Nelson Mandela University (NMU)

Written by Mohapi · Last updated 15 August 2026 · How these figures are checked

NMU has stopped using an APS altogether, and the thing that replaced it works on percentages rather than levels. It also contains the only rule on this site that deliberately gives some learners extra points for their circumstances.

Why percentages instead of levels matters

An APS flattens your marks into seven wide bands. Everything from 70% to 79% is a level 6, so a 70 and a 79 are worth exactly the same.

NMU does not do that. Every percentage point counts on its own. Practically:

• Marks at the top of a band are worth more here than at an APS university. A 79% is nine points better than a 70%, not equal to it.
• Small improvements are never wasted. Moving a subject from 62% to 67% does nothing to your APS anywhere else and adds five points at NMU.
• An out-of-600 figure is not comparable to anything else on this site. Do not set it beside a 42-point APS.

The Life Orientation bonus, and who gets it

This is unusual enough to be worth stating carefully, because it is the one place in South African admissions covered on this site where your school's circumstances are built into the score.

Applicants from quintile 1 to 3 schools who achieve 50% or higher for Life Orientation have 7 additional points added to their score out of 600.

Quintiles 1 to 3 are the no-fee public schools, categorised by the poverty of the community they serve. So if you attended a no-fee school and did reasonably in Life Orientation, NMU adds points that other applicants do not get.

Two things follow. If you are at a quintile 1–3 school, your Life Orientation mark is worth real points at NMU and nowhere else on this site. Do not treat it as a throwaway subject. And if you are not, do not budget for those 7 points.

If you do not know your school's quintile, the school office or your provincial education department will. It is a matter of record, not something you estimate.

Where NMU is

NMU is in Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, across several campuses including South, North, Second Avenue, Missionvale and Bird Street, with a campus in George in the Western Cape.

The George campus matters if you are looking at forestry, agriculture or related fields, and it is a long way from Gqeberha, so check where your programme is taught before planning accommodation.

Applying

• Apply directly to NMU. It is not part of the CAO.
• Work out your Applicant Score in percentages, not levels, before you decide whether you are in range.
• Check your school's quintile if your Life Orientation mark is 50% or above. It may be worth 7 points.
• Confirm the campus for your programme.
• Residence and funding are separate applications.

Per-programme Applicant Score requirements, application fees and closing dates are set per cycle and are not reproduced here. Confirm on the NMU site.

Who NMU genuinely suits

• Learners with strong percentages inside their bands, who lose out under level-based scoring.
• Students from quintile 1 to 3 schools, given the Life Orientation provision.
• Anyone in the Eastern Cape wanting a comprehensive university offering both degrees and diplomas.
• Applicants for ocean sciences, or for programmes based at the George campus.

What people get wrong when applying to NMU