Rhodes University
A small residential research university in Makhanda, where about half of students live in halls with meals included.
- Students
- 8,445
- 6,572 undergraduates
- Student–faculty
- 15:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- ZAR 77,340
- From · 2026
- Founded
- 1904
About Rhodes
Rhodes University was founded in 1904 as Rhodes University College, became a constituent college of the University of South Africa in 1918 and an independent university in 1951. It is in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape and describes itself as a small, residential, research-intensive university, and the only research-intensive university in South Africa located outside a major urban area. In 2024 it had 8,445 students: 6,572 undergraduates and 1,873 postgraduates.
Teaching is organised in six faculties: Humanities, Science, Commerce, Pharmacy, Education and Law. The signature idea is the general formative degree: most BA, BSocSc, BSc and BCom students choose two majors, can combine subjects across faculties (for example Environmental Science with Anthropology, or Geology with Economics), and can graduate with double or triple majors. Most students who want to study law first register for a general degree and choose the LLB route in their second year.
Rhodes suits students who want small classes and campus-town life rather than a big city. It reported a course success rate of 85% in 2024 and about 15 students per full-time equivalent teaching and research staff member. Journalism and Media Studies is one of its best-known schools, and its research themes include water security, nanotechnology and radio astronomy.
Where Leaders Learn
University motto
Why students choose Rhodes
Flexible general formative degrees let you combine majors across faculties, such as Physics and Music or Environmental Science and Law.
Residences provide three meals a day, linen and room cleaning, and about half of all students live on campus in 14 halls of residence.
South African school-leavers with an NSC APS of 53 or more receive a full-tuition merit scholarship automatically, with no application needed.
More than 60 national and international employers recruit on campus each year through the third-term Graduate Recruitment Programme.
Admissions
2027 academic year (applications open 1 April to 30 September 2026)
Selectivity
Rhodes does not publish an overall acceptance rate. South African applicants with an Admission Point Score (APS) of 45 or more generally receive a provisional offer (40+ for BCom and BEcon, 44+ for BEd); applicants with lower scores, from about 34 depending on the degree, may be admitted at the Dean's discretion or into extended (four-year) programmes. The university notes that meeting the minimum does not guarantee a place.
Typical entry requirements
| South African NSC / IEB | Bachelor's pass; APS 45+ for a provisional offer in most degrees (40+ for BCom and BEcon), plus subject minimums, e.g. Mathematics level 6 (70-79%) for Business Science; Mathematics, Life Sciences and Physical Science at level 6 for Pharmacy; English Home Language 60% (or First Additional Language 65%) for BA and BSc |
|---|---|
| International school qualifications (A levels, AS, IGCSE/O level, HIGCSE, IB) | Converted to Rhodes points (e.g. IB HL 7 = 10 points, A level grade A = 10 points); 40+ points receives a firm offer and 37-39 is held until the end of September for the Dean. A Matriculation Board full or foreign conditional exemption is required. |
| English language | South African applicants must pass English at level 4 (50-59%) or above, with higher levels for some degrees (English Home Language 60% or First Additional Language 65% for Humanities and Science; level 5 or 6 for Law). An IELTS or TOEFL minimum was not published on the pages checked. |
Deadlines
- Undergraduate applications (2027 intake) Non-binding Passed30 September 2026 (final day of the application window; today when this page was checked on 30 September 2026)
Online applications open 1 April and close 30 September; the R100 application fee applies. The site says applications 'should be submitted before the end of September' and gives no separate international or late deadline: if you are reading this after 30 September 2026, the main window has closed, so email the admissions office to ask whether late applications are still considered. 2027 fees and later dates are not yet published.
The current prospectus and admissions gateway state that online applications are open from 1 April to 30 September, so applications for the 2027 academic year close on 30 September 2026 (checked on that date, i.e. the last day). Teaching starts in February 2027.
How to apply
Apply online through ROSS (ross.ru.ac.za) and pay the R100 application fee, using your Grade 11 final report or Grade 12 Term 2 report. Complete the personal information section fully: Deans read it when deciding on applicants below the automatic APS threshold. After an offer you pay a non-refundable tuition acceptance fee (R800) and, if you want a room, a residence acceptance fee (R1,000).
What admissions looks for
- A bachelor's pass with a strong Admission Point Score: 45 or more generally earns a provisional offer.
- The required subjects at the right level, for example Mathematics at level 6 for Business Science and Pharmacy.
- For applicants below the threshold, evidence of potential: NBT results, the principal's report and the personal information on the form, which the Deans use for discretionary decisions.
- For the Extended Studies Programme, students from disadvantaged backgrounds who show potential to succeed with extra support.
Tips for applying to Rhodes
- 1 Calculate your APS before applying: divide each of six subject percentages by 10 and add them up, leaving out Life Orientation.
- 2 The window closes on 30 September 2026; if you are past it, ask the admissions office at once about late applications. Apply with your Grade 11 final or Grade 12 Term 2 report; you do not need to wait for final results.
- 3 Write the NBT, especially if you are near the cut-off, because the Dean uses it for discretionary offers.
- 4 If you want Law, you can enter through a general degree and move into the LLB in your second year, which is the route most Rhodes law students take.
- 5 Book residence when you accept: residence fees include three meals a day, and deposits are due by late January.
