To study nursing in South Africa you need a National Senior Certificate (NSC) at the pass level your programme asks for, English, Mathematics (or, at some institutions, Mathematical Literacy at a higher level) and Life Sciences or Physical Sciences at the levels the institution sets, and a place on a programme accredited by the South African Nursing Council (SANC). Universities usually add their own score or an admission test.
The requirements for nursing depend first on which qualification you apply for. SANC’s current education framework has three entry routes: a four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing, a three-year Diploma in Nursing and a one-year Higher Certificate in Nursing. Each leads to a different category of registration. The legal floor for all three is an NSC or equivalent, and every institution then adds its own rules.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
Whichever route you choose, you will be assessed on these points, and falling short on any one of them can exclude you.
- Your National Senior Certificate pass level (degree programmes need a Bachelor’s pass)
- The subjects you took and the level you achieved in each
- The institution’s own points score, rating scale or composite index
- Any admission test the institution requires, such as the National Benchmark Tests
- Citizenship or residence rules, which provincial nursing colleges often apply
- Whether the programme is accredited by SANC, since only an accredited programme leads to registration
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The route you choose sets the academic entry level and what you can register as when you finish.
- Bachelor of Nursing (Regulation R.174): a four-year nursing degree, offered by universities, that leads to registration as a professional nurse and midwife. Universities name it differently, for example Bachelor of Nursing (BNurs) at Wits and Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNurs) at the University of Pretoria. It requires a Bachelor’s pass. South African universities do not offer a “Bachelor of Science in Nursing” under that name.
- Diploma in Nursing (Regulation R.171): a three-year programme, offered mainly by provincial nursing colleges, that leads to registration as a general nurse. Do not assume a Diploma pass is enough: the Limpopo College of Nursing, for example, asked for a Bachelor’s pass for its 2026 intake.
- Higher Certificate in Nursing (Regulation R.169): a one-year programme that leads to registration as an auxiliary nurse. It can be a first step if you do not yet meet the entry level for a diploma or degree.
Institutions publish their own minimum on top of the national pass level, and meeting it does not guarantee a place. Wits and the Limpopo College of Nursing both state this in their admission information. Treat the published minimum as the point at which you can be considered, not the point at which you are likely to be admitted.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
The subjects needed for nursing are built around a science base:
- English, as Home Language or First Additional Language
- Mathematics, or Mathematical Literacy where the institution accepts it
- Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, or both
The level and the score differ by university. These are the published figures for the four-year Bachelor of Nursing:
- Wits nursing requirements: English, Mathematics, and Life Sciences and/or Physical Sciences, each at Level 4. Wits does not use an APS for this degree. Its Faculty of Health Sciences ranks applicants on a composite index: the average percentage in English, Mathematics, the better of Physical or Life Sciences and the best two other subjects (75%), plus National Benchmark Test scores (25%). The NBT must be written in person.
- University of Pretoria (2027 intake): English 4, Mathematics 4, Life Sciences 4 (not Physical Sciences) and a minimum APS of 28, with Life Orientation excluded. UP admits 50 first-year students a year.
- UJ (2027 intake): minimum APS 30, English 5 (60%+), Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences each at 4 (50%+). Mathematical Literacy is not accepted.
- CPUT: a Bachelor’s pass with an APS of at least 30. The four-year programme needs Home Language 4, First Additional Language (English or Afrikaans) 4, Mathematics 4 or Mathematical Literacy 5, and Life Sciences 4. The five-year extended programme asks for Mathematics 3 or Mathematical Literacy 4.
- UKZN nursing requirements: an NSC with a degree pass, English 4, Life Orientation 4, Life Sciences 4, Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy at Level 3, and at least 30 points excluding Life Orientation (first choice only).
- NMU nursing requirements: NMU uses an Applicant Score rather than an APS. The Bachelor of Nursing needs at least 370 with Mathematics (50%) or 385 with Mathematical Literacy (65%), plus Life Sciences 60% and Physical Sciences 50%. The five-year extended route asks for 330 with Mathematics (35%) or 345 with Mathematical Literacy (55%), Life Sciences 50% and Physical Sciences 40%.
