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22 January 2025 | Story Charlene Stanley | Photo Supplied
University of the Free State - Main Gate
The THE rankings are known to guide potential students to identify the best institutions for their chosen field of study, allowing them to compare different universities based on the strength of their academic offerings in specific study fields.

The recently published Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject 2025 shows that the University of the Free State (UFS) is ranked among the top 1 000 global higher learning institutions in its nine evaluated subjects, with most subject areas showing improved results from those recorded in 2024. 

The annually published THE World University Rankings by Subject is a highly regarded, trusted global benchmark for academic excellence in specific disciplines. Its methodology is designed to evaluate universities by employing a range of performance indicators categorised under five core pillars, namely Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry, and International Outlook. 

Under Teaching, factors such as reputation, student-to-staff ratio, doctorate-to-bachelor ratio, and institutional income are considered. The Research pillar focuses on aspects such as productivity, citation impact, and influence. Among the other considerations are the income generated from industry partnerships and patents, as well as the number of international students, staff, and co-authored publications.

The methodology is carefully adjusted for each subject, ensuring fairness and accuracy by considering field-specific research cultures and publication practices.

The complete list of UFS subject rankings is as follows:

Law: 301+  *
Arts and Humanities: 501-600 # 
Education Studies: 501-600  #
Psychology: 501-600  #
Life Sciences: 601-800  #
Social Sciences: 601-800 #
Medical and Health: 801-1 000  #

Physical Sciences: 801-1 000 #

*The “+” label indicates that there is no upper limit and is used in instances where the THE does not provide exact ranks for universities beyond this position, therefore grouping institutions together to avoid overly fine distinctions at lower ranking tiers. (Eg. 801+ indicates 801st or lower.)

# The range label (eg. 801-1000), indicates that a university is ranked somewhere within this narrower range, (eg. between 801st  and 1000th. )

For more detail, visit: www.timeshighereducation.com

The THE rankings are known to guide potential students to identify the best institutions for their chosen field of study, allowing them to compare different universities based on the strength of their academic offerings in specific study fields. It also often paves the way for research collaboration, as companies are more likely to partner with highly ranked institutions in a specific sector for research and development projects. Furthermore, strong subject rankings enhance the international reputation of universities and enable comprehensive comparison in particular disciplines.

“This type of global benchmarking is extremely valuable in enhancing the international reputation of the UFS, enabling us to ultimately recruit and attract the most talented students and staff from our region and from across the globe. This aligns with our institutional strategy contained in Vision 130, whereby we aim to grow and extend our impact and influence locally, regionally, and globally,” says Prof Anthea Rhoda, acting UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal. “Valuable knowledge and insights are also garnered during each evaluation process, allowing us to remain a globally competitive force in higher education, and to take the UFS to even greater heights in the years to come.”

Click to view document Click to view UFS Times Higher Subject Scores

News Archive

New electoral body for student elections
2004-07-24

The University of the Free State (UFS) has appointed the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) to handle the upcoming election of the Student Representative Council (SRC) and Student Parliament on the main campus.

"EISA specialises in elections and have done vast research on the subject"said Dr Natie Luyt, acting Dean: Student Affairs at the UFS.

Dr Luyt said that the UFS wanted an electoral body that can act as neutral and objective as possible. "EISA is a credible electoral body with the necessary knowledge and expertise. We have full confidence that they will ensure a free and fair election on campus"said Dr Luyt.

"EISA is a neutral party and our main aim is to promote democracy through the process of elections"said Mr Seth Phamuli, Chief Electoral Officer of EISA's UFS election campaign.

Mr Phamuli said that EISA has handled the SRC and Council elections of several other tertiary institutions in the country. These include among others the University of the Witwatersrand , the University of the North, Unitra, Wits Technicon, Vista and Pretoria Technicon. "EISA also acts as the secretariat for the Southern African Developing Countries (SADC) as far as elections are concerned and manages the election processes of various parastatal bodies in the country"said Mr Phamuli.

No changes to the constitution of the SRC have been made for this year's election. "The UFS Council decided last year that any changes to the constitution of the SRC should be submitted for consideration by the Council meeting which took place in June. However, the amendments were submitted late - after the closing date for agenda items to be added"said Dr Luyt.

The elections on the main campus will take place on 11 August 2004 .


MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za 25 Julie 2004

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