General Criteria for Admission to the University
Bachelor’s Degree Admission Criteria:
The minimum admission requirement is a National Senior Certificate (NSC) as certified by Umalusi with an achievement rating of 4 (Adequate achievement, 50-59%) or better in four subjects chosen from the following recognised 20-credit NSC subjects (known as the ‘designated subject list’): Accounting, Agricultural Sciences, Business Studies, Dramatic Arts, Economics, Engineering Graphics and Design, Geography, History, Consumer Studies, Information Technology, Languages (one language of learning and teaching at a higher education institution and two other recognised language subjects), Life Sciences, Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Music, Physical Sciences, Religion Studies, Visual Arts.
Diploma Admission Criteria:
The minimum admission requirement is a National Senior Certificate as certified by Umalusi with an achievement rating of 3 (moderate Achievement, 40-49%) or better in four recognised NSC 20-credit subjects.
Higher Certificate Admission Criteria:
The minimum admission requirement is a National Senior Certificate as certified by Umalusi.
The Point System
For admission to degree and diploma programmes, UWC will use a weighted system for calculating points, stated as follows:
| NSC Level | Percentage | Points for English (*) | Points for Maths or Maths Lit | Points for Life Orientation | Points for each Other Subject |
| 8 | 90-100% | 15 | 15 | 3 | 8 |
| 7 | 80-89% | 13 | 13 | 3 | 7 |
| 6 | 70-79% | 11 | 11 | 2 | 6 |
| 5 | 60-69% | 9 | 9 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 | 50-59% | 7 | 7 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 40-49% | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 30-39% | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 1 | 20-29% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| less than 20% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(*) – ‘English’ here refers to either English home language or English first additional language, not second additional language, which would rather fall under ‘other subjects’