University of South Africa: Statistics
Updated:
| Position | Category |
|---|---|
| #899 of 14,131 | In the World |
| #11 of 1,104 | In Africa |
| #7 of 26 | In South Africa |
| #2 of 4 | In Pretoria |
| #106 of 1,000 | For Human Rights Law |
| Top50% | For 171 other topics |
Quick Review
- Enrollment
- 420,000
- Type
- Non-profit
- Funding
- Public
- Highest Degree
- Doctorate
- Website
- www.unisa.ac.za
- Languages
- English;Afrikaans
- Acceptance rate
- 61%*
* The University of South Africa is among the institutions that don't provide data on acceptance rates. This might happen because the university has programs where applicants only need to meet admission requirements to enroll and don't necessarily compete with others.
We estimate the above acceptance rate based on admission statistics of closely ranked nearby universities with similar research profiles that do publish such data.
Acceptance rate & Admissions
| Admissions Requirements | For undergraduate certificates: National Senior Certificate with entry level degree, diploma or higher certificate; National Senior Certificate (vocational) at level 4 with entry level degree, diploma or higher certificate; Senior Certificate of full or conditional exemption issued by the Matriculation Board of Higher Education South Africa (HESA); Senior Certificate with matriculation or university admission endorsement (exemption). For undergraduate diplomas: National Senior Certificate with entry level degree or diploma; National Senior Certificate (vocational) at level 4 with entry level degree or diploma; Senior Certificate of full or conditional exemption issued by the Matriculation Board of Higher Education South Africa (HESA); Senior Certificate with matriculation or university admission endorsement (exemption). For undergraduate degrees: National Senior Certificate with entry level degree; National Senior Certificate (vocational) at level 4 with entry level degree; Senior Certificate of full or conditional exemption issued by the Matriculation Board of Higher Education South Africa (HESA); Senior Certificate with matriculation or university admission endorsement (exemption). Please note that the admission requirements for entry level qualifications are the minimum statutory requirements and that admission requirements differ between the various Colleges. |
|---|---|
| Academic Calendar | January to December |
| Enrollment | 420,000 |
Research profile
University of South Africa is a world-class research university with 39,603 scientific papers published and 457,093 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Political Science, Law, Environmental Science, Sociology, Biology, Philosophy, Engineering, Computer Science, and Physics.
University of South Africa majors
by publication & citation count
Annual publication & citation counts
| Year | Publications | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 200 | 453 |
| 1994 | 217 | 603 |
| 1995 | 194 | 481 |
| 1996 | 202 | 587 |
| 1997 | 224 | 620 |
| 1998 | 188 | 650 |
| 1999 | 225 | 693 |
| 2000 | 184 | 832 |
| 2001 | 222 | 846 |
| 2002 | 259 | 1040 |
| 2003 | 279 | 1111 |
| 2004 | 289 | 1320 |
| 2005 | 346 | 1534 |
| 2006 | 323 | 1659 |
| 2007 | 318 | 1905 |
| 2008 | 445 | 2288 |
| 2009 | 473 | 3037 |
| 2010 | 713 | 3545 |
| 2011 | 994 | 4350 |
| 2012 | 1311 | 5355 |
| 2013 | 1544 | 8787 |
| 2014 | 1808 | 11466 |
| 2015 | 1833 | 13244 |
| 2016 | 1958 | 14530 |
| 2017 | 2138 | 17193 |
| 2018 | 1891 | 21079 |
| 2019 | 2362 | 27754 |
| 2020 | 2592 | 35809 |
| 2021 | 2761 | 46015 |
| 2022 | 2977 | 49929 |
| 2023 | 3235 | 58717 |
| 2024 | 3118 | 63638 |
| 2025 | 2161 | 62004 |
Programs and Degrees
The table below displays academic fields with programs and courses that lead to Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees offered by University of South Africa.
Note that the table provides a general overview and might not cover all the specific majors available at the university. Always visit the university's website for the most up-to-date information on the programs offered.
