University of Pretoria | Rankings, programs, campus and more

University of Pretoria (UP) – A multi-campus public research university in South Africa

The University of Pretoria (UP) is situated in the centre of Pretoria, the capital of South Africa. It is one of the largest universities in South Africa and achieves outstanding outcomes in research and community engagement. The University of Pretoria (UP), a multiethnic, progressive, and heavily research-focused institution in South Africa, reacts to society demands by taking on urgent problems. In terms of productivity and research impact, they are routinely among the top institutions in South Africa and produce the most graduates.

Overview

The University has nine faculties in addition to its business school: Economics and Management Sciences, Education, Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Theology and Religion, Veterinary Science (currently the only faculty in this field in South Africa), and the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). There are 140 academic departments and 85 research centers, institutes, and divisions that provide the academic programmes.

Being the top research-intensive institution in Africa with a reputation for excellence, relevance, and effect is part of their mission. They also want to develop people, advance knowledge, and make a positive influence both locally and globally. In the context of a developing country, UP builds human capital and produces the knowledge and skills necessary to tackle the numerous challenges of the global community by drawing on more than a century of expertise and well-established facilities. The University of Pretoria has produced about 250 000 alumni over the course of 105 years. There are now more than 50 000 enrolled students at the university. A little more than 13 000 of these are postgraduate students, and 4 500 are international students, 67% of whom are from the SADC nations.

Ranking

One of the best public universities in Pretoria, South Africa, is University of Pretoria. In the 2023 QS World University Rankings, it is positioned #591–600.

Campuses

Main Campus – Hatfield, Pretoria 

Six of the university’s nine faculties are located on the main campus, which also houses the major administrative offices, in the Pretoria suburb of Hatfield. The campus was constructed over 24 hectares (59 acres), is bordered to the south and north by the Brooklyn suburb of Hatfield, and features more than 60 historically significant structures.

The High Performance Centre and LC de Villiers Sports Grounds, which were built on 76 hectares of land and are next to the Hatfield campus, are located on the Hillcrest campus (190 acres). The university’s experimental farm, where field tests for the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences are carried out, is located next to the athletic facilities.

Onderstepoort, Pretoria 

Onderstepoort campus, which is 65 hectares (160 acres) in size and has buildings totaling 55,000 square meters (590,000 square feet), was developed to house the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences. It is located 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) north of Pretoria’s downtown and 30 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of the Hatfield campus.

Groenkloof, Pretoria

In the beginning, the Pretoria Normal School was located in a residence at 126 Rissik Street. When the Johannesburg Normal School was shut down in 1903, its 40 students were relocated to Pretoria, and the Pretoria and Johannesburg institutions were combined to establish the Transvaal Normal College.

Prinshof, Pretoria

The Steve Biko Hospital (formerly Pretoria Academic Hospital and HF Verwoerd Hospital), the primary healthcare training institution of the university, and the Tshwane District Hospital are both close to the Prinshof campus, where students in the Faculty of Health Sciences are educated.

Illovo, Johannesburg

The Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), the university’s business school, is located on a brand-new campus on Illovo Boulevard, a mixed-use commercial hub between the Johannesburg districts of Rosebank and Sandton, with a satellite Inner City campus on Pritchard Street.

Other locations

The satellite campuses in Witbank and Hammanskraal, which were founded in 1988 and 1994, respectively, are used as extra practical facilities and for community participation.

Accommodation

The Department of Residence Affairs and Accommodation, also known as the TuksRes Family, is a separate commercial entity that provides services to residence students through a number of management teams.

With 10,000 students living on campus, the University of Pretoria is the largest residential university in South Africa. Having a comprehensive framework like TuksRes allows one to serve the varied demands of our student population who dwell in residences.

Well known Alumni

• Prof Tshilidzi Marwala -Academic, engineer
• Paul Moorcraft -Author, BBC commentator
• Prof Pierre de Villiers Pienaar – Author and pioneer of speech therapy in South Africa
• Prof Calie Pistorius: Vice-Chancellor of the University of Pretoria, 2001–2009
• Victor Matfield – Sports personality 
• Naas Botha – Sports personality 
• Wynand Claassen- Sports personality 
• Gary Botha –  Sports personality 
• Fanie de Villiers – Sports personality 
• Ernst Dinkelmann  – Sports personality 
• Jana Cilliers – Actress
• Bettie Cilliers-Barnard – Fine artist
• Dr Mimi Coertse – Opera singer
• Ampie du Preez – Actor
• Focalistic: South African Rapper and Amapiano artist
• Dr Willem Barnard – CEO, KWV
• Laurie Dippenaar – FirstRand Bank Chairman
• Dr Marius Kloppers – International CEO of global mining giant BHP Billiton
• Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi – Former Minister of Public Service and Administration
• Prof Christof Heyns – United Nations Human Rights Council; Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
• Judge Johann Kriegler
• Frans Lourens Herman Rumpff – Chief Justice of South Africa
• Dr Sindisiwe van Zyl – Physician, radio DJ, columnist, health activist and researcher
• Prof Flavia Senkubuge – Physician, professor of public health medicine, past President of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu – Social rights activist; winner of Nobel Peace Prize

Key takeaways

• One of the best public universities in Pretoria, South Africa, is University of Pretoria. In the 2023 QS World University Rankings, it is positioned #591–600.
• In 140 academic departments and 85 research centers, institutes, and units, they provide a variety of academic programmes.
• There are now more than 50 000 enrolled students at the university. Four thousand five hundred of these are international students, and little over 13,000 are postgraduate students.

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FAQs

Q1. How much is the registration fee at University of Pretoria?

Ans. Undergraduate students must pay R7 500, and graduate students should pay R10,000. 50% of the total cost for 2023 will be charged to international postgraduate students. The initial payment is not required for students receiving funding from NSFAS or other sponsors.

Q2. What APS score is required for admission to University of Pretoria?

Ans. The results of the final Grade 11 examination serve as the basis for preliminary admission. However, the decision about admission will be made based on the final Grade 12 scores. Candidate preference will be given to those with APS scores of 28 and higher.

Q3. How long does the University of Pretoria’s admissions process take?

Ans. What is the turnaround time for the University to review and process my application? Your student number will be included in an email you receive once your application has been processed. It could take up to 15 business days.