Making a choice can be somewhat difficult when left with many options. Choices are made when adequate information are available to the choice-maker. Universities in Ghana are making huge strides in the African continent at large. The country, though modest in population size has proven that quality is what matters and not quantity. There are less than 20 universities in Ghana, 17 in number precisely as at today but they rank among some of the best universities in Africa.
To be more precise, according to Webometrics, an authority in university rankings in the world, the University of Ghana is ranked number 1,447 in the world while Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology is ranked 1,868, University of Cape Coast is ranked 3,036 and University for Development Studies occupies number 3,898 position.
In Nigeria, the only university that ranks higher than the best university in Ghana is the University of Ibadan (UI) which is ranked on number 1,076. The University of Nigeria on number 2,189 position in the world behind the university of Ghana.
Since the few Universities in Ghana are of high quality, it makes choosing the best more difficult but in this post we will present to you, the top 10 best universities in Ghana and their school fees as this would give you a much detailed information needed to make an informed decision.
Are you thinking out loud on what yardstick we arrived at this ranking? well the truth is we did not base this best Universities in Ghana on sentimental grounds nor emotional attachments to our alma-matas, rather on the following criteria as seen below:
a) Past and Present Records of The University: This is the first criterion for the ranking the top 10 best universities in Ghana, their past and present records in terms of quality of graduating students and their achievements.
b) Quality and Professionalism of Lecturers: The number of lecturers can be put into consideration but quality is key to imparting knowledge into students. They say what you have is what you give, you cannot give what you do not have. So when it comes to quality of lectures, the schools listed here have them which is the major reason for influx of students from other West African countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal and so on.
c) Size of The University: You cannot rule out size in measuring the strength of a university, in as much as this might not be a major determinant, it still has a role to play because even the ministry of education puts that into consideration before approving institutions to run as a university.
d) Availability of Adequate Learning Facilities: Yes! we all are aware that these makes up the university but a top notch e-Learning facility for students makes teaching much easier. It is believed that we understand quickly what we see than what we hear so these schools are ranked the best universities in Ghana because they posses the facility. Others include ambient lecture halls, working public address systems and conducive learning environment.
e) Popularity: Many student apply for admission mainly because the school is well known and popularity borne out of the history of a school, that its the age of the university, its academic achievements and history. Take for example, the University of Ghana. It is the most popular university in Ghana and across its shores mainly because it is the oldest university and till date rated the best University in Ghana for its academic achievements.
Based on the above criteria though not limited to them, we bring you the top 10 best universities in Ghana and their school fees. You could as well term them the most popular universities in Ghana too. The universities listed here are a mixture of Federal and state universities. Though we also listed the private universities in Ghana and a brief description about them towards the end of the post just so you can have an idea of the full list of universities in Ghana in total.
Now lets go to the reason for this post. Take your time are go through them properly, we promise you will make the best choice as regards which university is the best in Ghana to study. We List the top 10 best universities in Ghana in no particular order but we made references to their position in the universities ranking in Ghana.
Top 10 Universities In Ghana And Their School Fees (2024)
1) Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
This is one of the best Universities in Ghana. It is located in Kumasi, Ashanti in Ghana. It is generally referred to as KNUST but the breakdown is Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. KNUST is till date the biggest university in Ashanti. and Kumasi Metropolis, it is also one of the biggest Universities in Ghana.
The university was previously called Kumasi College of Technology, established on the 22nd of January 1952. Fast forward to October 1952, the School of Engineering and the Department of Commerce were accredited and the following year, that is 1953, the department Pharmacy was announced and accredited to run.
Currently there are 11 faculties including colleges and 64 of courses offered in KNUST. KNUST is one of the universities in Ghana with a large multinational international community, this is as a result of the quality and high standards of education the school has maintained over the years since its establishment.
For those who would be selecting this university, please note that there is an international student association that sees to the interests of students from foreign countries for matters like hostel accommodation, orientation and campus tours to get them acquainted with the university.
School Fees payable per session is very affordable, its a federal institution so fees are subsidized for citizens but not for foreign or international students.
