Cairo University maintains top 500 global ranking, third in Africa in 2026 Shanghai Ranking

CAIRO – 15 August 2026: Cairo University has maintained its position as Egypt’s top-ranked university in the 2026 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, placing it among the world’s top 500 universities and third in Africa.

The university ranked in the 401–500 bracket globally, retaining its position among the world’s leading institutions and reaffirming its strong standing in higher education and scientific research at both the regional and international levels.

Still photo/Shanghai Ranking 2026

Cairo University was followed by Alexandria University and Mansoura University, which ranked in the 601–700 bracket, while Ain Shams University and Al-Azhar University were placed in the 701–800 bracket. Zagazig University ranked in the 901–1000 bracket.

At the African level, Cairo University retained third place for the second consecutive year, behind the University of Cape Town, which ranked in the 201–300 bracket globally, and the University of the Witwatersrand, which ranked in the 301–400 bracket.

The ARWU is one of the world’s oldest and most prominent university rankings.

First launched in 2003, it annually ranks the top 1,000 universities worldwide based primarily on quantitative indicators measuring academic excellence, research strength and impact.

The ranking uses six key indicators, including the number of alumni receiving Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, accounting for 10% of the score; faculty members receiving those awards, 20%; and highly cited researchers, 20%.

Other indicators include papers published in Nature and Science, 20%; papers indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index through Web of Science, 20%; and per-capita academic performance, 10%.