List of universities in 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

Contents

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. [1][2]

Traditional universities

Institution Nickname Founded University status Undergrad Postgrad Total(2011) Location(s)
University of Cape Town Ikeys / UCT 1 October 1829[3] 2 April 1918[3] 15,800 6,700 23,500 Cape Town
University of Fort Hare UFH 1916[4] 11,074 Alice, East London
University of the Free State Kovsies / UFS 28 January 1904[5] 1950[6] 30,000[7] Bloemfontein
University of KwaZulu-Natal UKZN 1 January 20041[8] 1 January 2004[8] 24,897 3,807 37,850 Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Pinetown, Westville
University of Limpopo 1 January 20051[9] 1 January 2005[9] Polokwane, Ga-Rankuwa
North-West University NWU / Pukke 1 January 20041[10] 1 January 2004[10] 43,596 3,235 44 008 Mafikeng, Mankwe, Potchefstroom, Vanderbijlpark
University of Pretoria Tuks / Tukkies / UP[11] 4 March 1908[12] 10 October 1930[13] 28,450[14] 10,484[14] 38,934 Pretoria, Johannesburg2[15]
Rhodes University Rhodes 31 May 1904[16] 1947[16] 5,456 1,127 6,700 Grahamstown
University of Stellenbosch Maties, Stellies 1866[17] 2 April 1918[17] 15,869 9,233 26,243 Stellenbosch, Saldanha Bay, Bellville
University of the Western Cape UWC 1959[18] 1970[18] 11,836 3,390 15,226 Bellville (Cape Town)
University of the Witwatersrand Wits 1896[19] 1922[19] 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 University status Undergrad Postgrad Total(2011) Location(s)
University of Johannesburg UJ 20051 2005 48,000 Johannesburg
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Madibaz / NMMU 20051 2005 19,768 2,884 22,652 Port Elizabeth, George
University of South Africa Unisa 1 January 2004[20] 2004 300,000 Distance education, headquartered in Pretoria, campuses and regional offices nationwide
University of Venda Univen 1982 Thohoyandou
Walter Sisulu University WSU 20051 2005 East London, Butterworth, Mthatha, Queenstown
University of Zululand UniZulu 1960 6,456 369 6,825 Empangeni

Note1:By merger of existing institutions

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

Defunct institutions

Institution Location Founded Closed Note
Bond South Africa Sandton 2004[21]
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[8] 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[9] Now part of University of Limpopo
University of the North Polokwane 1959 1 January 2005[9] Now part of University of Limpopo
University of Natal Pietermaritzburg, Durban 1910 1 January 2004[8] Now part of University of KwaZulu-Natal
University of North-West, formerly the University of Bophuthatswana Mafikeng 1 January 2004[10] 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[10] Now part of North-West University
Rand Afrikaans University Johannesburg 1967 2005 Now part of University of Johannesburg
Technikon SA 1 January 2004[22] 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

References

  1. ^ SA Higher Education, South African Universities Vice-Chancellors Association. Retrieved 30 January 2006. (Link is dead; view it at the Internet Archive.)
  2. ^ 2005, HESA Structures, Higher Education South Africa. Retrieved 24 February 2006.
  3. ^ a b http://www.uct.ac.za/about/intro/history/ Our history Retrieved May 13, 2011
  4. ^ http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/pebble.asp?relid=1042 University of Fort Hare (1916–) Retrieved May 14, 2011
  5. ^ http://www.ufs.ac.za/content.aspx?id=11 Brief History Retrieved April 28, 2011
  6. ^ http://www.sarua.org/?q=uni_University%20of%20the%20Free%20State University of the Free State Retrieved May 13, 2011
  7. ^ http://www.ufs.ac.za/content.aspx?cid=19 About the UFS Retrieved 17 January 2010
  8. ^ a b c d http://www.ukzn.ac.za/About-UKZN/UKZN-History.aspx History - University of KwaZulu-Natal Retrieved May 13, 2011
  9. ^ a b c d http://www.ul.ac.za/index.php?Entity=UL%20Historical%20Background UL Historical Background Retrieved May 13, 2011
  10. ^ a b c d http://www.nwu.ac.za/nwu/history.html THE NWU Retrieved May 14, 2011
  11. ^ Welcome to the University of Pretoria Retrieved 1 October 2010
  12. ^ http://web.up.ac.za/default.asp?ipkCategoryID=2&subid=2&ipklookid=2 History of the University of Pretoria. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  13. ^ http://www.artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/style_det.php?styleid=368 Retrieved May 21, 2011
  14. ^ a b http://web.up.ac.za/sitefiles/file/web-team/UP%20in%20a%20Nutshell%202009.pdf UP in a Nutshell 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  15. ^ Campuses Retrieved 1 October 2010
  16. ^ a b http://www.ru.ac.za/rhodes/introducingrhodes/historyofrhodes Rhodes History of Rhodes Retrieved April 28, 2011
  17. ^ a b http://www.sun.ac.za/university/history/history.htm Retrieved May 13, 2011
  18. ^ a b http://www.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=cms&action=showfulltext&id=gen11Srv7Nme54_8987_1210050562&menustate=about Retrieved May 13, 2011
  19. ^ a b http://www.wits.ac.za/aboutwits/introducingwits/short-history-of-the-university/3162/short_history_of_the_university.html Retrieved May 13, 2011
  20. ^ http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=7 Our history Retrieved April 28, 2011
  21. ^ The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education (2004). Breaking News Archive - June 2004. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
  22. ^ http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=7 Our history Retrieved April 28, 2011
South African universities
University alliances: CHEC · FOTIM · HESA · SERA
Traditional universities
Comprehensive universities
Universities of technology
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