Victoria University has emerged as Uganda’s second-ranked higher education institution in the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Revised Institutional Ranking Report, placing it ahead of Kampala International University as it prepares to graduate another cohort of students.
The ranking puts the private university just behind Makerere University, which scored 88.9, with Victoria University registering 87.4 and Kampala International University scoring 85.8.
The recognition comes ahead of Victoria University’s 10th graduation ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, marking a decade of producing graduates for Uganda’s labour market.
According to the report, Victoria University falls within the “Leading” performance band, an assessment based on indicators covering student enrolment, programme viability, graduate training, gender balance, participation in science-related courses and the relevance of academic programmes to the labour market.
The university’s performance raises questions about the factors driving its rise in the rankings and the extent to which its academic programmes are translating into skills and opportunities for graduates.
The NCHE assessment uses seven dimensions to measure institutional performance. Enrolment vibrancy accounts for 20 per cent of the overall score, while programme viability, graduate training strength, gender balance and participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) each carry a 15 per cent weighting. Female participation in STEM and curriculum relevance account for the remaining 10 per cent each.
Victoria University’s reported enrolment stands at 14,113 students across 66 academic programmes, averaging 128.7 students per programme. However, the report contains conflicting figures, with a graphic on its opening page appearing to put the university’s enrolment at 8,494.
The discrepancy raises questions about the accuracy of the figures used to present the institution’s performance and requires clarification from NCHE before either figure can be treated as definitive.
The report also shows that women account for 50.1 per cent of Victoria University’s student population. Students enrolled in STEM programmes constitute 52.7 per cent of total enrolment, with women representing 49.2 per cent of those pursuing the science-related disciplines.
The figures place gender representation and participation in STEM among the university’s notable indicators, at a time when higher education institutions face growing pressure to equip students with skills relevant to the changing demands of the economy.
However, institutional rankings alone do not establish how many graduates secure employment, the quality of jobs they obtain or the extent to which their training meets employers’ needs. Such measures would provide a fuller picture of the university’s contribution to the economy.
Victoria University’s 10th graduation ceremony offers an opportunity to examine that contribution, including the number of students expected to graduate, the qualifications they will receive and the cumulative number of graduates produced since the institution began holding graduation ceremonies.
These details would help establish the scale of the university’s contribution to the workforce and the sectors in which its alumni are making an impact.
As Uganda continues to rely on universities to develop the skills needed for economic transformation, the challenge for institutions is not only to expand enrolment and offer more academic programmes, but also to ensure that graduates leave with competencies that translate into employment, entrepreneurship and productivity.
For Victoria University, the second-place ranking provides a measure of institutional performance. Its longer-term significance, however, will depend on how effectively the university converts that standing into quality training and tangible outcomes for its graduates.
