The University of Rwanda (UR) has announced the admission of 14,152 new first-year students for the 2025/2026 academic year, following the merger of the 2024 and 2025 student intakes.
According to UR Vice Chancellor Prof. Didas Kayihura Muganga, the decision aims to eliminate the long waiting period between the completion of secondary education and university admission.
“We merged the two intakes so that secondary school graduates no longer wait the whole year to be admitted to UR. The number of those admitted is almost the same as in the previous intake, which admitted around 7,000 new students,” said Prof. Muganga.
Of the newly admitted students, 6,867 completed secondary school in 2024, while 7,285 graduated in 2025. Admission decisions were based on performance in national examinations, subject combinations, and alignment with national priority programmes—particularly in STEM fields.
Cut-off Points and Admission Criteria
The minimum cut-off mark for those who completed secondary school in 2024 and earlier was 50 out of 73. Meanwhile, students from the 2025 cohort needed to score between 50% and 75% in the Advanced Level National Examinations, depending on their chosen programme.
Admission is also influenced by available space and priority fields. Applicants with strong science or technical backgrounds received preference across 88 academic programmes.
Registration and Induction
New students are required to register and apply for a study loan. The loan application window for those who completed secondary school in 2025 runs from October 11 to October 17, 2025.
An induction programme begins on October 27, and classes officially start on November 10, 2025.
Hostel Capacity and Facilities
UR continues to face accommodation challenges. Prof. Muganga acknowledged that hostels remain insufficient but highlighted ongoing efforts to expand capacity—particularly for first-year students and female learners.
“New hostels have been built at the Nyarugenge campus, while other campuses will continue using existing ones. Over 900 additional rooms were added to meet student housing needs,” he said.
Raymond Ndikumana, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Strategic Planning and Administration, added that only 20% of students are currently housed in university hostels, though the target is to reach 60% in the coming years through collaborations with the private sector and local authorities.
Ongoing Improvements
Prof. Muganga confirmed that UR is also working to improve laboratory facilities and staffing levels. Recruitment of lecturers is now done continuously, based on academic demand rather than fixed schedules.
The University of Rwanda currently serves around 31,000 students across seven colleges, offering 87 undergraduate and 138 postgraduate programmes.
Source: Adapted from The New Times (Rwanda) article by Michel Nkurunziza, published on October 13, 2025.
Edited for 1to1news.online by the 1to1 News Editorial Team.
Leave a Reply