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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

Wayde nominated with SA’s best
2015-11-04

      
Wayde van Niekerk sweating on
Pellies Park at the University of the Free State
Bloemfontein Campus.
Photo: Charl Devenish

The Kovsie athlete Wayde van Niekerk’s dream year is not over yet.

The University of the Free State’s golden boy was nominated in two categories of the SA Sports Awards in Johannesburg on 3 November 2015 . The winners of the tenth SA Sports Awards will be crowned in Van Niekerk’s home town, Bloemfontein, on 22 November 2015.
  
For the awards, sports stars are being judged on their achievements between 1 September 2014 and 30 September 2015.

The 23-year-old Van Niekerk was nominated as Sportsman of the Year and in the People’s Choice category.

One of three with two nominations

Van Niekerk is one of three sports stars nominated for two awards. The other two are the swimmer, Chad le Clos (Sportsman of the Year and People’s Choice), and the cyclist, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Sportswoman of the Year and People’s Choice).

In the category Sportsman of the Year, Van Niekerk was nominated with Le Clos, and the mountain biker, Greg Minnaar.

He will compete against the Protea cricket player AB de Villiers, Moolman-Pasio, Le Clos, and the wheelchair tennis player, Lucas Sithole, for the People’s Choice Award.

After enjoying a dream year, Van Niekerk was named on 21 October 2015 as KovsieSport’s Sportsman of the Year for a third consecutive year.

In August, he won the 400 m at the World Championships in Beijing in a time of 43.48 s. His winning time was the sixth fastest in history, with only three athletes achieving better times.

NBC Olympics, a division of the American broadcasting network NBC, recently filmed a special insert on him at the UFS Bloemfontein Campus. The insert will be screened in the build-up to, and during, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Vote for Wayde


Supporters have until 21:00 on 22 November 2015 to vote for their favourite sports stars, by sending an SMS at the cost of R1,50 to 45210.

To vote for Van Niekerk in the category People’s Choice, send an SMS with the letter E to 45210.

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