Study in Kenya
Who this applies to
Students (incl. international/East African) at Kenyan universities. English-medium; public + large private sector.
Governing authority
Commission for University Education (CUE) — accredits & regulates; KUCCPS (Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service) places government-sponsored students.
Degree system
Bachelor 4 yrs · Master · PhD. English-medium; module-I (government-sponsored) and module-II/self-sponsored fee tracks.
Admission
- How
- KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) cluster points; KUCCPS centralized placement for government-sponsored; self-sponsored/international apply directly with equivalency.
- Language
- English.
Tuition
- Public Nationals
- Government-sponsored heavily subsidized; new funding model is means-tested (band-based). Self-sponsored (module-II) pay full fees.
- International
- International students pay higher fees (USD-denominated for many).
- Private
- Higher (Strathmore, USIU, Mount Kenya).
- Source
- CUE; Universities Fund Kenya
Student visa & residence permit
Student pass/visa for non-nationals (East African Community freer movement).
Scholarships
Government (HELB loans + Universities Fund); university & private scholarships.
Sources & references
- CUE/regulation — https://www.cue.or.ke/ (2026-06-12)
- KUCCPS placement — https://kuccps.net/frequently-asked-questions (2026-06-12)
Universities in Kenya
~40 public universities + ~30+ private/chartered (CUE-accredited); large anglophone system. institutions, 10 profiled
University of Nairobi (UoN)
Nairobi
Kenyatta University (KU)
Nairobi (Kahawa)
Moi University
Kesses (Eldoret)
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT)
Juja
Egerton University
Njoro (Nakuru)
Maseno University
Maseno/Kisumu
Strathmore University
Nairobi
United States International University-Africa (USIU-A)
Nairobi (Kasarani)
Technical University of Kenya (TU-K)
Nairobi
Mount Kenya University (MKU)
Thika