Makerere University Admission Guide: UACE Points and Application Process

Two sponsorship routes into Makerere

Makerere University runs undergraduate admission through two parallel schemes. Government sponsorship covers tuition and functional fees for a limited number of places, and competition for it is intense because it is the cheapest way to study at a public university in Uganda. Private sponsorship charges full tuition but generally admits at lower weighted points, giving many more applicants a way in.

Both schemes require the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) with at least five passes, plus the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) with at least two principal passes obtained at the same sitting. Meeting this baseline makes you eligible to apply, not guaranteed a place, since your weighted UACE score then competes against other applicants for the programme you want.

How UACE weighting works

Makerere does not admit by your raw UACE grades alone. Each programme sets a weighting formula that gives more value to specific principal subjects relevant to that field, similar in principle to Kenya's cluster point system. A strong Physics and Mathematics combination lifts your weighted score for engineering programmes, while strong Arts subjects matter more for law or the humanities.

This means the same UACE results produce a different weighted score depending on which programme you apply for. Makerere publishes the full weighting scheme and updated cutoff points for every programme on its official cut-off points page , so check the current figures for your intended course rather than relying on a single university-wide number.

Which programmes are most competitive

Medicine, law, engineering, architecture and similar high-demand programmes consistently require some of the highest weighted points under both government and private sponsorship. Less oversubscribed programmes admit at considerably lower weighted scores, so applicants close to the cutoff for a competitive course sometimes broaden their choices to include a related but less competitive programme as a backup.

Applying for government sponsorship

1. Wait for the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) to release your UACE results.

2. Watch for Makerere's call for government sponsorship applications, published through the university's official news channels and covering programmes across all public universities and tertiary institutions in Uganda.

3. Register through the application portal named in that year's call, using your UCE and UACE index numbers and results.

4. Rank your programme and institution choices in order of preference.

5. Submit before the stated deadline and check your placement result once released.

Makerere runs this government sponsorship call annually, most recently opening applications for the 2026/27 intake, according to the university's official admissions announcements .

Applying for private sponsorship

If you miss government sponsorship, or prefer to pay your own way into a specific programme, apply directly to Makerere for a private sponsorship place. The university opens a separate application window for private undergraduate admissions each cycle, announced through its official website , with its own set of cutoff points that generally sit below the government sponsorship thresholds for the same programme.

Documents to prepare

• UCE and UACE result slips with index numbers

• National ID or birth certificate

• Passport photographs

• Application fee payment receipt

Keep certified copies of both your UCE and UACE results ready before either application window opens, since Makerere checks both certificates during registration for either sponsorship scheme.