University of the Free State
(UFS)
About
The University of the Free State is a multi-campus public university in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State and the judicial capital of South Africa. It was first established as an institution of higher learning in 1904 as a tertiary section of Grey College. It was declared an independent Afrikaans-language university in 1950 and the name was changed to the University of the Orange Free State. The university has two satellite campuses. Initially a whites-only precinct, the university was fully de-segregated in 1996. The first black university vice-chancellor was appointed in 2010.
Ranking Overview
LatestRanked Top 901 worldwide across 4 major ranking systems
Ranked in 20 subject rankings
QS
THE
ARWU
US News
Key Facts
- Students
- 31,599
- Student-Staff Ratio
- 30.9 : 1
- Int'l Students
- 2%
- Female : Male
- 64 : 36
- Staff
- 2,900
Historical Trend
Longitudinal View
QS
THE
ARWU
US News
Top Subjects
Best-performing areasSubject Rankings
Detailed breakdownTHE
9 subjects|
Subject
|
Rank
|
Score
|
Year
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Law | 301–400 | 24.7 | 2026 |
| Education | 401–500 | 32.7 | 2026 |
| Arts & Humanities | 401–500 | 27.4 | 2026 |
| Psychology | 501–600 | 28.2 | 2026 |
| Clinical & Health | 801–1000 | 22.9 | 2026 |
| Life Sciences | 801–1000 | 23.4 | 2026 |
| Physical Sciences | 801–1000 | 27.5 | 2026 |
| Social Sciences | 801–1000 | 21.6 | 2026 |
| Business & Economics | 801–1000 | 21.2 | 2026 |
ARWU
3 subjects|
Subject
|
Rank
|
Score
|
Year
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth Sciences | 301-400 | - | 2025 |
| Mathematics | 401-500 | - | 2024 |
| Education | 401-500 | - | 2019 |
QS
2 subjects|
Subject
|
Rank
|
Score
|
Year
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & Forestry | 401-450 | - | 2024 |
| Mathematics | 501-600 | - | 2025 |
US News
6 subjects|
Subject
|
Rank
|
Score
|
Year
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant and Animal Science | =473 | 41.1 | 2026 |
| Agricultural Sciences | 488 | 41.1 | 2026 |
| Social Sciences and Public Health | =700 | 41.1 | 2026 |
| Materials Science | =888 | 41.1 | 2026 |
| Environment/Ecology | =915 | 41.1 | 2026 |
| Chemistry | =1,006 | 41.1 | 2026 |