List of universities in South Africa

Location of South Africa

This is a list of universities in South Africa. For the purposes of this list, colleges and universities are defined as accredited, degree-granting, postsecondary institutions. In 2004 South Africa started reforming its higher education system, merging and incorporating small universities into larger institutions, and renaming all higher education institutions "university" (previously there had been several types of higher education institution). The country's universities and "technikons" which were incorporated with others and thus no longer exist are listed at the end of the article.

There are also a large number of other educational institutions in South Africa - some are local campuses of foreign universities, some conduct classes for students who write their exams at the distance-education University of South Africa and some offer unaccredited or non-accredited diplomas. Universities and colleges are accredited by the Council on Higher Education.

Further information: List of business schools in South Africa

Further information: List of post secondary institutions in South Africa

• 

  Cape Peninsula University of Technology

• 

  University of Cape Town

• 

  University of Fort Hare

• 

  University of KwaZulu-Natal

• 

  North-West University

• 

  University of Pretoria

• 

  Rhodes University

• 

  University of South Africa (Unisa)

• 

  Stellenbosch University

• 

  Tshwane University of Technology

• 

  University of Venda

• 

  University of the Western Cape

• 

  University of the Witwatersrand

Public universities

Public universities in South Africa are divided into three types: traditional universities, which offer theoretically-oriented university degrees; universities of technology ("Technikons"), which offer vocational oriented diplomas and degrees; and comprehensive universities, which offer a combination of both types of qualification.

Traditional universities

Institution	Nickname	Founded	University status	Undergrad	Postgrad	Total(2011)	Location(s)
University of Cape Town	Ikeys / UCT	1 October 1829	2 April 1918	15,800	6,700	23,500	Cape Town
University of Fort Hare	UFH	1916				11,074	Alice, East London
University of the Free State	Kovsies / UFS	28 January 1904	1950			30,000	Bloemfontein
University of KwaZulu-Natal	UKZN	1 January 20041	1 January 2004	24,897	3,807	37,850	Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Pinetown, Westville
University of Limpopo		1 January 20051	1 January 2005				Polokwane, Ga-Rankuwa	Turfies	North-West University	NWU / Pukke	1 January 20041	1 January 2004	43,596	3,235	44 008	Mafikeng, Mankwe, Potchefstroom, Vanderbijlpark
University of Pretoria	Tuks / Tukkies / UP	4 March 1908	10 October 1930	28,450	10,484	38,934	Pretoria, Johannesburg2
Rhodes University	Rhodes	31 May 1904	1947	5,456	1,127	6,700	Grahamstown
University of Stellenbosch	Maties, Stellies	1866	2 April 1918	15,869	9,233	26,243	Stellenbosch, Saldanha Bay, Bellville
University of the Western Cape	UWC	1959	1970	11,836	3,390	15,226	Bellville (Cape Town)
University of the Witwatersrand	Wits	1896	1922			24,381	Johannesburg

Note¹:By merger of existing institutions

Note²: The university's business school the Gordon Institute of Business Science has a campus in Illovo and an inner city campus on Pritchard Street, in downtown Johannesburg

Comprehensive universities

Institution	Nickname	Founded	Undergrad	Postgrad	Total(2011)	Location(s)
University of Johannesburg	UJ	1967 (RAU)			48,000	Johannesburg
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University	Madibaz / NMMU	1964 (UPE)	19,768	2,884	22,652	Port Elizabeth, George
University of South Africa	Unisa	1873 (UCGH)			300,000	Distance education, headquartered in Pretoria, campuses and regional offices nationwide
University of Venda	Univen	1982				Thohoyandou
Walter Sisulu University	WSU	1977 (Unitra)				East London, Butterworth, Mthatha, Queenstown
University of Zululand	UniZulu	1960	6,456	369	6,825	Empangeni

Universities of technology

Institution	Nickname	Founded	University status	Undergrad	Postgrad	Total(2011)	Location(s)
Cape Peninsula University of Technology	CPUT	20051	2005			32,000	Bellville, Cape Town
Central University of Technology	CUT	1981				9,933	Bloemfontein, Welkom
Durban University of Technology	DUT	20021	2002			23,000	Durban, Pietermaritzburg
Mangosuthu University of Technology	MUT	1979					Umlazi
Tshwane University of Technology	TUT	20031	2003			60,000	Pretoria
Vaal University of Technology	VUT	1966				17,000	Vanderbijlpark

Note¹:By merger of existing institutions

University Rankings

Further information: Rankings of universities in South Africa

League tables of South African universities are largely based on international university rankings, because there have not as yet been published any specifically South African rankings.

