UoN ranked in QS World University Rankings by Subject

The University of Nairobi’s development studies has been ranked in the band 51-100 in the 12th edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, released on 6 April, 2022. In this ranking, the international higher education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds, names the world’s top universities for the study of 51 academic disciplines and five broad faculty areas.

The other two UoN entries are in agriculture and forestry 301-350 (unchanged year on year), and in medicine 451-500, up one band.

Kenya is the third African country to achieve a place among the world’s top 100 in the ranking.  South Africa had one in the top 10, two in the top 20 and four in the top 50. Uganda was the only other African country to have one in the top 50 with Makerere University placing 39th globally in development studies.

The rankings aim to help prospective students identify the world's leading schools in their chosen field in response to the high demand for subject-level comparisons.

The 2022 edition covers an independent comparative analysis of the performance of 15,200 individual university programmes and included 1,543 institutions from 88 countries across the globe.

According to QS Research Director, Ben Sowter, observing performance trends across over 15,000 university departments enabled the international analyst body to single out the factors which influence the success of these institutions. 

According to the research Director, the main factors that have directly correlated with influencing the success of the ranked universities and departments include one having an international outlook, both in terms of faculty body and research relationships. Second, universities that have risen in ranking received targeted investments from their governments for over a decade. Lastly universities with strengthened relationships with industry correlating to better employment, research and innovation outcomes attained better rankings.