Choosing a university degree is a big decision, but beyond career prospects, subjects, and campus life, students and parents must consider another factor: cost.
Some degrees can come with significantly higher tuition fees than others, especially when they involve specialized training, laboratories, studios, clinical work, or several years of study.
From architecture and computer science to actuarial science, law, engineering and medicine, the price of a qualification can vary considerably depending on what and where you study. And while the cheapest option isn’t always the best fit, knowing what you could be paying can make it easier to plan ahead before applications open and registration bills start rolling in.
So, which degrees are among the most expensive to study in South Africa? We’ve rounded up 10 costly university qualifications, looking at published fees from some of the country’s leading institutions and estimating what the tuition bill could look like over the full duration of each degree.
Here’s how they rank, from number 10 to the most expensive.
10. BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES (BAS)
Architecture combines design, planning, technical drawing, spatial thinking and the built environment. It is one of the costlier undergraduate routes because of design-intensive training and studio-based learning. The BAS degree is typically 3 years full-time at Wits and UCT.
(Fees):
- R78,140 per year at Wits University
- R75,610 per year at the University of Cape Town
- Up to R75,540 per year in the Architecture grouping at the University of Johannesburg
(Approximate total fees): ±R234,420 over 3 years
9. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (BSC)
A general BSc can include fields like mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, and related science majors. Science degrees are often expensive because of lab access, practicals, and technical teaching components. The standard duration is usually 3 years.
(Fees):
- R52,050 – R80,750 per year at Wits University
- R66,082 per year at Rhodes University
- R46,626 – R51,618 per year at the University of the Western Cape
(Approximate total fees): ±R242,250 over 3 years
8. BACHELOR OF COMMERCE (BCOM)
A BCom covers business, economics, management, finance, accounting and related commerce fields. While many commerce degrees are cheaper than medicine or engineering, top-institution programs can still be very costly. The standard duration is usually 3 years.
(Fees):
- Up to R86,360 per year in the College of Business & Economics grouping at the University of Johannesburg
- R69,494 per year at Rhodes University
- R38,570 – R57,970 per year for UJ commerce degree ranges
(Approximate total fees): ±R259,080 over 3 years
7. BACHELOR OF PHARMACY (BPHARM)
Pharmacy trains students in medicines, formulation, clinical use, pharmacology and healthcare regulation. It is a professional health-sciences degree and is usually more expensive than standard commerce or humanities degrees. The degree is generally 4 years full-time.
(Fees):
- R68,491 per year at Rhodes University
- R61,550 per year at Wits University
- R51,312 per year at the University of KwaZulu-Natal
(Approximate total fees): ±R273,964 over 4 years
6. COMPUTER SCIENCE / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Computer Science and Software Development degrees focus on programming, algorithms, systems, data, and software engineering foundations. These degrees are increasingly pricey at top universities, especially where computing and technical infrastructure are strong. The usual duration is 3 years.
(Fees):
- R98,870 per year for BSc(CS) at Wits University
- R69,494 per year for BScD (Software Development) at Rhodes University
- R69,494 per year for BSc (Information Systems) at Rhodes University
(Approximate total fees): ±R296,610 over 3 years
5. BACHELOR OF COMMERCE IN ACTUARIAL SCIENCE (BCOM ACTUARIAL SCIENCE)
Actuarial Science is one of the most demanding and expensive commerce-based degrees because it combines advanced mathematics, statistics, finance and risk modeling. At UCT, the standard BCom route in Actuarial Science runs for 3 years.
(Fees):
- R110,580 per year at the University of Cape Town
- Up to R86,360 per year in the UJ commerce grouping
- R63,155.52 per year for Economy at NWU
(Approximate total fees): ±R331,740 over 3 years
4. BACHELOR OF LAWS (LLB)
LLB is the standard professional law degree in South Africa. While it is often not seen as expensive as medicine, it becomes costly at universities where the upper published tuition range is high. The standard duration is commonly 4 years.
(Fees):
- R47,930 – R83,760 per year at Wits University
- R71,254 per year at Rhodes University
- Undergraduate LLB is also listed in the UCT fees handbook
(Approximate total fees): ±R335,040 over 4 years
3. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ENGINEERING / BENG
Engineering degrees are among the costliest mainstream degrees because of lab work, design work, technical equipment and extended professional training. Most engineering degrees run for 4 years full-time.
(Fees):
- R82,820 – R89,780 per year at the University of Cape Town
- R71,600 per year at Wits University
- R64,167 – R64,910 per year at the University of KwaZulu-Natal
- R70,344.99 per year at North-West University
(Approximate total fees): ±R359,120 over 4 years
2. BACHELOR OF BUSINESS SCIENCE IN ACTUARIAL SCIENCE (BBUSSC ACTUARIAL SCIENCE)
This is the premium actuarial route at UCT and one of the most expensive commerce degrees in the country. It is longer and more specialized than the standard BCom actuarial route and lasts 4 years.
(Fees):
- R110,580 per year at the University of Cape Town
- Up to R86,360 per year in the UJ College of Business & Economics grouping
- R80,071.56 per year for Accounting at NWU as another high-fee commerce benchmark
(Approximate total fees): ±R442,320 over 4 years
1. MBCHB / MEDICINE
Medicine is the most expensive degree in this ranking by a very large margin. It is long, clinically intensive and highly regulated, with major cost increases in senior years because of clinical training. At UCT and Wits, the degree runs for 6 years full-time.
(Fees):
- R113,510 in 1st year at the University of Cape Town
- R133,950 in 2nd year at the University of Cape Town
- R143,620 in 3rd year at the University of Cape Town
- R150,290 in 4th year at the University of Cape Town
- R125,720 in 5th year at the University of Cape Town
- R138,350 in 6th year at the University of Cape Town
- R84,670 average first-year tuition at Wits University
- R65,584 per year at the University of KwaZulu-Natal
(Approximate total fees): ±R805,440 over 6 years
