The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has once again consolidated its standing as a force to be reckoned with within the higher education landscape, not only in Ghana but also in the West African sub-region, on the African continent, and globally.
UCC has garnered attention in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings (WUR) by maintaining its position as the topmost (i.e no. 1) university in Ghana and West Africa for the fifth consecutive time. UCC also ranked 11th in Africa, a reflection of the University’s growing reputation in the global academic community.
Recognised globally, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings is one of the most prestigious assessments of higher education institutions. The 2026 edition featured 2,191 universities from 115 countries and territories that qualified for ranking, with others labelled as reporters due to not meeting the minimum criteria. This competitive approach underscores the rigour of the THE WUR.
As the most comprehensive global university ranking league table, the annual THE WUR serves to compare and assess research-intensive universities across five key areas: teaching environment, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry/knowledge transfer.
Addressing a press conference to announce UCC’s enviable achievement, the Ag. Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Denis Worlanyo Aheto, said UCC consistently demonstrates a sterling performance as a research-intensive university, not only in Ghana, West Africa, and Africa, but also globally.
Ag. Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Denis Worlanyo Aheto
“Within our national corridors, this feat is still a unique niche in the history of any University in Ghana. With this remarkable performance, UCC also remains the only university in Ghana that has achieved this position in the West African sub-region,” he added.
Prof. Aheto further indicated that UCC emerged as the top university in Ghana for quality education (SDG 4) in this year's THE Impact Rankings, which were released earlier in the year.
“Overall, UCC was also ranked No. 1 (ties with Ashesi University) in Ghana for the impact rankings. Again, UCC ranked 101-200 on quality education globally and the only university in Ghana that was ranked in 101-200 band on Life below water (SDG 14),” he said.
The Ag. Vice-Chancellor posited that these achievements are a testament to the high quality and reputable scholarly research outputs of UCC, particularly over the past decade.
The Ag. VC, Prof. Aheto (5th from left) with some senior officers of the University
By this feat, he said UCC has also demonstrated its continuous and impactful scholarly contribution to the national, sub-regional, regional, and global higher education ecosystem.
“This emphasises the relentless efforts and deep commitments of our entire faculty, staff and students towards conducting cutting-edge and impactful research of societal relevance,” he noted.
Prof. Aheto also indicated that UCC achieved these feats standing on the shoulders of time and used the opportunity to applaud the efforts of past Vice-Chancellors, Pro Vice-Chancellors, and Registrars of the University. He also extended appreciation to the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC) for its commitment and effort over the past half a decade in ensuring that adequate and reliable data are submitted to THE for the university to be ranked.
Prof. David Teye Doku, Director of DRIC-UCC
He also thanked other outfits in the University, such as: Management Information Section (MIS); the Directorate of Finance; Directorate of Human Resource; Office of International Affairs (OIR); Students Records Management Section (SRMS); and School of Graduate Studies (SGS), Colleges, Schools/Faculties, Departments, Institutes, Centres and other units of the University for their unflinching support during data collection for the ranking participation over the past five years.
Prof. David Teye Doku, Director of DRIC-UCC, in response to a question regarding how UCC could boost its standing in Africa, asserted that the University must focus on promoting high-quality teaching, research, and outreach initiatives.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC