Universities
Listed A–Z. The order is not a ranking.
| University | City | Province | Campuses covered | Headcount 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Peninsula University of Technology | Cape Town & Wellington | Western Cape | Bellville, District Six (Cape Town), Mowbray, Wellington | 36,072 |
| Durban University of Technology | Durban (eThekwini) & Pietermaritzburg | KwaZulu-Natal | Durban (Steve Biko, ML Sultan, Ritson, City), Midlands (Pietermaritzburg, Indumiso) | 34,508 |
| North-West University | Potchefstroom, Mahikeng, Vanderbijlpark | North West / Gauteng | Potchefstroom, Mahikeng, Vanderbijlpark | 57,610 |
| Stellenbosch University | Stellenbosch & Tygerberg (Cape Town) | Western Cape | Stellenbosch, Tygerberg (Cape Town) | 34,676 |
| Tshwane University of Technology | Pretoria (Tshwane) | Gauteng / Mpumalanga / Limpopo | Pretoria (incl. Arcadia & Arts), Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa, eMalahleni, Mbombela, Polokwane | 62,461 |
| University of Johannesburg | Johannesburg | Gauteng | Auckland Park Kingsway (APK), Auckland Park Bunting Road (APB), Doornfontein (DFC), Soweto (SWC) | 54,577 |
| University of KwaZulu-Natal | Durban (eThekwini) & Pietermaritzburg | KwaZulu-Natal | Durban (Howard College, Westville, Edgewood, Medical School), Pietermaritzburg | 46,624 |
| University of Pretoria | Pretoria (Tshwane) | Gauteng | Hatfield & other Pretoria campuses | 53,748 |
| University of the Free State | Bloemfontein (Mangaung) & Qwaqwa | Free State | Bloemfontein, South Campus (Bloemfontein), Qwaqwa | 39,964 |
| University of the Witwatersrand | Johannesburg | Gauteng | Braamfontein & Parktown | 41,432 |
Source: HEDA / DHET HEMIS data: PowerHEDA – Student headcount by institution (2024) · checked 25 October 2026