Costs & financial aid
2026 · figures in ZAR
South African students apply for government NSFAS funding directly at nsfas.org.za. Rhodes automatically awards academic merit scholarships to first-time South African undergraduates with at least 47 NSC points, from R29,940 up to full tuition; international students are not eligible. There are also sports bursaries of R10,000 to R20,000 and a 30% tuition remission for a second child studying full-time in the same year.
- Full tuition (all faculties)
- Merit scholarship, NSC APS 53-56
- R29,940
- Merit scholarship, NSC APS 47-48
- 57.3%
- Share of student fee income funded by NSFAS (2024)
- 5%
- Discount for paying full annual fees by the January deadline
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (from February)
Journalism and Media Studies (BJourn)
A four-year degree from the School of Journalism and Media Studies, structured like a BA or BSocSc with journalism alone in the fourth year.
Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm)
A four-year NQF level 8 degree with a curriculum set by the South African Pharmacy Council; a provisional offer needs Mathematics, Life Sciences and Physical Science at level 6.
Bachelor of Business Science (BBusSc)
A four-year degree requiring Mathematics at level 6, with fields such as Economics, Information Systems and Quantitative Management.
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
A three-year degree flexible enough to pair a science major with one from Commerce, Humanities or Law, e.g. Biochemistry and Law.
Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
A four-year direct-entry degree for a limited number of students, or reached after a general first year, so you can change direction without losing a year.
Bachelor of Education (Foundation Phase Teaching)
A four-year route to becoming a qualified teacher, alongside the one-year PGCE after another degree.
Research
- Six institutional research themes: water security; nanotechnology innovation; radio astronomy; drugs, health and society; sustainable education futures; and environments, ecologies and economies.
- The Tebello Nyokong Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation opened in 2024, the university's 120th anniversary year.
- Rhodes holds national SARChI research chairs; the Biotechnology Innovation and Engagement chair was renewed and upgraded to Tier 1 with R5 million a year from 2025 to 2030.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Commerce
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Law
Rhodes reported an overall course success rate of 85% and 1,318 undergraduate graduates in 2024. More than 60 national and international employers recruit on campus through the third-term Graduate Recruitment Programme.
Student life
Rhodes is built around its residence system: 14 halls of residence, each grouping houses of 50 to 120 students around a central dining hall, with meals, linen and cleaning included and each house keeping its own rules and traditions. About half of students live in residence; the rest, called Oppidans, rent in town and have their own committee, a dining hall in the Stephen Bantu Biko building and a free weekday bus until 22:00. More than 30 sports are on offer, most facilities are within walking distance of the residences, and students run dozens of societies and volunteer projects in Makhanda.
- 14 halls of residence, with three meals a day included in the residence fee.
- Oppidan (off-campus) students have their own dining hall, common room, mentors for first-years and a free bus service.
- More than 30 sports, including rowing, canoeing, sailing, surfing and underwater hockey.
- Students serve as sub-wardens, house committee members and SRC representatives on university decision-making committees.
Housing. Most undergraduate residence rooms are single with meals included; some first-years are placed in one of the few double rooms, which carry a 25% lodging discount.
Location
Makhanda (Grahamstown) is a small city in the Eastern Cape, about 50 minutes from the sea and 90 minutes from the Winterberg mountains. The campus is small enough that students walk everywhere and a car is not needed. The city hosts the National Arts Festival and SciFest. The university acknowledges Makhanda's infrastructure and socio-economic challenges, so read its safety and residence information before you arrive.
Nearest airport: Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport, Gqeberha (PLZ)
Notable alumni
- MT Max TheilerVirologist and 1951 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine; attended Rhodes University College before medical school at the University of Cape Town
- WS Wilbur SmithBest-selling historical novelist; BCom graduate (1954)
- AG Allan GrayInvestor and philanthropist; studied accounting at Rhodes
- MM Mbuyiseli MadlangaJustice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa and Chancellor of Rhodes University since October 2025; LLB graduate
- AK Alice KrigeActress; BA and BA Honours in drama
- ED Embeth DavidtzActress and director; studied at Rhodes
- HK Herbert KretzmerJournalist and English-language lyricist of the musical Les Miserables; attended Rhodes
Frequently asked questions
What APS do I need for Rhodes University?
An APS of 45 or more generally earns a provisional offer, with BCom and BEcon offering from 40. Applicants with lower scores, from about 34 depending on the degree, may be considered at the Dean's discretion or for an extended programme.
When is the Rhodes University application deadline?
Online applications are open from 1 April to 30 September, so applications for 2027 close on 30 September 2026, which was the final day when this profile was checked. If that date has passed, contact the admissions office to ask about late applications. You can apply with your Grade 11 final report or Grade 12 Term 2 report.
How much does Rhodes University cost?
In 2026, first-year tuition ranges from R63,519 (BA) to R71,254 (LLB) a year, and a residence place with meals costs R92,851 or R97,482 a year. International students also pay an annual levy of R13,821 to R19,627 depending on their region.
Can international students apply to Rhodes?
Yes. A levels, IB and other school qualifications are converted into Rhodes points: 40 or more earns a firm offer, and 37 to 39 is held until the end of September. You also need a Matriculation Board exemption.
Does Rhodes offer scholarships?
South African first-time undergraduates with at least 47 NSC points receive automatic merit awards, from R29,940 up to full tuition at 53+ points. International students are not eligible for these awards; South Africans can apply to NSFAS for government funding.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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