To study nursing in South Africa you need a National Senior Certificate 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.
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.
- 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. The combination below appears in the published requirements of both a university degree and a provincial college diploma.
- English, as Home Language or First Additional Language
- Mathematics, or Mathematical Literacy where the institution accepts it
- Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, or both
Two examples show how much the detail varies.
- Wits nursing requirements: the Bachelor of Nursing asks for 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.
- Limpopo College of Nursing (Diploma in Nursing, 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. Wits lists Mathematics only for its nursing degree, while the Limpopo college accepted Maths Lit at a higher level. 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
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 successful candidates had to sign a bursary agreement with the provincial health department.
Closing dates differ widely and are applied strictly. For example, Wits gave 30 June 2026 as the closing date on its Bachelor of Nursing page, with the NBT to be written by 17 August. The Limpopo college’s 2026 intake closed on 30 November 2025. 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 and/or Physical Sciences. The level required depends on the institution; Level 4 is the published requirement at Wits and at the Limpopo College of Nursing.
Can I study nursing with Mathematical Literacy?
Only at some institutions. Wits lists Mathematics for its nursing degree, while the Limpopo College of Nursing accepted Maths Lit at Level 5 for its 2026 diploma intake. Check each programme before you apply.
What is the difference between a nursing degree and a diploma?
The four-year Bachelor of Nursing 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 check whether the institution offers recognition of prior learning. Under section 31(13) of the Nursing Act, a nurse who later completes a programme leading to a higher category can have their registration changed to that category.
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.