The University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) has been ranked 5th among universities in Ghana in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027, placing the University among the country’s leading institutions in the latest global assessment of higher education performance.
UENR placed in the 1,801–2,000 global band among 2,297 ranked institutions worldwide. The University also ranked 22nd in West Africa and 111th in Africa, marking a significant milestone in its growing national, regional and international visibility. The ranking places UENR behind the University of Cape Coast (UCC), University of Ghana (UG), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and University for Development Studies (UDS) among Ghanaian institutions.
UENR’s performance across the five broad dimensions assessed by THE highlights the University’s growing strength in research, industry engagement and academic development. The University ranked 4th in Ghana in Research Environment, with a score of 14.9, placing 10th in West Africa and 47th in Africa. In Research Quality, UENR also ranked 4th in Ghana, 20th in West Africa and 101st in Africa, with a score of 39.0. The University similarly placed 4th in Ghana for Industry, recording a score of 21.2 and ranking 17th in West Africa and 89th in Africa. The performance reflects the University’s increasing emphasis on translating research and academic knowledge into practical solutions and strengthening engagement with industry.
In Teaching, UENR ranked 5th in Ghana, 34th in West Africa and 163rd in Africa, with a score of 10.5. The University also ranked 5th in Ghana in International Outlook, with a score of 38.5, placing 27th in West Africa and 114th in Africa.
UENR’s performance in the ranking comes against the backdrop of significant growth in its research output. The University’s annual Scopus-indexed publication output increased from approximately 30 publications in 2017 to about 365 publications per annum by 2025, reflecting substantial growth in the institution’s annual research productivity and scholarly visibility.
The continued expansion of research output, collaborations and engagement with industry has contributed to strengthening UENR’s position within the global higher education landscape.
The University’s strong showing in Research Environment and Research Quality is particularly significant, as these dimensions reflect institutional capacity for research, scholarly output, research influence and the broader environment supporting knowledge creation.
Established on 31 December 2011, with its pioneer students admitted in November 2012, UENR has grown in just over a decade from a relatively young institution into a university serving more than 18,000 students.
The University has simultaneously expanded its academic programmes, research capacity, infrastructure, institutional partnerships and international engagements. Its inclusion in the THE World University Rankings 2027 is therefore significant given the highly competitive global higher education environment, which includes institutions with considerably longer histories and more established research ecosystems.
The ranking represents not only UENR’s position within Ghana’s higher education landscape but also the progress made by a young public university through sustained investment in teaching, research, innovation, academic development and international engagement.
The achievement further reinforces UENR’s vision of becoming a leading centre for knowledge, innovation and sustainable development and provides an important platform for the University to deepen its research impact, strengthen industry partnerships and enhance its international outlook.