Rhodes owes its unique character among South African universities to a combination of factors - historical, geographical, cultural and architectural.
Its history is a chronicle of the people whose intellect, vision and courage created and sustained a university, often against seemingly insuperable odds.
With just over 8200 students, Rhodes is a small University, which enjoys the distinction of having among the best undergraduate pass and graduation rates in South Africa, outstanding postgraduate success rates, and the best research output per academic staff member. This is a testimony to the quality of students that Rhodes attracts and of academic provision, and to the commitment of Rhodes staff to student development and success.
The University takes pride in its motto, Where Leaders Learn, and producing graduates who are knowledgeable intellectuals, skilled professionals, and critical, caring and compassionate citizens who can contribute to economic and social development and an equitable, just and democratic society.
Our graduates perform well in an increasingly competitive job market and are highly regarded by employers around the world. During your time here, we will help you prepare for your chosen career. The employability of our graduates continues to increase and rates up there with the very best the world has to offer. Our degree offering prepares students for the job market by ensuring they develop the skills employers want, whether through work experience, volunteering or social activities.
Allan Webb consists of Canterbury, Canterbury Annex, Salisbury, Truro and Winchester.The smallest hall on campus situated in the beautiful and historic grounds of St.Peter’s.
Courtenay-Latimer consists of Beit, Jameson and Oriel. Located in the heart of campus, Courtenay-Latimer Hall is the home of a vibrant group of young women.
Desmond Tutu Hall consists of Ellen Kuzwayo, Amina Cachalia, Calata, Margaret Smith, Hilltop 3 and Oakdene. This hall was formally know as Hill Top Hall.
The Rhodes University Library (RUL) has evolved into an attractive, well-resources and popular facility that is designed to actively promote and support the research, teaching and learning endeavours of the University.
The RUL, aligned to the RU faculties, provides customised services and products to undergraduates, post-graduates, staff, alumni and visiting scholars of each faculty.
Student Support
Our Student Networking service provides a way for students to make use of their own private computers on the University's network.
Over the years the campus has grown - today there are about 150 buildings, including 39 residences.
Graced with lovely grounds, 203 hectares in extent, an abundance of sports facilities and nestling in the hills of the beautiful and historic city of Grahamstown, the University offers an ideal physical environment for studying.
You will live, learn and play in elegant plaster and stone-under-tile buildings, several of which are National Monuments.
We have the follwoing facilities:
The SRC oversees the operation of nearly 80 different Clubs and Societies which operate under their auspices.
Each society has its own elected leadership committee (chair, treasurer, secretary etc) and is responsible for organising their own functions, and monitoring their budgets These societies include cultural interest groups (e.g. debating, drumming, poetry), religious societies, political and awareness-raising groups, and environmental clubs.
Orientation Week is designed not only to provide you with information on courses that are on offer at Rhodes University but also to expose you to the wide array of services and opportunities provided by the University to enhance your chances of success. The overarching goal of our Directorate of Student Affairs is to “create a living and learning student support system and an environment which is inclusive and is conducive to a healthy life-style, personal growth, development and academic success for our students.”
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
By TopUniversities
Climbed 100 places compared to 2026
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 951 | 1001 | 901 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 146 places compared to 2026
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 953 | 1028 | 1174 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Based on 24 reviews
I liked the fact that the course content was comprehensive
eye opening to new realtionships and networks
Incredible and really enjoyful. The experience involves a multi disciplinary approach towards learning which benefits the experience as a whole.
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