University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Johannesburg's research university, selecting school leavers by APS score and, for medicine, NBT results.
- Students
- 41,702
- 25,835 undergraduates
- Tuition
- ZAR 95,860
- From · 2026
- Founded
- 1922
- QS World Ranking
- #302
- 2027 edition
About Wits
The University of the Witwatersrand, known as Wits, traces its roots to the South African School of Mines founded in Kimberley in 1896 and became a full university in Johannesburg in 1922. In 2025 it had 41,702 students: 25,835 undergraduates and 15,867 postgraduates. Teaching is organised in five faculties: Commerce, Law and Management; Engineering and the Built Environment; Health Sciences; Humanities; and Science.
Wits is known for medicine, mining and engineering, law and palaeoanthropology. The university says it trains more medical specialists and sub-specialists than any other in South Africa, and it owns the Sterkfontein Caves in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. Its alumni include Nelson Mandela, who studied law there, and Nobel laureates Sydney Brenner and Aaron Klug.
Admission to first-year study is by programme, based on an Admission Points Score (APS) built from your best seven subjects, plus minimum levels in English, Mathematics and other key subjects. Popular programmes are demanding: Computer Science and Actuarial Science ask for an APS of 44 or more, the four-year LLB for 46 or more. Health Sciences uses its own composite index, which includes the National Benchmark Tests. Wits suits students who want a large, urban, research-led university in Africa's economic hub.
Scientia et Labore
“Through knowledge and work” — university motto
Why students choose Wits
Wits says it trains more medical specialists and sub-specialists than any other South African university, with clinical training in public hospitals and at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre.
The Wits Sterkfontein Caves in the Cradle of Humankind give students access to one of the most important human-evolution fossil sites in the world.
Undergraduate engineering programmes share a common first year, so students can change their engineering discipline at the end of first year.
University Entrance Scholarships reward strong matric results automatically: an APS of 51 or above (excluding Life Orientation) earns full first-year tuition.
Admissions
2027 academic year intake (South African academic year starting early 2027)
Selectivity
Wits does not publish an overall acceptance rate on its admissions pages. Selection is programme by programme on the Admission Points Score (APS) and subject levels; applicants just below the APS threshold may be wait-listed, subject to place availability.
Typical entry requirements
| NSC: Computer Science (BSc) | APS 44+, English level 5, Mathematics level 6; applicants with 41-43 may be wait-listed |
|---|---|
| NSC: Actuarial Science (BSc) | APS 44+, English, Mathematics and Physical Sciences all at level 7 |
| NSC: Electrical Engineering (BSc Eng) | APS 42+, English, Mathematics and Physical Sciences at level 5; level 6 in these subjects gives a better chance |
| NSC: LLB (four-year stream) | APS 46+, English level 6, Mathematics level 5 or Mathematical Literacy level 6; APS 40-45 may be wait-listed |
| NSC: BCom | APS 38+, English level 5, Mathematics level 5 |
| NSC: Medicine (MBBCh) | English, Mathematics and Life and/or Physical Sciences at level 5; ranked on a composite index: 75% five-subject matric average (percentages) and 25% NBT average |
| Foreign school-leaving qualifications | Must meet programme requirements and obtain a matriculation exemption certificate from the Matriculation Board (Universities South Africa) |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 100 International applicants must show English proficiency, e.g. IELTS 6.5 or Cambridge English (CAE) 185; TOEFL (100 iBT) is recognised only in exceptional cases. A GCSE/IGCSE O-level pass in English is also accepted. |
Deadlines
- Health Sciences, Architecture, Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology, Film and TV (2027 intake) Non-binding Passed30 June 2026
Closed. All Faculty of Health Sciences programmes, including MBBCh.
- All other undergraduate programmes (2027 intake) Non-binding Passed30 September 2026
Residence applications also close 30 September 2026.
These are the published closing dates for the 2027 intake. Wits lists its standing closing dates as 30 June (Health Sciences and other selection-heavy programmes) and 30 September (all other programmes); closing dates for the 2028 intake had not been published on the pages checked.
How to apply
Apply online to the Student Enrolment Centre at www.wits.ac.za/applications, choosing up to three programmes (order of choice does not matter), pay the R100 application fee and upload your final Grade 11 results (current matrics) or school-leaving certificates. Current matrics may get provisional offers on Grade 11 results; firm offers follow final matric results. Some programmes add portfolios, essays, auditions or the NBT.
What admissions looks for
- An APS at or above the programme threshold, calculated from your best seven subjects.
- Minimum levels in the programme's key subjects, such as Mathematics level 6 for Computer Science or level 7 in English, Mathematics and Physical Sciences for Actuarial Science.
- For Health Sciences, a high composite index combining your matric percentages (75%) and NBT scores (25%).
- Completed portfolios, essays or auditions where a programme requires them.
Tips for applying to Wits
- 1 Apply for three programmes and make one of them in a less restricted faculty such as Humanities, Commerce or Science, as Wits itself advises.
