BSc in Computer Science
BSc · 3 years · Computer Science
International tuition
ZAR 87,000 per year
2026 · Faculty-wide rate · All students — no separate international rate
UCT operates a course-based fee structure: this ZAR 87,000 (2026) figure is the Faculty of Science's typical 1st-year Bachelor of Science course fee, and it is the SAME rate South African and international students both pay for their courses -- UCT does not price courses differently by nationality. It is NOT the full amount an international student pays. On top of this course fee, international students also pay a yearly International Term Fee and a yearly International Administrative Fee (see the note below for the full amount an international student actually pays). 2nd- and 3rd-year course fees for the regular BSc curriculum are slightly lower, ZAR 86,000 each.
Show the fee on the university's site
“Regular curriculum 1st Year........................................................................... R 87 000”
UCT never publishes a single combined 'international tuition' figure; a first-year international student has to add three separately-published components from the 2026 Student Fees Handbook: the BSc course fee of ZAR 87,000 (Section 11.7, the same fee South African students pay), plus a yearly International Term Fee of ZAR 80,400 for students from outside Africa or ZAR 60,300 for non-SADC African students (Section 5.4.3), plus a non-refundable International Administrative Fee of ZAR 5,600 per year of registration (Section 5.4.2). That works out to a first-year total of ZAR 173,000 for a student from outside Africa, or ZAR 152,900 for a non-SADC African student. The BSc course fee drops slightly to ZAR 86,000 in the 2nd and 3rd years, so the same two international add-ons would be layered onto that lower figure in later years.
Show the source
“Students from outside Africa (rest of world) ............................................ZAR 80 400”
- Intake
- February 2027 (UCT's academic year begins in February; the archived 2026 Fees Handbook records 06 February 2026 as the first-payment/registration date for the 2026 intake, and UCT's application-procedure page confirms 2027 as the next undergraduate intake year, so a February 2027 start is expected on the same annual pattern.)
Source
“First payment is due on or before 06 February 2026”
STUDENT FEES 2026, Handbook 12 in this series of handbooks | University of Cape Townuct.ac.zaread 6 Aug 2026Open the official page ↗ - Taught in
- English
Source
“at UCT, we say that English is the primary medium of instruction, but what we are seeing from language practitioners is that they are not relying only on English. We need to recognise other languages.”
Translanguaging: Facilitating multilingual teaching | UCT Newsnews.uct.ac.zaread 5 Aug 2026Open the official page ↗ - Application deadline
- 31 July 2026, for entry to the 2027 academic year (application window opened 1 April 2026). UCT states it will not consider undergraduate applications received after this date.
Source
“Applications to study at UCT in 2027 will open on 1 April 2026. The closing date for applications for undergraduate study at UCT in 2027 is 31 July 2026. We will not consider applications received after this date.”
Application procedure | University of Cape Townuct.ac.zaread 6 Aug 2026Open the official page ↗
Entry requirements
English language
- TOEFL iBT — 88 overall, at least 19 in Listening, 19 in Writing, 20 in Reading and 22 in SpeakingScore report must be no more than 2 years old.
- IELTS Academic — 6.5 overall, at least 6.0 in each componentScore report must be no more than 2 years old.
- Pearson PTE Academic — 67 overall, at least 59 in each communicative skills componentScore report must be no more than 2 years old.
- NBT Academic Literacy PlusOverall score in the Intermediate Upper range or above; report must be no more than 3 years old. This is an alternate proficiency pathway, not the general NBT admissions requirement covered under admissionsTests.
Source
“Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): A valid (no more than 2 years old) TOEFL iBT Score Report with an overall score of 88 or above, with at least 19 in Listening, 19 in Writing, 20 in Reading and 22 in Speaking. IELTS: A valid (no more than 2 years old) IELTS Academic Test Report Form with an overall score of band 6.5 or above, with at least 6.0 in each component. Pearson PTE Academic test: A valid (no more than 2 years old) PTE Academic Score Report with an overall score of 67 or above, with at least 59 in each communicative skills component. National Benchmark Test (NBT): A valid (no more than 3 years old) NBT Academic Literacy Plus score report with an overall score in the Intermediate Upper range or above.”
Admissions tests
- NBT requiredUCT's Science Faculty admissions document states this for 'all applicants to the Science Faculty' with no residency carve-out. By contrast, UCT's Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment scopes the identical NBT requirement to applicants 'who are a resident or at school in South Africa' -- so an applicant schooled entirely outside South Africa should confirm directly with UCT whether this Science-specific wording still applies to them. Either way, NBT results are NOT used in the admission decision -- only to identify which first-year students should move onto the four-year Extended Degree Programme after registration.
Source
“NSC results are the primary guide for admission to the BSc degree. However, all applicants to the Science Faculty are required to write the NBTs (the National Benchmark Tests in Academic Literacy, Quantitative Literacy and Mathematics) as this is a university requirement. The results of the NBTs are not taken into account for admission to the Science Faculty, but will be used for placement in the extended degree after registration.”
Academic offer
Source
“Applicants writing A-level, AS-level, HIGCSE/IGCSE or IB examinations must meet the following minimum subject requirements: English: C at O-level (A, AS); C at IGCSE (HIGCSE); grade 5 SL (IB) Mathematics: B for A-level; B for AS level; level 1 for HIGCSE; grade 5 HL or grade 6 SL for IB (Maths Analysis) Physical Science (or Chemistry or Physics): C for A-level; C for AS level; level 1 for HIGCSE; grade 5 HL or grade 6 SL for IB.”