page_title: University of the Witwatersrand
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: University of the Witwatersrand / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Author: Samuel Molepo, Source: Self Captured. Great Hall of Wits on East Campus.
context_page_description: The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, is a multi-campus South African public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University or Wits. The university has its roots in the mining industry, as do Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand in general. Founded in 1896 as the South African School of Mines in Kimberley, it is the third oldest South African university in continuous operation.
  The university has an enrolment of 40,259 students as of 2018, of which approximately 20 percent live on campus in the university's 17 residences. 63 percent of the university's total enrolment is for undergraduate study, with 35 percent being postgraduate and the remaining 2 percent being Occasional Students.
  The 2017 Academic Ranking of World Universities places Wits University, with its overall score, as the highest ranked university in Africa. Wits was ranked as the top university in South Africa in the Center for World University Rankings in 2016. According to the CWUR rankings, Wits occupies this ranking position since 2014.
caption: The Great Hall, on East Campus, where graduation ceremonies, ceremonial lectures, concerts and other functions are held.
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