Rhodes University

History

Rhodes University was founded on 1904, but it soon had to move from it’s original campus and had to become a constitute college to the University of South Africa to sustain itself, a status which kept for roughly 30 years until in 1947 it managed to become an independent university once again.

Even with it’s rocky starts, the university is famous for being the oldest in the province, and is one of the oldest institutions across all of South Africa.

Programs Offered

The following are some of the undergraduate programs currently available on Rhodes University:

  • Accounting 
  • Afrikaans and Netherlandic Studies 
  • African Languages 
  • Anthropology 
  • Biochemistry, Microbiology Biotechnology Innovation Centre 
  • Botany 
  • Business School 
  • Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning 
  • Chemistry 
  • Chinese Classical Studies 
  • Computer Science
  •  Drama 
  • Economics and Economics History Education 
  • English Language and Linguistics 
  • Environmental Science 
  • Fine Art 
  • Geography 
  • Human Kinetics and Ergonomics 
  • Ichthyology and Fisheries 
  • Science Information Systems
  •  Journalism & Media Studies
  •  Law 
  • Modern Fiction 
  • Music & Musicology Pharmacy 
  • Political and International Studies 
  •  School of Languages

Admission requirements

In order to qualify for degree studies at Rhodes University, students must have: 

  • English language rating of 50-59% or above. 
  • An achievement rating of 4 or above. 
  • And meet the specific faculty requirements.

 Depending on the program they are interested in joining students will be expected to have scores on the 50% to 70% on an specific subject like math, however some programs ask for an specific test or a portfolio, so it’s important to check each program on detail.

Student Life

Rhodes University counts with a vibrant and exciting university life from the very first day, various new student programs make sure integration into the university is as smooth and enjoyable for newcomers as possible, a variety of organizations dedicated to the arts, sports and even community work give a chance to any student to get involved in their preferred area of interest, all the while the university’s student services remain ready to support it’s student body at anything they might need, providing an environment that allows students to grow and develop their social skills through the institution’s assistance.

Part-time work

Rhodes University has no restrictions towards part-time work, and in fact helps it’s student body to find job opportunities itself, while some jobs might directly advertise for open spots like academic departments advertising for tutors, or drivers on the Get Home Safe Project, job hunting through the university is mostly done by filing application forms which the university will collect from the Recruitment department.

Work in Rhodes University ranges from tutoring, work in the university facilities, wardening or even jobs removed from work in Grahamstown itself.

Fees

There are two main ways to pay for your studies at Rhodes University, one way is to pay an Initial Fee Payment (roughly 10% of tuition fees and where applicable 25% of residence fees) by  the month of January, the alternative to pay the full tuition and residence fee upfront.

For South African students the Initial Fee Payment is as follows:

  • Tuition only: R5,100. 
  • Tuition and Residence: R5, 100 + R15,800 = R20,900.

For International students the Initial Fee Payment is as follows:

  • Tuition only R24,750 
  • Tuition and residence R56,350

Ranking

Rhodes University current occupies the 1098th spot in the global ranking of universities, a fact that makes it the 10th best university in it’s home country of South Africa.

University Contact

Address:  Makhanda (Grahamstown) 6140 Eastern Cape, South Africa

Phone: +27 46 603 8111

Email: [email protected]

Summary

Rhodes University is a strong university option in the South African territory, it’s budgeting options and it’s somewhat strict education principles allow students to pursue a demanding education without breaking the bank, while it’s campus accommodations and student services make the stay more welcoming than it’s academic demands might imply at first.