Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

9 Best Universities in South Africa for Applied Physics

If you are looking to study Applied Physics in South Africa, our index highlights the top 9 domain-leading institutions. Our methodology evaluated 562.1K subject-specific papers and 12.43M citations to find the strongest faculties. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

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1

Johannesburg

University of the Witwatersrand

For Applied Physics

#4 in Africa #592 in the World

34% Acceptance

48,174 Enrollment

1922 Founded

2

Pretoria

University of Pretoria

For Applied Physics

#10 in Africa #798 in the World

52% Acceptance

48,174 Enrollment

1908 Founded

3

Cape Town

University of Cape Town

For Applied Physics

#13 in Africa #841 in the World

51% Acceptance

24,754 Enrollment

1874 Founded

4

Durban

University of KwaZulu-Natal

For Applied Physics

#18 in Africa #983 in the World

63% Acceptance

48,174 Enrollment

2004 Founded

5

Johannesburg

University of Johannesburg

For Applied Physics

#19 in Africa #990 in the World

58% Acceptance

49,910 Enrollment

2005 Founded

6

Potchefstroom

North-West University

For Applied Physics

#41 in Africa #1463 in the World

83% Acceptance

37,000 Enrollment

2004 Founded

7

Bloemfontein

University of the Free State

For Applied Physics

#24 in Africa #1094 in the World

25% Acceptance

37,000 Enrollment

1904 Founded

8

Pretoria

University of South Africa

For Applied Physics

#33 in Africa #1370 in the World

61% Acceptance

420,000 Enrollment

1873 Founded

9

Stellenbosch

University of Stellenbosch

For Applied Physics

#1 in Africa #527 in the World

56% Acceptance

24,754 Enrollment

1918 Founded