The cost of university education in South Africa is a factor that has been in the spotlight for a while now. There are many factors that affect the cost of university education, such as the type of institution, institution location and course.
The costs of tertiary institutions vary from one another and can be found on their websites. The cheapest universities in South Africa are the University of Kwazulu Natal, the University of Free State and Rhodes University.
The University of Kwazulu Natal
The University of Kwazulu Natal is the cheapest university in South Africa. It is a public university that was founded in 1959 and it has three campuses, namely Durban, East London and Pietermaritzburg. In the year 1970, the university became a tertiary institution. The tuition fees at Kwazulu Natal University are ZAR 40000 per year.
The University of Free State
The University of Free State is another public university that was established in 1854. It has four campuses, namely Bloemfontein, Bethlehem, Khayelitsha and Soweto. It has a total student enrollment of about 5,000. The Parliament of the South African Republic established the University of Pretoria in 1886. I consider it to be one of the oldest universities in Africa, and it features a rich heritage and tradition. The university has over 36,000 undergraduate students enrolled and over 10,000 graduate students enrolled. It is also one of the cheapest because of its scholarship programmes for needy but brilliant students and cheap tuition ( Undergrads pay R16,500, and Foreign students pay R19, 910)
Rhodes University
Rhodes University is a private institution that was founded in 1904 by British settlers. The university currently has two campuses: Grahamstown (in the Eastern Cape) and Kimberley (in the Northern Cape). with over 30,000 students enrolled. The National Accreditation Commission of South Africa (NACSA have accredited the university) since 1928. In order to meet the needs of students and their communities, the university has a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The university is one of the top 100 universities in Africa, according to QS World University Rankings 2018/2019. Undergrads pay up to R30,700 as tuition fees whiles foreigners pay up to R40,000 as tuition fees.