2) University of Ghana
KNUST may be the oldest university in Kumasi and Ashanti but the University of Ghana by far the oldest and biggest university in terms of landmass and structures. The University of Ghana was founded in 1948, in the British colony of the Gold Coast. Previously known as University College of the Gold Coast until Gold Coast was changed to Ghana then the university followed suit and was renamed University of Ghana. The university got its full accreditation status in 1961. The population size of students in the university of Ghana is estimated to be around 40,000.
There are 5 colleges and 6 faculties currently accredited in the University of Ghana. Some of which are as follows:
- College of Health Sciences
- College of Basic and Applied Sciences
- College of Humanities
- College of Education
- College of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Arts British
- Faculty of Social Studies
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Engineering
Also, the university of Ghana is equipped with a graduate school of nuclear and Allied Sciences at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, making it stand out as one of the few universities in Africa that offer courses in nuclear physics and nuclear engineering.
The school also has a teaching hospital, students who aspire to study medicine are to take note of this. The university is unique in every facet, both academically and socially. When rating the best University in Ghana, the University of Ghana occupied the number spot.
You can go through the full break down of University of Ghana school fees for fresh and returning students to ascertain the fees payable for both indigent and international students, Nigerian students most especially.
3) University of Cape Coast
University of Cape Coast is another Federal university in Ghana that made it to the top 10 list of best universities in Ghana. University of Cape Coast was established in 1962 and currently operates 2 campuses; namely, the Southern Campus known as the first site and the Northern Campus, that is, the new site.
The University has six (6) colleges with each college broken down into schools, faculties and departments. You can visit their official website for more information as regards courses offered, and school fees for indigent and international students.
4) The University of Education, Winneba (UEW)
Earlier we mentioned that Universities in Ghana are more focus oriented that is they specialize in certain fields rather than muddling up courses just to gain cheap reputation for the university with the most courses. The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) as the name implies is located in Winneba, Central Region of Ghana.
Its was established in 1992 and a tertiary institution to over 60,000 students. The primary aim of setting up this school is to focus on improving teaching as an art by do doing, train teachers for the education system of Ghana. The university is well equipped with state of the art electronic library (Balme Library) for carrying out research and other findings.
Whether you live in Ghana or an international student with passion for teaching then the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) is best for you. Saddled with the responsibility of bringing out the best in teachers, the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) is playing the leading role in producing top scholars whose knowledge would be fully responsive to the realities and urgent need of the present day Ghana thus making it one of the focus driven best universities in Ghana.
5) University for Development Studies Tamale
This university was founded in 1992 as a multi-campus institution, it is unique in its own structure because it is different from the conventional university settings of having universities with central campuses and administrations. The University of Developmental studies is sited in Tamale, it is the fifth public university to be established in Ghana. This is another perfect example of where the age or existence of the university tallies with high standards.
The University for Development Studies is armed with eight (8) faculties and two (2) schools of Health sciences (school of allied health sciences and school of Medicine and Health Sciences). There are 4o courses offered in the University for Development Studies excluding those offered under the schools of health sciences as seen above. With top notch facilities in learning, conducive hostel accommodation and ambient learning environment alongside its unique administrative style, the university still retains the bragging right of being among the top 10 best universities in Ghana. Their tuition fee is quite affordable. Please refer to their official website for reference.
6) The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA)
Established in 1995, the university used to be called the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS), this is a discovery many Ghanaian students have no knowledge of. It is a Federal University in Ghana with the main campus sited in the capital city of Ghana, Accra precisely.
They retain the honor as the first university in Ghana to provide both academic and business professional education to indigent and foreign students. For those category of students asking about its accreditation status, please note that the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) is nationally and internationally accredited by the body responsible for accreditation of universities in Ghana, the National Accreditation Board (Ghana) and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) so the fear of studying an unaccredited course is history.
The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma programmes in various academic disciplines, simply go through to confirm which ever suits your intending career path. The University of Professional Studies in Ghana retains its position on the list of top 10 best universities in Ghana.
7) George Grant University of Mines and Technology
George Grant University of Mines and Technology was formally known as Tarkwa Technical Institute, established in 1952. The university was changed to Tarkwa School of Mines in 1961 with focus in training manpower for the mining industry in Ghana. Fast forward to October 1st 2001, the school was raised to university college status and was renamed the Western University College of KNUST and on the 12th of January 2018 the university was further renamed to George Grant University of Mines and Technology and this name it has retained till date.
