Red & Yellow Creative School of Business is a private school in Cape Town that teaches marketing, design, business and technology. It was founded in 1994 by a group of advertising leaders who wanted…
Study in the Free State
Studying in the Free State means choosing a province with two public Universities — one of which is also a dedicated University of Technology, so learners have both the traditional academic route and career-focused, practical qualifications available without leaving the province.
Four public TVET Colleges serve the Free
State, offering NC(V) and Report 191 programmes at a much lower cost than university study and open from Grade 9 or 10 level, and the province runs its own public Nursing College for SANC-registered nurse training.
A smaller number of DHET-registered Private Colleges also operate here, giving a private-sector alternative for business, IT and other occupational qualifications, and Home Schooling remains a legal, registerable option under the same national rules that apply everywhere in South Africa.
Bloemfontein, the provincial capital, is also South Africa's judicial capital and home to the Supreme Court of Appeal — worth knowing if you're drawn to law. Beyond that, the Free State's economy is built on agriculture (it's often called the country's breadbasket), alongside a long-standing gold-mining industry and diamond production, giving practically-minded students real, local industries to train towards.
Studying close to home also has practical advantages many learners overlook — no relocation costs, an existing support network, and familiarity with the local job market. Funding through NSFAS works the same way wherever you study in South Africa, so where you study is really about matching your qualification choice to what's realistically available near you.
Browse the institutions in the Free State below to compare what's on offer.
Distance Learning: 29 in the Free State
Health and Fitness Professionals Academy, known as HFPA, is a private education provider in South Africa. It specialises in fitness, personal training, coaching and sport science qualifications, and…
The International Hotel School is a private hospitality and culinary school registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under registratio…
AAA School of Advertising is a private higher education institution registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training under certificate number 2000/HE07/015. It was set up in 1990 by th…
Home Schooling: 1 in the Free State
UCT Online High School is a fully online high school for South African learners, run in partnership between the University of Cape Town and Valenture Institute, a global ed-tech company founded in 20…
Nursing Colleges: 2 in the Free State
The University of the Free State, known as UFS, is a public university whose history goes back to 1904, when it opened in Bloemfontein as Grey University College. Its faculty rule books state that it…
North-West University, known as the NWU, is a South African public university. It came into being on 1 January 2004, when the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and the Universit…
Private Colleges: 8 in the Free State
Red & Yellow Creative School of Business is a private school in Cape Town that teaches marketing, design, business and technology. It was founded in 1994 by a group of advertising leaders who wanted…
AAA School of Advertising is a private higher education institution registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training under certificate number 2000/HE07/015. It was set up in 1990 by th…
College SA is a private distance and online college that was known as Optimi College until 2026, when the group merged its Optimi College and IT Academy brands under the College SA name. The legal en…
Imsimbi Training is a private, SETA-accredited training provider that works mainly with employers and working adults rather than with school-leavers heading for a degree. Its accreditation page descr…
Private Higher Institutions: 18 in the Free State
IIE Rosebank International is an education brand owned by The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd, and until May 2026 it traded as Rosebank College. The Independent Institute of Education is…
Health and Fitness Professionals Academy, known as HFPA, is a private education provider in South Africa. It specialises in fitness, personal training, coaching and sport science qualifications, and…
The International Hotel School is a private hospitality and culinary school registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under registratio…
Two Oceans Graduate Institute, known as TOGI, is a private provider of teacher education based in Pinelands, Cape Town, delivering all of its qualifications fully online. The institute holds provisio…
TVET Colleges: 1 in the Free State
False Bay TVET College is a public Technical and Vocational Education and Training college on the False Bay coast in the south of Cape Town, Western Cape. It forms part of the public TVET sector over…
Universities: 2 in the Free State
The University of the Free State, known as UFS, is a public university whose history goes back to 1904, when it opened in Bloemfontein as Grey University College. Its faculty rule books state that it…
North-West University, known as the NWU, is a South African public university. It came into being on 1 January 2004, when the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and the Universit…