| Programs | Bachelor | Master | Doctoral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art & Design | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Biology | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Business | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chemistry | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Computer Science | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Economics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Engineering | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Environmental Science | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Liberal Arts & Social Sciences | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mathematics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Medicine | No | No | No |
| Physics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Psychology | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bachelor's Degree | Accountancy, Administration, Banking, Biological and Life Sciences, Business Administration, Business and Commerce, Catholic Theology, Christian Religious Studies, Communication Arts, Communication Studies, Community Health, Computer Science, Criminology, Cultural Studies, Development Studies, Economics, Education, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Management, Finance, Government, Health Sciences, Higher Education, Human Resources, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Information Management, Information Technology, International Relations and Diplomacy, Law, Leadership, Literature, Logistics Management, Management, Marketing, Multimedia, Music, Musicology, Nursing, Philosophy, Police Studies, Political Sciences, Psychology, Public Administration, Social Welfare, Social Work, Taxation, Theology, Tourism, Translation and Interpretation, Visual Arts, Writing |
|---|---|
| Advanced Diploma | Accountancy, Agricultural Management, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Education, Education, Electrical Engineering, Energy Engineering, Explosive Engineering, Health Sciences, Horticulture, Industrial Engineering, Information Management, Mechanical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Science Education, Teacher Trainers Education, Tourism |
| Honours Degree | Accountancy, Administration, Adult Education, African Languages, African Studies, Afrikaans, Agriculture, Ancient Civilizations, Anthropology, Applied Linguistics, Applied Mathematics, Arabic, Archaeology, Archiving, Art History, Astronomy and Space Science, Behavioural Sciences, Bible, Business Administration, Catholic Theology, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Christian Religious Studies, Computer Education, Computer Science, Construction Engineering, Consumer Studies, Criminology, Development Studies, Ecology, Economics, Education, Education of the Gifted, Educational Administration, Educational and Student Counselling, Electronic Engineering, English Studies, Environmental Management, Environmental Studies, Ethics, Finance, Gender Studies, Geography, Health Sciences, Hebrew, History, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Industrial Engineering, Information Sciences, International Studies, Islamic Studies, Judaic Religious Studies, Linguistics, Literature, Logistics Management, Management, Marketing, Mathematics, Mathematics Education, Mechanical Engineering, Media Studies, Modern Languages, Multimedia, New Testament, Nutrition, Operations Research, Philosophy, Physics, Police Studies, Political Sciences, Power Engineering, Psychology, Public Administration, Religious Studies, Science Education, Social Psychology, Sociology, Statistics, Technology Education, Theology, Tourism, Translation and Interpretation, Transport Economics, Visual Arts, Water Science |
| Postgraduate Diploma | Accountancy, Agriculture, Banking, Business Administration, Commercial Law, Criminal Law, Economics, Education, Educational Administration, Finance, Fiscal Law, Foreign Languages Education, Higher Education, Horticulture, Human Resources, Information Management, International Relations and Diplomacy, Labour and Industrial Relations, Labour Law, Law, Library Science, Logistics Management, Mathematics Education, Nursing, Operations Research, Private Law, Psychometrics, Public Administration, Public Health, Social Studies, Taxation |
| Master's Degree | Accountancy, Administration, Adult Education, Behavioural Sciences, Business Administration, Business and Commerce, Christian Religious Studies, Civil Law, Clinical Psychology, Commercial Law, Consumer Studies, Criminology, Curriculum, Ecology, Education, Educational Administration, Educational and Student Counselling, Educational Psychology, Engineering, Fiscal Law, Gender Studies, Horticulture, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Information Sciences, Information Technology, Labour Law, Law, Leadership, Mathematics Education, Music, Musicology, Philosophy of Education, Police Studies, Private Law, Psychiatry and Mental Health, Public Administration, Public Health, Science Education, Social Studies, Social Work, Technology Education, Theology, Visual Arts |
| Doctorate | Accountancy, Administration, Agriculture, Anthropology, Applied Mathematics, Archaeology, Astronomy and Space Science, Biological and Life Sciences, Business Administration, Business and Commerce, Chemistry, Communication Arts, Computer Science, Criminal Law, Criminology, Development Studies, Economics, Education, Engineering, Environmental Management, Environmental Studies, Geography, History, Horticulture, Information Sciences, Law, Leadership, Linguistics, Literature, Management, Mathematics, Mathematics Education, Music, Musicology, Nursing, Operations Research, Philosophy, Physics, Political Sciences, Psychology, Public Administration, Public Health, Religious Studies, Science Education, Social Work, Sociology, Statistics, Technology Education, Theology |
University of South Africa alumni
-
Nelson Mandela
- Enrolled in the University of South Africa
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- autobiographerlawyerscreenwriterpolitical activistpolitical prisoner
- Biography
-
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist and statesman who was the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first Black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His administration focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by fostering racial reconciliation, a national peace accord and eventual multiracial democracy. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997.
-
Robert Mugabe
- Enrolled in the University of South Africa
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in education and administration
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Robert Gabriel Mugabe was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who led Zimbabwe from 1980 until he was deposed in a coup in 2017. He served as the first Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from internationally recognised independence in 1980 to 1987, then as the second president of Zimbabwe from 1987 to 2017. He was also the Leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) from 1975 to 1980 and led its successor political party, the ZANU – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) as its First Secretary, from 1980 to 2017. Ideologically an African nationalist, during the 1970s and 1980s he identified as a Marxist–Leninist, and from the 1990s as a socialist.
