Stellenbosch University (SU)

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

Stellenbosch is the clearest example on this site of why a single APS number does not travel. It does not calculate an APS at all.

An average, not a total

The difference matters more than it sounds. An APS converts each subject to a level from 1 to 7 and adds them, so bands are wide: anything from 70% to 79% is a level 6, and a 70 and a 79 are worth the same.

An average of percentages does not throw that detail away. At Stellenbosch, the difference between 70% and 79% is real and it counts. Which means:

• Marks just inside the top of a band are worth more here than at a university using APS levels.
• Marks just inside the bottom of a band cost you more. A 70% that reads as a comfortable level 6 elsewhere is a modest 70 here.
• Small improvements are not wasted. Pushing a subject from 68% to 73% may not change your APS level at all but it moves your Stellenbosch average.

Selection, and capped intakes

SU is explicit that meeting the minimum is not the same as being admitted. The University Council sets targets for total student numbers, faculties then select within that capacity, and SU states plainly that there may be students who meet the minimum admission requirements for a programme and are not selected.

Take that literally. It is not a legal disclaimer, it is a description of how the process works. Competitive programmes at SU select well above their published floor, and capacity is the binding constraint.

Per-programme selection scores are published in SU's admission booklet for each intake and are not reproduced here. They are programme-specific and revised annually.

Language

Stellenbosch teaches in both English and Afrikaans, and the language arrangements differ by faculty and by module. This is a genuine practical consideration rather than a formality: check how your specific programme is delivered before you commit, particularly if you are not comfortable in Afrikaans.

Where SU is

The main campus is in the town of Stellenbosch, about 50km from Cape Town, with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Tygerberg near Bellville, a business school in Bellville, and a military academy at Saldanha.

Stellenbosch is a small town and the university dominates it, which produces a genuinely residential student experience. It also means accommodation is tight and expensive, and commuting from Cape Town is a long daily trip.

Applying

• Apply directly to SU. It is not part of the CAO.
• Check the selection score for your programme, not a general university figure. There isn't one.
• Several faculties close early. Competitive and selection programmes have earlier deadlines than the general cycle.
• Residence is a separate application, and in a town this size it matters more than at an urban university.

Application fees and closing dates are set per cycle and are not stated here. Confirm on the SU site.

Who SU genuinely suits

• Learners with strong percentages rather than merely strong levels, the averaging rewards precision.
• Anyone who wants a residential, campus-centred university experience.
• Students comfortable with the language arrangements for their specific programme.
• Applicants organised enough to work to earlier faculty deadlines.

What people get wrong when applying to SU