Private colleges and universities

Institution	Nickname	Founded	Enrollment (2011)	Type	Location(s)
The Open Window School of Visual Communication	TOW	1989	486	Graphic Design, Film and Animation school.	Pretoria
AFDA, The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance	AFDA	1994		Film school	Johannesburg
Baptist Theological College of Southern Africa		1951		Theological Seminary	Johannesburg
Doxa Deo School of Divinity1				Theological Seminary
George Whitefield College		1989		Theological Seminary	Cape Town
IMM Graduate School of Marketing				Marketing school	Johannesburg
Inscape Design College				Design college	Johannesburg
Management College of Southern Africa		1995		College	Durban
Midrand Graduate Institute	MGI			College	Midrand
Milpark Business School		1997		College	Primarily distance education (campuses: Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town)
Monash South Africa	Monash	2001		University	Johannesburg
South African Theological Seminary		1996		Theological Seminary	Johannesburg
St Augustine College of South Africa		July 1999		College	Johannesburg
Stenden University South Africa2		10 April 2002		Hospitality School	Port Alfred

¹In addition offers degrees by Regent University, United States of America

²Campus of Stenden University, The Netherlands

University research collaboratives

• Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC)
• Foundation of Tertiary Institutions of the Northern Metropolis (FOTIM)
• Higher Education South Africa (HESA)
• Southern Education and Research Alliance (SERA)

Defunct institutions

Institution	Location	Founded	Closed	Note
Bond South Africa	Sandton		2004
Border Technikon			2005	Now part of Walter Sisulu University for Technology and Science
University of Bophuthatswana				Now part of North-West University
University of the Cape of Good Hope	Cape Town	1873	1916	Renamed University of South Africa
University of Durban-Westville	Durban	1972	1 January 2004	Now part of University of KwaZulu-Natal
Eastern Cape Technikon		1994	2005	Now part of Walter Sisulu University for Technology and Science
Medical University of South Africa	Ga-Rankuwa	1976	1 January 2005	Now part of University of Limpopo
University of the North	Polokwane	1959	1 January 2005	Now part of University of Limpopo
University of Natal	Pietermaritzburg, Durban	1910	1 January 2004	Now part of University of KwaZulu-Natal
University of North-West, formerly the University of Bophuthatswana	Mafikeng		1 January 2004	Now part of North-West University
University of Port Elizabeth	Port Elizabeth	31 January 1964	2005	Now part of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education	Potchefstroom	29 November 1869	1 January 2004	Now part of North-West University
Rand Afrikaans University	Johannesburg	1967	2005	Now part of University of Johannesburg
Technikon SA			1 January 2004	Now part of University of South Africa
Transvaal University College	Johannesburg, Pretoria	1906	1910/1930	Predecessor of the University of Pretoria and the University of the Witwatersrand. The University of the Witwatersrand was named the Transvaal University College from 1906 to 1910. The University of Pretoria was established as the Pretoria branch of the Transvaal University College in 1908 and retained that name until 1930.
University of Transkei	Transkei	1977	2005	Now part of Walter Sisulu University for Technology and Science
Vista University	Multi-city campus university	1981	2004/2005	Now merged with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, the University of the Free State, the University of Johannesburg, the University of Pretoria, the University of South Africa and the Vaal University of Technology.
Technikon Witwatersrand	Johannesburg	1925	2005	University of Johannesburg

See also

• Ranking of South African universities
• List of colleges and universities by country
• List of colleges and universities
• List of post secondary institutions in South Africa
• List of South African university chancellors and vice-chancellors
• List of medical schools in South Africa
• List of law schools in South Africa
• List of business schools in South Africa
• Higher Education South Africa
• Academic boycotts of South Africa (historical Apartheid-era)
• List of engineering schools in South Africa