In South Africa, law school means a university law faculty that offers the LLB. There is no single national entry score: the national minimum is a bachelor’s-level National Senior Certificate (NSC), and each faculty then sets its own APS and subject levels. Wits, for example, asks for an APS of 46 or more for its four-year LLB, while UKZN’s minimum is an APS of 32.
Law is an undergraduate qualification here. You can enter the LLB from matric, or, if you already hold another degree, through a graduate route at some faculties. If you are searching for a “school of law”, this means the law faculty of a university.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
- An NSC that qualifies you for bachelor’s degree study
- English at the level the faculty sets (Wits: level 6 in Home Language or First Additional Language; UKZN: level 5 in Home Language or level 6 in First Additional Language)
- Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy at the level the faculty sets
- The faculty’s own minimum APS
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The Department of Higher Education and Training sets the national floor. For a bachelor’s degree you need an NSC with an achievement rating of 4 (50-59%) or better in four 20-credit subjects, plus at least 30% in the language of learning and teaching of the institution. Institutions may set additional requirements, and law faculties do. The national policy is published by the Department of Higher Education and Training.
Under the Legal Practice Act, the LLB you need to practise is a course of at least four years, or at least five years if it is preceded by a bachelor’s degree other than the LLB. Meeting the national minimum does not guarantee a place, because each faculty selects against its own requirements.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
No national rule prescribes matric subjects for law, so faculties differ. Three published examples show the range.
- Wits, four-year LLB: APS 46 or more, English Home Language or First Additional Language at level 6, and Mathematics at level 5 or Mathematical Literacy at level 6. Applicants with an APS of 40-45 may be wait-listed. See the Wits LLB page.
- University of Pretoria, four-year LLB (2027 intake): English Home Language or First Additional Language at level 6 and an APS of 35; no Mathematics requirement is listed. UP’s closing date for 2027 entry was 30 June 2026, so that window has closed, and offers must be accepted or rejected by 30 September. See UP’s LLB page.
- UKZN, four-year LLB: an NSC with degree admission, English Home Language at level 5 or First Additional Language at level 6, Mathematical Literacy at level 5 or Mathematics at level 3, Life Orientation at level 4, and a minimum APS of 32 excluding Life Orientation. See the UKZN LLB page.
UP’s page is for the 2027 intake; the Wits and UKZN pages state no intake year, so confirm their figures for the year you are applying for. Other faculties publish their own figures, so check each one before you apply.
Documents and Application Requirements
Each faculty lists the documents it needs, its application route and its closing date on its own admissions page. Apply through that page and check the list before you submit, because the requirements and closing dates differ between universities.
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
If you already hold a degree, ask the faculty about its graduate route. Wits, for example, runs three-year and two-year LLB streams for graduates, and these carry no matric APS requirement.
The LLB is only the first step. To practise you must also complete practical vocational training, including community service, and pass a competency-based examination. Under the Legal Practice Act Regulations, candidate attorneys serve an uninterrupted 24 months of training, or 12 months if they completed at least 400 notional hours of structured coursework beforehand. The High Court admits applicants who are South African citizens or permanent residents and are fit and proper. See the Legal Practice Act and the Legal Practice Council.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is law a graduate degree in South Africa?
No. The LLB can be entered from matric. If you already hold another bachelor’s degree, the Legal Practice Act allows an LLB of at least five years in total, and Wits offers shorter streams for graduates.
What APS do I need for law school?
It depends on the faculty. Wits asks for 46 or more for its four-year LLB, UP asks for 35 (2027 intake) and UKZN’s minimum is 32 excluding Life Orientation. Check the faculty you are applying to.
Do all law faculties require the same subjects?
No. Wits and UKZN both set English levels and accept either Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy, but at different levels, while UP lists no Mathematics requirement for its LLB. Each faculty publishes its own list.
Does the LLB let me practise?
Not on its own. You must also complete practical vocational training and pass the competency-based examination, and the High Court must admit you.
Confirm entry requirements and closing dates with each law faculty, and practice requirements with the Legal Practice Council. See admission requirements and browse all education requirements.