NMU - 2027 intake
NMU application 2027: dates, applicant score and late window
Nelson Mandela University is one of the few that formally offers a late application window - to 30 September 2026 for most programmes. Medicine, pharmacy and radiography closed on 30 June.
- Applications open
- 13 April 2026
- Early applications
- 3 August 2026
- Late window closes
- 30 September 2026
- MBChB/pharmacy/radiography
- 30 June 2026 (closed)
- Scoring
- Applicant Score (AS)
- Enquiries
- 041 504 1111
Who can apply
- South African citizens, permanent residents and international applicants
- NSC or IEB equivalent meeting your programme's subject-specific pass marks
- NMU uses an Applicant Score (AS) plus subject-specific percentage requirements
- Selection is explicitly merit-based - applying does not imply acceptance
- MBChB, pharmacy, radiography and nursing closed 30 June 2026 with no late window
- International students and all student housing applications close 30 September 2026
What you'll need
- Certified copy of your SA ID (or passport for international applicants)
- Certified copy of your latest Grade 11 or Grade 12 results
- Certified copy of your matric certificate if you have already completed school
- Proof of payment of the application fee where one applies
- Sworn translation of any document not in English
- Supporting documents for specific programmes (portfolio, medical report) where required
Step by step
-
Check which of the three deadlines applies
NMU runs an early window (3 August), a late window (30 September) and a hard 30 June cut-off for MBChB, pharmacy, radiography and nursing. -
Apply online
Applications go through applyonline.mandela.ac.za. Track progress on the Student Admission Tracking dashboard afterwards. -
Understand the Applicant Score
NMU uses an Applicant Score (AS) combined with subject-specific percentage pass marks - its own system rather than standard APS. -
Apply early even though a late window exists
NMU states that a faculty or head of department "reserves the right to close a program once application capacity is reached". The late window is not a guarantee the programme will still be open.Tip: The late window is a safety net, not a plan. Popular programmes fill before 30 September regardless of the published date. -
Read the official 2027 guidelines
NMU publishes a 2027 Applications guidelines PDF with the full deadline table and per-programme requirements.
NMU actually offers a late window - most universities do not
This is what makes NMU unusual and worth knowing about. While UJ, NWU and CUT all state flatly that they accept no late applications, NMU formally builds one in:
- 30 June 2026 - MBChB, pharmacy, radiography, nursing. No late window for these.
- 3 August 2026 - early applications (everything else).
- 30 September 2026 - late applications (everything except the four above), plus international students and all student housing.
If you have missed deadlines elsewhere, NMU is one of the few remaining routes into the 2027 academic year.
The Applicant Score (AS)
NMU uses an Applicant Score plus subject-specific percentage pass marks - not the APS used at UP, Wits or NWU.
NMU is explicit that selection is merit-based and that submitting an application does not imply acceptance. The full criteria are in the 2027 guidelines document.
Campuses and contact
NMU operates across several campuses in Gqeberha - Bird Street, Missionvale, North, Second Avenue, South and Ocean Sciences - plus a campus in George in the Western Cape.
Enquiries: 041 504 1111 · info@mandela.ac.za
International applicants pay a R500 application fee. We could not verify a South African applicant fee on NMU's published 2027 material - check the portal when applying.