Thursday, December 19, 2024

What are the Largest Universities in South Africa?

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The University of South Africa tops the list of the largest Universities in South Africa with over 400,000 students. South Africa has 26 public universities distributed within all nine provinces of South Africa.

Each province has at least one university, with Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape provinces having just acquired their own institutions during 2014/2015.

Pretoria is home to as many as five universities, despite its relative size (2.1 million people) when compared to Johannesburg (9.4 million), and Cape Town (3.7 million).

Cape Town has three universities, housing the best university in South Africa and Africa at large, which is UCT. Cape Town has an additional university nearby in Stellenbosch.

Johannesburg is serviced by three universities, while Bloemfontein and Durban each have two.

South Africa’s universities accommodate over 1 million students, with plans by the South African government to add 500,000 to that total by 2030.

See also: List of Public TVET Colleges in South Africa.

A tally of the most accurate figures shows that 25 of the 26 schools have a combined total exceeding 622,000.

That said, what is the largest university in South Africa?

The largest university in South Africa in terms of student population is the University of South Africa (UNISA) with over 400,000 students students from across South Africa, Africa, and other parts of the world.

The university is considered South Africa’s most productive, accounting for 12.8% of all degrees conferred by the country’s 26 public universities and universities of technology.

The country’s universities are divided into the following categories:

  • 9 universities of technology focused on vocationally oriented education;
  • 6 comprehensive universities offering a combination of academic and vocational diplomas and degrees;
  • 11 traditional universities offering theoretically oriented university degrees.

Largest universities in South Africa by population

The table below lists the public universities in SA and their student population.

No.SA UniversityLocationNo. of students
1University of South Africa (UNISA)Pretoria400,000
2North-West UniversityPotchefstroom74,355
3University of PretoriaPretoria50,000
4Tshwane University of TechnologyPretoria50,000
5University of JohannesburgJohannesburg48,500
6University of KwaZulu-NatalDurban and Pietermaritzburg40,000
7University of the Free StateBloemfontein33,000
8Cape Peninsula University of TechnologyCape Town33,000
9University of the WitwatersrandJohannesburg32,703
10University of StellenboschStellenbosch30,150
11University of Cape TownCape Town26,322
12Nelson Mandela Metropolitan UniversityPort Elizabeth and George26,000
13Walter Sisulu UniversityEast London and Mthatha25,000
14Durban University of TechnologyDurban and Pietermaritzburg25,000
15University of LimpopoTurfloop and Pretoria20,000
16Vaal University of TechnologyJohannesburg17,000
17University of ZululandEmpangeni16,100
18University of the Western CapeTygerberg, Cape Town15,200
19Central University of TechnologyBloemfontein13,534
20University of Fort HareAlice and East London12,000
21University of VendaThohoyandou12,000
22Mangosuthu University of TechnologyUmlazi, Durban10,000
23Rhodes UniversityGrahamstown7,000
24Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences UniversityPretoria6,558
25University of MpumalangaMbombela1400
26Sol Plaatje UniversityKimberley1350
Table of the Largest Universities in South Africa by population.

Frequently asked questions

How many universities are in South Africa?

South Africa has 26 public universities. They are distributed within all nine provinces of South Africa. Each province has at least one university, with Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape provinces having just acquired their own institutions during 2014/2015.

Which university has the most students in South Africa?

The University of South Africa, UNISA has the most number of students with over 400,000 student population. UNISA is followed by North-West University with 74,000 students.

What is the number 1 university in South Africa?

The University of Cape Town is the number 1 university in South Africa. Most of the rankings out there confirm that the University of Cape Town is the top university in South Africa. UCT has maintained the highest rank spot for several years now in a row.

What is the oldest university in South Africa?

University of Cape Town, UCT is South Africa’s oldest university. It was founded in 1829. It has a picturesque campus in the Western Cape Province, on the slopes of Table Mountain’s Devil’s Peak.

What is the richest university in South Africa?

The University of Pretoria is the richest university in South Africa. The University has the largest pool of funds at R14.81 billion, and has the largest endowment at R7.42 billion.

The table below shows the South African universities with the largest general fund pools and endowments.

UniversityGeneral fund poolEndowment fund
University of PretoriaR14,805,110,000R7,421,163,000
UNISAR12,742,754,000 
Stellenbosch UniversityR8,622,039,000R5,041,962,000
University of Cape TownR8,540,068,000R5,337,771,000
University of the Free StateR7,512,101,000R132,327,000
North-West UniversityR7,049,704,000 
University of Kwazulu-NatalR6,546,004,000R582,863,000
University of WitwatersrandR5,750,229,000R3,607,850,000
Durban University of TechnologyR3,745,617,609 
University of LimpopoR2,682,960,000 
Rhodes UniversityR815,128,000R815,072,000
University of Western CapeR590,125,232R6,122,685
A table of the richest universities in South Africa. Data Source: Daily Investor.

Which university is the most expensive in South Africa?

The average full cost of study at all the universities from 2019 preliminary came from data collected from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, and how much the scheme is paying for a full cost of study for students across institutions.

The top five institutions, out of the 26, that rank high in terms of the full cost of study according to the data are:

No.Universities in SAFees
1University of Cape TownR148,159
2Stellenbosch UniversityR127,621
3University of PretoriaR113,593
4Wits UniversityR111,562
5Rhodes UniversityR106,429
Most Expensive Universities in South Africa.

Which is the cheapest university in South Africa?

Here is a list of the Cheapest Universities in South Africa according to the 2019 data from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.

No.SA UniversitiesFees
1University of LimpopoR67,425
2Vaal University of TechnologyR54,502
3Central University of TechnologyR54,402
4Durban University of TechnologyR53,161
5University of South AfricaR14,833
Cheapest Universities in South Africa.

How many university students are there in South Africa?

The total number of university students in South Africa exceeds 1 million. 25 of the 26 schools have a combined total exceeding 622,000. 700,000 students are registered at more than 50 higher education training colleges (TVET colleges). An additional 90,000 students can be found at various private institutions. The SA government plans to add 500,000 to that total by 2030.

What is the biggest university campus in South Africa?

The University of Pretoria has the biggest university campus in South Africa. It has seven campuses across the city. Main (Hatfield) Campus, Hillcrest Campus, Groenkloof Campus, Prinshof Campus, Onderstepoort Campus, and Mamelodi Campus.

eriqelikplimhttps://afvars.com
As the Content Writer and Web Manager at afvars.com, I'm passionate about delivering news and insights about top universities and colleges across Africa. With a focus on the higher education sector, I provide students, parents, and researchers access to comprehensive information ranging from university news to career and training opportunities.

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