CCollegeMatcher

🇿🇦 26 public universities · 1,115,580 students

South Africa's public universities, in the Department's own numbers.

Who studies what, at which level, how many graduate, and what the state pays each university — for all 26, from the 2024 national statistics. Plus the 50 public TVET colleges.

All universities →TVET colleges

Students, 2024

1,115,580

Studying by distance at UNISA

33.3%

371,757 students

First-time undergraduates

239,488

Graduates, 2024

237,571

What isn't here, and why

South Africa has no national register of fees or admission point scores (APS): each university sets and publishes its own. International-student numbers per university are not in the Department's report either.

Private institutions are not listed yet: the Department publishes a register of them with their registered qualifications, but no student numbers per institution.

Largest contact universities

UNISA, which teaches by distance, is left out — it is six times the size of the next.

  1. Tshwane University of Technology62,461
  2. North-West University57,610
  3. University of Johannesburg54,577
  4. University of Pretoria53,748
  5. University of KwaZulu-Natal46,624
  6. University of the Witwatersrand41,432
  7. University of the Free State39,964
  8. Cape Peninsula University of Technology36,072

Highest share of postgraduates

Honours and postgraduate diplomas, master's and doctoral students as a share of all students.

  1. University of the Witwatersrand39.0%
  2. University of Cape Town38.3%
  3. University of Pretoria33.1%
  4. Stellenbosch University30.3%
  5. Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University24.5%
  6. University of Johannesburg24.4%
  7. University of the Western Cape23.9%
  8. University of KwaZulu-Natal23.2%

All 26 public universities, by province

University type (traditional, comprehensive, university of technology) follows the Council on Higher Education's VitalStats 2022, Appendix 1. The Department counts the same 26 universities as 11 / 9 / 6; the Council lists them 13 / 7 / 6.

Eastern Cape

University of Fort HareAlice · Traditional university17,604 students
Nelson Mandela UniversityGqeberha · Comprehensive university32,954 students
Rhodes UniversityMakhanda · Traditional university8,445 students
Walter Sisulu UniversityMthatha · Comprehensive university29,899 students

Free State

Central University of Technology, Free StateBloemfontein · University of technology21,617 students
University of the Free StateBloemfontein · Traditional university39,964 students

Gauteng

University of JohannesburgJohannesburg · Comprehensive university54,577 students
University of PretoriaPretoria · Traditional university53,748 students
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences UniversityGa-Rankuwa · Traditional university6,918 students
University of South AfricaPretoria · Comprehensive university · distance371,757 students
Tshwane University of TechnologyPretoria · University of technology62,461 students
Vaal University of TechnologyVanderbijlpark · University of technology20,885 students
University of the WitwatersrandJohannesburg · Traditional university41,432 students

KwaZulu-Natal

Durban University of TechnologyDurban · University of technology34,508 students
University of KwaZulu-NatalDurban · Traditional university46,624 students
Mangosuthu University of TechnologyDurban · University of technology14,638 students
University of ZululandKwaDlangezwa · Comprehensive university19,014 students

Limpopo

University of LimpopoPolokwane · Traditional university23,455 students
University of VendaThohoyandou · Comprehensive university15,816 students

Mpumalanga

University of MpumalangaMbombela · Traditional university10,168 students

North West

North-West UniversityPotchefstroom · Traditional university57,610 students

Northern Cape

Sol Plaatje UniversityKimberley · Comprehensive university5,972 students

Western Cape

Cape Peninsula University of TechnologyCape Town · University of technology36,072 students
University of Cape TownCape Town · Traditional university29,396 students
Stellenbosch UniversityStellenbosch · Traditional university34,676 students
University of the Western CapeCape Town · Traditional university25,370 students

The 50 public TVET colleges

Technical and vocational education and training colleges recorded 560,446 enrolments in 2024. NC(V) is the National Certificate (Vocational), levels 2–4; Report 191 is the NATED programmes, N1 to N6.

TVET figures count enrolments per cycle — a student enrolled in two semesters or three trimesters is counted each time — so they are not headcounts and can't be compared with the university figures.

CollegeNC(V)Report 191OccupationalAll enrolments
Boland TVET College1,7957,0048809,834
Buffalo City TVET College2,7274,384397,228
Capricorn TVET College5,58510,82873417,251
Central Johannesburg TVET College2,33515,434017,953
Coastal TVET College4,0125,41514510,090
College of Cape Town2,7115,48687910,183
Eastcape Midlands TVET College2,5446,7524179,930
Ehlanzeni TVET College4,8894,35909,248
Ekurhuleni East TVET College3,51712,7238516,568
Ekurhuleni West TVET College6,9769,39723716,989
Elangeni TVET College3,8815,0241429,161
Esayidi TVET College2,89110,2364613,261
False Bay TVET College1,6417,06976010,623
Flavius Mareka TVET College71310,19644511,480
Gert Sibande TVET College5,2125,43665511,761
Goldfields TVET College1,3335,3143307,226
Ikhala TVET College2,0647,1141009,419
Ingwe TVET College2,4226,70309,201
King Hintsa TVET College9132,66603,671
King Sabata Dalindyebo TVET College2,8137,03709,935
Lephalale TVET College1,0171,9372003,174
Letaba TVET College2,4055,5421778,922
Lovedale TVET College1,7004,1311736,107
Majuba TVET College4,18721,74429626,994
Maluti TVET College3,0206,87122210,478
Mnambithi TVET College1,8485,6402577,920
Mopani South East TVET College3,3153,2481676,924
Motheo TVET College1,59416,93051019,222
Mthashana TVET College2,1677,26834210,253
Nkangala TVET College4,4719,467014,035
Northern Cape Rural TVET College9324,2415715,898
Northern Cape Urban TVET College9935,529856,801
Northlink College2,13711,9751,44118,162
Orbit TVET College3,4899,40019413,211
Port Elizabeth TVET College2,2633,9531956,559
Sedibeng TVET College3,69914,6014918,515
Sekhukhune TVET College1,0805,0623577,053
South Cape TVET College7865,7083476,945
South West Gauteng College6,52513,15510319,960
Taletso TVET College2,2496,97509,261
Thekwini TVET College1,8206,2822078,654
Tshwane North TVET College2,86613,5718516,735
Tshwane South TVET College2,7548,51454514,014
Umfolozi TVET College4,3697,22246912,361
Umgungundlovu TVET College2,9784,9582638,515
Vhembe TVET College4,9678,7848613,941
Vuselela TVET College2,7188,53828011,735
Waterberg TVET College3,2084423594,091
West Coast TVET College2,0435,1406187,801
Western TVET College2,49612,48214515,193

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Source: Department of Higher Education and Training, Statistics on Post-School Education and Training in South Africa: 2024 (released May 2026). University type from the Council on Higher Education, VitalStats Public Higher Education 2022. City and province added by CollegeMatcher.