- 2 Book the in-person NBT early if you want Health Sciences: online NBT results are not accepted and only your first attempt from the most recent year counts.
- 3 Science applicants must write both NBT papers (Academic and Quantitative Literacy, and Mathematics) in one session by 31 October 2026.
- 4 International applicants should start the matriculation exemption process with the International Students Office as soon as they apply.
Costs & financial aid
2026 · figures in ZAR
Wits awards merit-based University Entrance Scholarships on first matric results (full first-year tuition for an APS of 51+ excluding Life Orientation, R45,000 for 48-50, R25,000 for 45-47, R20,000 for 43-44), and the Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship covers tuition, capped accommodation and allowances for the top 20 first-time entrants. The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office administers NSFAS and external bursaries; students on NSFAS do not also receive University Council scholarship money.
- Full first-year tuition
- University Entrance Scholarship, APS 51+
- Top 20 first-time entrants: full tuition, capped accommodation and allowances
- Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship
- R100
- Application fee
- R9,340
- First payment before registration (South African students, 2026)
Academics
Medicine (MBBCh)
Six-year degree with selection on a composite index of matric results and NBT scores; clinical training across public hospitals and the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre.
Mining Engineering (BSc Eng)
Continues Wits' School of Mines origins; the Wits DigiMine is a mock mine used to test digital technologies underground.
Actuarial Science (BSc)
One of the most demanding entry profiles at Wits: APS 44+ with level 7 in English, Mathematics and Physical Sciences.
Computer Science (BSc)
Covers machine learning and parallel computing; Wits also hosts the Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery Institute.
Law (LLB)
Four-year stream straight from school (APS 46+) or a three-year stream for graduates.
Film and Television (BA)
A Humanities degree that closes earlier than most programmes (30 June); average first-year tuition was R69,590 in 2026.
Research
- Wits owns the Sterkfontein Caves in the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site, a source of major human-evolution discoveries.
- The Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute focuses on data science and machine intelligence.
- The Wits DigiMine is a laboratory 'mock mine' for making mining safer and more sustainable with digital technology.
- Wits University Press is the oldest university press in South Africa.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management
- Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Science
Student life
Wits is a big city university: its main Braamfontein campus is split into East and West Campus, with further campuses in Parktown. Wits says about one in five students lives in one of its residences, and Wits Sport offers 28 sports codes, from chess and mind sports to mountain climbing and orienteering. Support services include counselling and careers advice through the CCDU, a Disability Rights Unit and a Development and Leadership Unit. A new R250 million sports complex with an aquatics centre is due to open in 2026.
- 28 sports codes offered through Wits Sport.
- 18 residences across the campuses.
- The Wits Anglo American Dome offers a 360-degree immersive digital experience.
- Counselling and Careers Development Unit (CCDU) and Development and Leadership Unit programmes.
Housing. About one in five students lives in a Wits residence; residence applications for the 2027 intake close on 30 September 2026.
Location
Wits sits in Braamfontein, on the edge of central Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city and economic centre. The campuses are close to the city's business districts, hospitals and cultural venues, which gives students easy access to internships and clinical placements. International students need a valid study visa and medical aid cover before they can register.
Nearest airport: O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB)
Notable alumni
- NM Nelson MandelaFirst president of democratic South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize laureate; studied law at Wits
- SB Sydney BrennerNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2002; studied at Wits
- AK Aaron KlugNobel Prize in Chemistry 1982; BSc from Wits
- NG Nadine GordimerNobel Prize in Literature 1991; studied at Wits for a year
- RF Ruth FirstAnti-apartheid activist and journalist; social science degree from Wits
- PV Phillip V. TobiasPalaeoanthropologist known for work at South Africa's hominid fossil sites; studied and taught at Wits
- LB Lee BergerPalaeoanthropologist; PhD from Wits under Phillip Tobias
Frequently asked questions
What APS do I need for Wits?
It depends on the programme: for example 38+ for BCom, 42+ for Electrical Engineering, 44+ for Computer Science and Actuarial Science, and 46+ for the four-year LLB, plus minimum levels in key subjects.
When do Wits applications close for 2027?
Health Sciences, Architecture, Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology and Film and TV closed on 30 June 2026; all other undergraduate programmes close on 30 September 2026.
Do I need to write the NBT for Wits?
Yes for Health Sciences (in-person NBT, counting for 25% of the composite index) and for all Faculty of Science programmes (by 31 October 2026). Many other programmes do not require it.
How much are Wits fees for international students?
Undergraduates from outside SADC pay double the local tuition; SADC students pay local tuition plus a R6,970 International Registration Fee. International students must pay 75% of annual fees before registration.
What IELTS score does Wits require?
IELTS 6.5 or Cambridge English (CAE) 185; TOEFL iBT 100 is recognised only in exceptional cases.
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.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to Wits in the QS World University Rankings 2027.