A study has listed Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe as the most educated African leader but has found him to be the third worst leader in the continent.

According to the study published by Answers Africa, Mugabe has the highest number of academic degrees. He has a degree in Economics from a South African university and also a Law degree from a London-based university.

The 91-year old President, who leads Africa's most literate nation (91 percent), has seven university degrees besides 14 honorary degrees from both local and international universities, the study found.

President Thomas Boni of Benin - a French-speaking West African nation - was ranked second, Morocco's King Mohammed VI came third and Malawi President Peter Mutharika was fourth in the list of the most educated leaders of Africa.

The same study, however, found that Mugabe was among the third worst leaders in the continent.

The report published in All Africa noted that Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, who is indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Darfur topped the list of worst leaders.

The second worst dictator on the list was Swaziland's King Mswati III, infamous for kidnapping women who he desires to marry.

The report noted that though "President Mugabe helped bring freedom to Zimbabweans" the inadequacies of his rule "overshadow his achievements".

Mugabe was an "odd man" who created an "illusion of democracy on one hand while he oppresses the white people with the other," the study noted.