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The North-West University (NWU) has announced that it will not accept any walk-in admission enquiries or applications during the 2026 first-year registration period, citing overwhelming demand and limited capacity.
In a statement congratulating matriculants who passed the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, the university said it had received more than 420,000 applications across its eight faculties on three campuses.
Of these, about 90,000 applicants achieved an Admission Points Score (APS) of 30 or higher. However, NWU can admit only 11,800 first-year students (contact and distance learning combined) for the 2026 academic year, in line with enrolment targets approved by the Department of Higher Education and Training.
The university noted that even applicants who meet programme requirements may not be admitted due to space constraints.
Applicants who received conditional admission offers for 2026 will be informed of their final application status shortly after the release of NSC results.
Prospective students who are uncertain about their admission status are advised to check their application online via the NWU application portal. Alternatively, they may contact the university once online registration for first-year students opens on 19 January 2026.
NWU has provided the following official contact channels:
Email: studies@nwu.ac.za
WhatsApp: +27 (0)60 070 2606
SMS: 31750
Call Centre: 0860 169 698
The institution stressed that no walk-in admission enquiries or applications will be allowed for the 2026 academic year. Individuals who did not apply during the official application period (1 April to 31 August 2025) will not be able to apply at this stage. Details regarding applications for the 2027 academic year will be communicated in due course.
NWU also cautioned prospective students against fraud, reiterating that the university does not charge application or admission fees, only registration fees. Applicants are urged to be wary of anyone claiming to secure placement in exchange for payment. Any suspicious activity should be reported to nwu@whistleblowing.co.za.
Meanwhile, NWU Registrar Prof. Hennie Goede encouraged unsuccessful applicants to consider registering online with the Central Applications Clearing House (CACH). The national service assists students by sharing their details with higher education institutions where spaces may still be available, provided they meet the requirements.
The CACH call centre can be reached on 0860 690 722.
The university said the CACH initiative aims to support career development and improve access to available study opportunities across the higher education sector.
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