History
Unisa's roots (and indeed that of higher education in South Africa) date back to 1873 when the University of the Cape of Good Hope was founded, initially functioning as an examining body for higher education.
In 1916, the university changed its name to the University of South Africa and in 1918 it relocated to Pretoria.
Education
As a comprehensive university, Unisa offers both vocational and academic programmes from the level of undergraduate and postgraduate certificates and diplomas to degrees, and also postgraduate diplomas, master's and doctoral qualifications. Unisa also offers short learning programmes targeting specific needs of industry and civil society. As a comprehensive, open, distance and e-Learning pioneer, Unisa is known for delivering well-designed, interactive study material.
Research
Unisa has a vibrant and dynamic research culture, and its strong transformative agenda encourages a creative approach to new ways of knowing. Here academics and postgraduate students are committed to finding research and innovative solutions that will address important national and global questions, and contribute to the economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being of South Africa and the African continent.
University Ranking
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education
2025
-
2024
1001
2023
1001
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2024
-
2023
901
2022
901
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities
2025
851
2024
851
2023
-
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2025
-
2024
861 -40
2023
821
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
Library services
Unisa Library has a vast amount of resources to help you with your studies.
ICT services
Library Technology Services is responsible for enabling the provision of high-standard information technology in support of Library services and processes for Unisa library staff and clients. LTS offers support to clients with connecting to and accessing Library resources electronically. It aims to promote and enhance Unisa Library Services through the implementation of appropriate technology