Cheapest Universities in South Africa

Are you looking for a low-cost international university in South Africa? The expense of higher education in South Africa is cheaper than most people outside of the continent believe. You won’t believe how many of South Africa’s low-cost higher education institutions are internationally renowned academic giants.

When compared to other study abroad destinations, tuition fees for international students in South Africa are fairly low and economical. South African institutions provide a high-quality education at a moderate cost. International students can expect to spend between $2,500 and $4,500 per academic year for undergraduate programs and $2,700 to $3,000 for postgraduate education.

1. University of Cape Town (UCT)

The University of Cape Town is one of the greatest in South Africa. It is the country’s oldest public university, having been founded nearly two centuries ago in 1829.

In the QS World University Rankings, it was ranked 198th overall and 22nd among the BRICS (China, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, and India), a group of five large emerging countries.

It is organized into six faculties, each of which has over 50 departments. There are 36 sports clubs and 80 student organizations to choose from for extracurricular activities.

In 2016, approximately 30,000 students were enrolled, with 4,674 international students accounting for 17.7% of the total.
On their website, there is a section dedicated to international visitors.

There, they go over the application process and requirements. In addition to bachelor’s and postgraduate programs, they provide short academic programs. All of the classes are taught in English. They also have their institution, but with only 6,000 spots available, it is in high demand.

In 2019, tuition fees for international students will be R 90,000 (about $6,400) per year. With a tuition of $6,400 per year for quality education, the University of Cape Town is one of the cheapest universities in South Africa. UCT offers scholarships to both domestic and international students who require financial support to pay for their studies.

All information can be seen here http://www.students.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/image_tool/images/434/fees_funding/fees/downloads/2021_fees_payment_dates.pdf

2. University of the Witwatersrand

The Institution of the Witwatersrand, or Wits, is South Africa’s third-oldest university, having been founded in 1896. In the QS World University Rankings, this low-cost university in South Africa was placed 400th and 40th in the BRICS.

It includes five campuses in the city of Johannesburg. The first two are located in Braamfontein, and the others are located in Park Town. Five faculties, 14 museums, one planetarium, two main libraries, and 12 additional faculties-owned libraries round up the campus. One of the six residencies is open to all students.

To apply to Wits, you must first apply for a Matriculation Exemption, then fill out the online application form, attach the necessary documents, and pay the application fee online on https://www.wits.ac.za/internationalstudents/financial-information/fee-structure/

3. University of Pretoria

Another inexpensive public university in South Africa is the Institution of Pretoria, which was created in 1908 after Wits. In the QS World University Ranking, it is placed 45th among the BRICS countries and 561st overall.

This institution has nine faculties, a business school, various libraries, and museums. It is one of South Africa’s largest institutions, having seven campuses in Pretoria and Johannesburg and about 49,000 students. In addition, there are 27 undergraduate and postgraduate dormitories.

In terms of activities, they have 30 sports clubs, over 100 student clubs, and ten sports academies. The University of Pretoria is the country’s leading research institution, with well-known postgraduate degree programs.

The application process is done on https://www.up.ac.za/international-cooperation-division