-
Cyril Ramaphosa
- Occupations
- ministerpoliticianentrepreneurtrade unionistbusinessperson
- Biography
-
Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa is a South African businessman and politician serving as the president of South Africa since 2018. A former anti-apartheid activist and trade union leader, Ramaphosa is also the president of the African National Congress (ANC).
-
Desmond Tutu
- Enrolled in the University of South Africa
- Studied in 1954
- Occupations
- political activistnon-fiction writerarchbishopAnglican priesthuman rights defender
- Biography
-
Desmond Mpilo Tutu was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, in both cases being the first Black African to hold the position. Theologically, he sought to fuse ideas from Black theology with African theology.
University of South Africa faculties and divisions
| College : Accounting Sciences | Accountancy, Taxation |
|---|---|
| College : Agriculture and Environmental Science | Agricultural Management, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Biological and Life Sciences, Ecology, Environmental Management, Environmental Studies, Food Science, Geography, Horticulture, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Soil Science, Veterinary Science, Water Science, Welfare and Protective Services |
| College : Economics and Management Sciences | Accountancy, Administration, Banking, Business Administration, Business and Commerce, Economics, Finance, Human Resources, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Insurance, Labour and Industrial Relations, Leadership, Management, Marketing, Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Operations Research, Psychology, Public Administration, Real Estate, Retailing and Wholesaling, Secretarial Studies, Service Trades, Social Sciences, Taxation, Tourism, Transport and Communications, Transport Economics, Transport Management, Vocational Counselling, Welfare and Protective Services |
| College : Education | Adult Education, Art Education, Business Education, Computer Education, Continuing Education, Curriculum, Distance Education, Education, Education of the Gifted, Education of the Handicapped, Educational Administration, Educational and Student Counselling, Educational Research, Educational Sciences, Educational Technology, Educational Testing and Evaluation, Health Education, Higher Education, Home Economics Education, Humanities and Social Science Education, International and Comparative Education, Literacy Education, Mathematics Education, Music Education, Pedagogy, Philosophy of Education, Preschool Education, Primary Education, Science Education, Secondary Education, Special Education, Teacher Trainers Education, Teacher Training, Technology Education |
| College : Graduate School of Business Leadership | Business Administration, Leadership |
| College : Graduate Studies | African Studies, Development Studies, Distance Education, Education, Educational Research, Educational Sciences, Leadership, Mathematics Education, Science Education, Social Policy, Teacher Training, Technology Education |
| College : Human Sciences | African American Studies, African Languages, Afrikaans, Ancient Civilizations, Ancient Languages, Anthropology, Arabic, Archaeology, Art History, Art Management, Arts and Humanities, Bible, Christian Religious Studies, Classical Languages, Cognitive Sciences, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Comparative Religion, Contemporary History, Cultural Studies, Demography and Population, Design, Development Studies, English, English Studies, Fine Arts, French, Gender Studies, Health Administration, Health Sciences, Heritage Preservation, History, History of Religion, Information Management, Information Sciences, Information Technology, International Studies, Library Science, Linguistics, Literature, Mass Communication, Medieval Studies, Midwifery, Missionary Studies, Modern History, Modern Languages, Music, Musicology, New Testament, Nursing, Pastoral Studies, Performing Arts, Philosophy, Political Sciences, Portuguese, Psychology, Public Health, Regional Studies, Religion, Religious Practice, Religious Studies, Romance Languages, Social Sciences, Social Work, Sociology, Spanish, Theology, Translation and Interpretation, Visual Arts, Welfare and Protective Services, Writing |
| College : Law | Administrative Law, Civil Law, Civil Security, Commercial Law, Comparative Law, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Criminology, History of Law, Human Rights, International Law, Justice Administration, Labour Law, Law, Maritime Law, Notary Studies, Police Studies, Private Law, Protective Services, Public Law, Welfare and Protective Services |
| College : Science, Engineering and Technology | Applied Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence, Astronomy and Space Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering, Engineering Drawing and Design, Engineering Management, Industrial Engineering, Materials Engineering, Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Natural Sciences, Physics, Software Engineering, Statistics, Systems Analysis, Technology |
General information
| Alternative names | UNISA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1873 |
| Accreditation | Council on Higher Education (CHE); South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA); Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) |
| Motto | Pro Gentibus Sapientia Learning in Service to Humanity |
Location and contacts
| Address | PO Box 392 Pretoria, Gauteng, 0003 South Africa |
|---|---|
| City population | 742,000 |