of Ibadan today has thirteen faculties which include Social Sciences, Agriculture and Forestry, Education, Veterinary Medicine, Technology, Law, Public Health, and Dentistry. The UI’s Postgraduate School is the largest of its kind in Africa and has its postgraduate and undergraduate students divided 50/50. About a third of the university’s students reside in university-run halls of residence which are modern facilities equipped with cafes, gyms along with common areas.

8. Makerere University

Makerere University is one of the best medical universities in Africa. The institution was founded in 1922. Makerere University is the oldest higher education institution in Uganda. The university was named University College, affiliated with University College London before being recognized as an independent university in 1970.

The university offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. With a student population of 38,000 students and comprised of 10 colleges, Makerere University also offers evening and other study programs. It is a research-driven institution and has established partnerships with industry, government, and universities.

9. North-West University

In 2004 North-West University was formed by the union of the historically predominantly black institution of North-West as well as the Sebokeng campus from the previously black Vista University and the historically white Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. The university views its creation after the apartheid era of South Africa as a strong symbolic act of reconciliation and nation-building.

In 2018, it was the second-largest of its kind in South Africa, behind only the massive multi-campus University of South Africa, with 68,000 students. The faculties include education, economics and management law, engineering theology, health sciences, humanities, and agriculture and natural sciences.

10. University of Ghana

The University of Ghana has one of the best medical universities in Africa. It was established in 1948 and it was an affiliate of the College of the University of London. The university was granted full university status in 1961. Legon as it’s often known is home to a staggering number of students and there are more than 1000 international students.

The university is primarily focused on research in the field of ecology, seismology, migration studies, and population research. The school has collaborated with the Student Exchange Consortium of Commonwealth Universities and Norwegian Universities.

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