- Walter Sisulu University (2027): a minimum APS of 24, with English, Mathematics, Physical Science and Life Science each at level 4 (50-59%).
- Limpopo College of Nursing (Diploma, 2026 intake): English, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics at Level 4, or Mathematical Literacy at Level 5, plus 24 points on the college’s own rating scale excluding Life Orientation.
Whether Mathematical Literacy is accepted is the most common difference. Check this for every programme you apply to, and work out your score using each institution’s own method rather than one APS figure.
Documents and Application Requirements
Universities take nursing applications through their own online application systems. Provincial nursing colleges advertise each intake through the provincial health department, often with their own forms and a separate administration fee. Prepare:
- A certified copy of your identity document
- Your National Senior Certificate, or your final Grade 11 and latest Grade 12 results if you are still at school
- Proof of payment of the application or administration fee, where one is charged
- National Benchmark Test results, where the institution requires them
- Proof of residence and any completed rating scale, where a provincial college asks for them
- Proof of current SANC registration, if you are already an enrolled or auxiliary nurse
CPUT also asks for proof of Hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccination for its Bachelor of Nursing. Once you start, section 32 of the Nursing Act requires you to apply to SANC for registration as a learner nurse or learner midwife for the duration of your training.
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Nursing intakes are limited by how many students an institution can place in accredited clinical facilities, so places are scarce compared with demand. Universities rank applicants on their academic results and any admission test. Provincial colleges add eligibility rules: the Limpopo College of Nursing, for instance, accepted only South African citizens for 2026, and the KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing admits only KwaZulu-Natal residents.
Closing dates differ widely and are applied strictly. Wits shows 30 June 2026 on its Bachelor of Nursing page, which is the 2026 cycle date and has passed, as has UP’s 30 June 2026 closing date for the 2027 intake. UKZN shows 30 September without stating the year, and UJ’s 2027 application cycle runs from 1 April to 31 October 2026. The Limpopo College of Nursing’s 2027 intake closes on 30 November 2026. Apply early, apply to more than one institution, and check the date for the exact intake you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
What subjects are needed for nursing?
English, Mathematics (or Mathematical Literacy where accepted) and Life Sciences, with Physical Sciences also required at NMU and Walter Sisulu University. UP requires Life Sciences and not Physical Sciences. The level depends on the institution: Level 4 is the published requirement at Wits, UP and the Limpopo College of Nursing.
Can I study nursing with Mathematical Literacy?
Only at some institutions. UKZN accepts Mathematical Literacy at Level 3, NMU at 65%, CPUT at Level 5 and the Limpopo college at Level 5 for its 2026 diploma intake. Wits and UP list Mathematics, and UJ does not accept Mathematical Literacy. Check each programme before you apply.
What is the difference between a nursing degree and a diploma?
The four-year Bachelor of Nursing (the nursing degree in South Africa) leads to registration as a professional nurse and midwife. The three-year Diploma in Nursing leads to registration as a general nurse.
What are the nursing ranks in South Africa?
Section 31 of the Nursing Act 33 of 2005 sets the categories you can register and practise in: professional nurse, midwife, staff nurse, auxiliary nurse and auxiliary midwife. Job titles and grades within a hospital are set by the employer, but you cannot use any of these legal titles unless you are registered in that category.
Does meeting the minimum mean I will be accepted?
No. Institutions admit only as many students as they can place in clinical facilities and select above the published minimum.
What if I do not meet the entry level for a degree?
Look at the Diploma in Nursing or the Higher Certificate in Nursing, and ask the institution about recognition of prior learning. Which categories you can later move into is set by the Nursing Act and SANC, so confirm the route with SANC.
Confirm the entry level, subjects and closing dates with the university or nursing college you are applying to, and confirm programme accreditation with the South African Nursing Council, since requirements change between intake years. For provincial colleges see nursing college requirements. For the wider picture see admission requirements and browse all education requirements.