Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)
TUT has a scoring rule that no other university on this site applies, and it can quietly cost you points you thought you had.
A Level 1 is not worth one point. It is worth nothing
1. Life Orientation is excluded from the APS calculation.
2. Any subject in which you achieved a Level 1 is not counted at all. It is not scored as one point. It is discarded from the calculation entirely.
That second rule is unusual and it matters. If you scraped a Level 1 in a subject, you do not get a point for it at TUT; you lose the whole subject from your total.
Source: TUT Prospectus, Students' Rules and Regulations (PDF)
Entry levels: degree versus diploma
TUT sets a structural requirement alongside the APS, expressed in how many subjects you passed at a given level:
- Bachelor's degrees: at least four subjects at achievement level 4.
- Diplomas: at least four subjects at achievement level 3.
This is a different kind of gate to a total score, and it is worth checking against your own results directly. A learner can reach a respectable APS on the strength of two or three good subjects while failing the "four subjects at level 4" test, and be declined for a degree despite the total looking sufficient.
Faculty minimums start low
TUT's published minimums vary by faculty and sit noticeably below the traditional universities. From TUT's own 2026 prospectus material:
| Faculty | Stated minimum APS |
|---|---|
| Science | 19 |
| Economics and Finance | 22 |
| Information and Communication Technology | 23 |
These three are quoted because they were confirmed against TUT's own prospectus documents. They are faculty-level minimums for consideration, not programme requirements, and TUT states plainly that applicants must check the specific requirements for each programme in the prospectus. Faculties not listed here are not listed because they have not yet been checked, not because they are unavailable.
Meeting a minimum means you will be considered. TUT is a large institution with heavy application volumes, and consideration is not an offer.
What TUT is for
TUT is a university of technology, which is a different kind of institution to a traditional university rather than a lesser one. The emphasis is vocational and applied: diplomas and degrees built around an occupation, with practical components and, in many programmes, work-integrated learning.
If you want a career-focused qualification and a lower entry point than Wits, UP or UJ, this is the obvious Gauteng option. If you want a research-oriented academic degree, it is not.
Where TUT is
TUT is spread widely across Gauteng and beyond, with campuses including Pretoria, Arcadia, Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa, Arts (Pretoria), eMalahleni in Mpumalanga, Mbombela, and Polokwane in Limpopo.
That geographic spread is genuinely useful. It puts a public institution within reach of learners who could not relocate to a major city. It also means you must check which campus offers your programme, because they do not all offer everything, and a programme you want may only run at one site.
Applying
- Apply directly to TUT. It is not part of the CAO.
- Confirm the campus for your specific programme before applying.
- Check the four-subjects-at-level rule against your results as well as your total.
- Residence and funding are separate applications from admission.
Application fees and closing dates change per cycle and are not stated here. Confirm on the TUT site.
Who TUT genuinely suits
- Learners who want a practical, occupation-focused qualification rather than an academic degree.
- Anyone whose APS falls short of the traditional universities but who still wants a public institution.
- Learners outside the main metros, given campuses in Mpumalanga and Limpopo as well as Gauteng.
- Students who intend to start on a diploma and build upward.
What people get wrong when applying to TUT
Counting a Level 1 subject
It is discarded entirely, not scored as one. Recalculate without it before deciding you qualify.
Including Life Orientation
Excluded. Several websites still say otherwise, and this site said otherwise until August 2026.
Passing the APS but failing the subject-count rule
Four subjects at level 4 for a degree, four at level 3 for a diploma. Check this separately from your total.
Applying without checking the campus
TUT campuses span three provinces and do not all offer the same programmes. This is the most common practical mistake here.
Official source
Confirm every figure against TUT directly before applying:
Where to next
- All South African universities
- UP: also in Pretoria, very different entry profile
- Public TVET colleges. If a vocational route appeals, this is worth comparing against
- Study options with a lower APS