There are six (6) departments in George Grant Universities of Mines and Technology, and it is only university with a faculty of mineral resources technology amongst other universities in the West African sub-region for training high-level personnel in the mineral industry. Not many argued when it was listed among one of the best universities in Ghana for technology related courses.
8) University of Health and Allied Sciences
Being ranked at the best come with enormous responsibilities and the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) is one of the best universities in Ghana. Did we mention that it is one of the youngest public universities in Ghana too? okay now you are aware. The University of Health and Allied Sciences is located at Ho, you can get more about this location using your Google Map. It was founded in 2012 and kick-started its academic session with 154 students.
UHAS has two major campuses, the Ho campus and Hohoe campus. The Ho campus is the main and central campus for administrative duties while Hohoe campus is where the School of Public Health is sited. There are six (6) schools and one (1) institute with four (4) centers at the attached to the university. Many foreign students with passion for health and medical courses would be making one of the best choices by choosing this school.
9) The University of Energy and Natural Resources
This is one of the few universities in Ghana established by the act of parliament, decree number 830, 2011 on December 31, 2011. The University of Energy and Natural resources is a Federal university saddled with the responsibility of the management of energy and natural resources in Ghana.
The University of Energy and Natural resources has three main campuses in Sunyani, Nsoatre and Dormaa Ahenkro. All campuses have their distinctive areas of specialty. For example, the Sunyani campus is where the School of Sciences; School of Natural Resources; School of Graduate Studies are sited. It is also the administrative headquarters of the University.
The Nsoatre campus is where the School of Engineering is while the Dormaa campus is where the School of Agriculture and Technology and Geo-sciences are offered.
10) Accra Technical University
Just as the name implies, it is a technical university in Ghana though public, in fact it is not just the only technical university in Ghana that made the list of best universities in Ghana, in addition, it is the first technical university in Ghana founded in 1949, located in Barnes Rd, Accra, Ghana.
It is the only university in Ghana that awards both HND and Bachelor in Technology (B.Tech) degrees. Currently there are 10 degree courses and fifteen (15) HND programmes offered in Accra Technical University and all courses and programmes are fully accredited by the National Accreditation Board (NAB) of Ghana. Accra university of Ghana ranks on the number 10th position on the list of top 10 best universities in Ghana and their tuition fee is also very affordable. School fees at Accra Technical University is 4780 GHC (Ghanaian Cedis) per session.
Other Top Universities In Ghana
Kumasi Technical University
Koforidua Technical University
Tamale Technical University
Ho Technical University
Takoradi Technical University
Sunyani Technical University
Professional Public Universities In Ghana
Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College
Ghana Institute of Journalism
Ghana Institute of Languages
Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration
Ghana Institute of Surveying and Mapping
Institution of Local Government Studies
University of Professional Studies, Accra
Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre
National Film and Television Institute
List of Colleges and Private Universities In Ghana
Accra Institute of Technology
African University College of Communications
Anglican University College of Technology
Catholic University College of Ghana
Christian Service University College
Family Health Medical School
Good News Theological Seminary
Islamic University College
Knutsford University College
Lancaster University
Methodist University College Ghana
Pentecost University College
Presbyterian University College
Wisconsin International University College
Central University College
Catholic Institute of Business and Technology
National Film and Television Institute
Institute Of Accountancy Training
Narh-Bita School of Nursing
Ghana Institute of Languages
Regional Maritime University
Blue Crest College (formerly known as NIIT Ghana College)
In Conclusion
When we started this article, we promised to make decision making in terms of choosing the best university in Ghana an easy one for readers, we hope we were able to keep to our promise after reading this post. Yes it is quite lengthy but we wanted to hit all vital points that would aid making an informed decision as regards selecting the best university in Ghana a fruitful one for our readers.
Also, please note that the information contained here are not cast in stones hence likely to change which is not at our sole control but we promise to keep it updated should there be any change from the list of above institution.
Your inputs, opinions and suggestions are highly welcome to keep this post active hence we are open to your opinions via our comment section below or contact us page and we shall respond accordingly.
