# University of the Free State

> multi-campus public university in South Africa

**Wikidata**: [Q1678733](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1678733)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_Free_State)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/university-of-the-free-state

## Key Facts
- **Entity Type**: Multi-campus public university in South Africa.
- **Location**: Bloemfontein, South Africa (Coordinates: -29.1044, 26.1752).
- **Founded**: 1904.
- **Student Enrollment**: Approximately 37,000 students (as of 2011).
- **Employees**: 2,900 staff members.
- **Official Names**: University of the Free State (English), Universiteit van die Vrystaat (Afrikaans), Yunivesithi ya Freistata (Sesotho).
- **Motto**: *In Veritate Sapientiae Lux*.
- **Website**: https://www.ufs.ac.za/
- **Memberships**: Association of African Universities, South African National Library and Information Consortium (SANLIC), African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA).

## FAQs
### Q: Where is the University of the Free State located?
A: The university is located in Bloemfontein, South Africa. It operates as a multi-campus institution.

### Q: When was the University of the Free State founded?
A: The university was established in 1904.

### Q: What is the student population of the University of the Free State?
A: As of 2011, the university had approximately 37,000 students. It employs around 2,900 staff members.

### Q: What are the official names of the university?
A: The institution is officially known as the University of the Free State in English, Universiteit van die Vrystaat in Afrikaans, and Yunivesithi ya Freistata in Sesotho.

## Why It Matters
The University of the Free State (UFS) is a significant institution in the South African higher education landscape. Established in 1904, it has grown into a major university with a substantial community of over 37,000 students and nearly 3,000 employees. Its significance lies in its role as a key provider of further education in the central region of South Africa. As a multi-campus public university, it expands access to academic and professional training across a widespread geographic area. The institution maintains a trilingual identity, offering official names and presumably services in English, Afrikaans, and Sesotho, which reflects its integration into the diverse cultural context of the region. UFS is also actively integrated into the global and continental academic community through its memberships in organizations such as the Association of African Universities and ORCID, Inc., facilitating research collaboration and information exchange.

## Notable For
- **Multi-Campus Structure**: Operates across multiple campuses from its base in Bloemfontein.
- **Trilingual Identity**: Officially recognizes its name in three languages: English, Afrikaans, and Sesotho.
- **Scale**: A large educational institution serving approximately 37,000 students with a workforce of 2,900.
- **Historical Foundation**: One of the older universities in the region, founded in 1904.
- **Academic Consortium Membership**: Holds membership in the Association of African Universities and the South African National Library and Information Consortium.

## Body

### Overview and Classification
The University of the Free State (UFS) is a public university classified as an academic institution for further education. It is identified as a multi-campus institution situated in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The university's coordinates are latitude -29.1044 and longitude 26.1752.

### History and Names
The institution was founded in 1904. It has undergone several name changes throughout its history, having previously been known as the University of the Orange Free State, University College of the Orange Free State, and Grey University College. Its current official names are:
- University of the Free State
- Universiteit van die Vrystaat
- Yunivesithi ya Freistata

The university's motto is "In Veritate Sapientiae Lux."

### Operations and Demographics
UFS functions as a large-scale educational entity. Key operational statistics include:
- **Employees**: 2,900.
- **Student Count**: 37,000 (recorded in 2011).
- **Internet Presence**: The university uses the IPv4 routing prefix 196.254.0.0/15.

### Digital and Social Media Presence
The university maintains a comprehensive digital footprint:
- **Website**: https://www.ufs.ac.za/
- **Social Media**: Active on Twitter (@UFSweb), Facebook (UFSUV), Instagram (ufsuv), and LinkedIn (u-f-s).
- **YouTube**: The official channel (ID: UC-5nTrCYaj7babZVkmzM94Q) has over 7,480 subscribers and 722,233 views as of early 2025.

### Organizational Affiliations
UFS is a member of several prominent library and academic consortia:
- South African National Library and Information Consortium (SANLIC).
- ORCID, Inc.
- African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA).
- Association of African Universities.

### Identifiers and Cataloging
The university is indexed in numerous databases and registries, including:
- **GRID ID**: grid.412219.d
- **ISNI**: 000000012284638X
- **ROR ID**: 009xwd568
- **Library of Congress Authority ID**: no2001020471
- **Open Funder Registry ID**: 501100004765
- **EU Participant Identification Code**: 989106091
- **Wikidata ID**: Q1227538 (implied by reference source) / Freebase ID: /m/07vz0y.

### Physical Assets
The main building of the university features a statue of President Marthinus Theunis Steyn, sculpted by Anton van Wouw in 1929. An image of this main building is hosted on Wikimedia Commons.

## References

1. Directory of Open Access Journals
2. GRID Release 2017-01-10
3. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20230905131850/https://sanlic.org.za/about/)
4. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20231020113811/https://orcid.org/members)
5. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20230905151954/https://db.aflia.net/)
6. [Source](https://www.aau.org/subs/membership/)
7. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
8. [Source](http://www.ufs.ac.za/)
9. GRID Release 2015-12-14
10. GRID Release 2016-12-06
11. Quora
12. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
13. [Source](https://tools.wmflabs.org/whois/gateway.py?lookup=true&ip=196.254.0.0)
14. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph
15. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
16. YouTube API