Why UDSM is among Africa’s leading universities

The results underline not only where UDSM stands, but why it stands there, anchored in five pillars that define its institutional strength and help students, partners and policymakers make informed choices.

The release of the QS ranking comes shortly after the recent Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings update, which placed the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) at the top among Tanzanian institutions.

While THE provides a broad global comparison framework built around teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry income, it tends to aggregate performance into wider bands.

This often makes it harder for students and policymakers to identify precisely where an institution’s comparative advantage lies, particularly in specific subject areas or operational strengths.

In contrast, the QS Sub-Saharan Africa matrix disaggregates performance into clearly defined pillars, making it easier to understand the distinct institutional drivers behind a university’s position.

For a country like Tanzania, where students increasingly seek clarity on which university excels in which area, this specificity offers practical guidance rather than a generalised global placement. Higher education analyst Dr Benson Mmari explained that the difference between QS and THE lies not only in methodology, but in interpretation.

“THE offers a strong macro-level comparison, especially for global visibility,” he said.

“But QS, particularly this Sub-Saharan Africa edition, provides a sharper lens. You can see whether a university’s strength lies in research networks, sustainability, employer reputation or teaching capacity. That level of detail is extremely useful for strategic planning.”

UDSM’s strength

Research is the backbone of any leading university, and this is where UDSM’s strength is most evident.

In the QS framework, the university posted 49.1 citations per paper and 19.7 papers per faculty, signalling research that is not only produced but used and cited.

Its Academic Reputation score of 55.4 reflects growing peer recognition across the region.

The Learning Experience pillar captures teaching quality and academic support. UDSM recorded a Faculty–Student Ratio score of 15.3, reflecting institutional efforts to sustain teaching standards amid expanding enrolment.

However, beneath the score lies a structural challenge that continues to weigh down the university’s ranking potential: an actual classroom reality of roughly one lecturer to over 200 students in some programmes.

Internationally, top universities operate at ratios closer to 1:15 or 1:20, a benchmark widely recognised by ranking experts as critical to student engagement and learning outcomes.

Persistent staff transfers to newer universities and appointments of senior academics to political and public leadership roles have further stretched capacity.

“UDSM is Tanzania’s image, robbing it of the very few lecturers is a setback in the global lens. Without aggressive recruitment and retention of academic staff, its teaching excellence risks being undermined, despite strong institutional intent,” said Dr Mmari.

Global engagement is another defining pillar. In an increasingly interconnected academic world, collaboration is no longer optional.

UDSM’s International Research Network score of 59.1 highlights expanding partnerships with universities and research institutions across Africa, Europe, Asia and North America.

These collaborations have strengthened joint publications, postgraduate supervision and access to international grants.

Graduate outcomes matter greatly in modern rankings, and QS captures this through employer reputation and digital presence.

UDSM earned an Employer Reputation score of 53.3, reflecting confidence from public institutions, private sector employers and development organisations in the quality of its graduates.

Complementing this is a Web Impact score of 50.3, pointing to the university’s growing online visibility and knowledge dissemination.

UDSM’s strongest showing came in Sustainability, where it scored 64 points.

This pillar recognises how universities integrate environmental stewardship, social responsibility and sustainable development into their core missions.

According to UDSM’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research), Prof Nelson Boniface, the focus has been on research that aligns with national and regional priorities.

“Our strategy is to produce knowledge that directly speaks to development challenges, energy, health, education, climate and governance. That relevance is now being recognised,” he told The Citizen in an interview.

He added that targeted investments in laboratories, doctoral training and research funding are expected to lift performance further next year.

The university’s Research Coordinator, Dr Mathew Senga, noted that stability in research governance has been key.

“We now have clearer research strategies and stronger coordination. This consistency gives international partners confidence and allows our scholars to work within long-term research programmes rather than fragmented projects,” he explained.