Kenyan Universities

There has been a proliferation of universities in Kenya in recent years. This has been caused by the rapid increase in the number of form four graduates. Furthermore, the job market in Kenya today is very competitive and requires one to have at least a university degree. Therefore, it is easy to see why tertiary education in the country has been on the rise.

Today the country boasts of some thirty universities. Universities are divided into public and private universities. The public universities are; University of Nairobi (UON), Kenyatta, Moi, Egerton, JKUAT, Masinde Muliro and Maseno Private universities are quite a lot. However, the main private universities are USIU, Daystar, Africa Nazarene, Catholic University, Strathmore, Kabarak, Baraton and MKU.

Admission to the regular program of public universities is done by the Joint Board of Admissions (JAB). Every year; JAB meets and sets the admission limit. The cut-off point is usually determined by the bed capacity of each university and the performance of the candidates on the KCSE exams. Once one has reached the minimum cutoff points, a weighted group point is used to determine the course to be studied. The weighted group point is a derivative of the overall aggregate points and the raw group points. The maximum points that can be earned in KCSE are 84 points, while the maximum group gross points is 48. The group gross points are determined by the four topics that are most relevant to the course of study. For example, if you want to study medicine, the raw points in the group would be made up of Biology, Chemistry, Math / Physics, and English / Kiswahili. Sometimes the competition can be quite high and individual qualifications can be observed.

However, there are some students who are admitted through the self-funded / parallel program. These students need a minimum of a C +. They can go to a bridge / diploma course if they did not earn a C + in KCSE.

Admission to private universities is done by the admission committee of individual universities. Therefore, you will have to apply to a particular private university.

The regular student fee is subsidized by the government. Therefore, they will need between 30,000 and 55,000 ksh per academic year. However, the self-employed student fee is not subsidized. Many self-employed students will pay a fee ranging from Ksh 70,000 (for arts courses) to Ksh 600,000 (for medical courses) depending on the course. The tuition fee charged by private universities varies, but is comparable to the fees charged by self-funded students at private universities. Today, one can get a loan from the higher education loan board to pursue their course regardless of the type of college they are enrolled in.