There has been a proliferation of universities in Kenya in recent years. This has been caused by the rapid increase in the number of fourth-year graduates. Also, the job market in Kenya today is very competitive and requires one to have at least a college degree. Therefore, it is easy to see why tertiary education in the country has been on the rise.
Today the country has about thirty universities. Universities are divided into public and private universities. Public universities are; University of Nairobi (UON), Kenyatta, Moi, Egerton, JKUAT, Masinde Muliro and Maseno Private universities are quite a few. However, the major private universities are USIU, Daystar, Africa Nazarene, Catholic University, Strathmore, Kabarak, Baraton, and MKU.
Admission to the regular program of public universities is made by the Joint Admission Board (JAB). Every year; JAB meets and sets the admission cutoff point. The cut-off point is usually determined by the bed capacity of each University and the performance of the candidates in the KCSE exams. Once one has reached the minimum cut points, a weighted cluster point is used to determine the course one will study. The weighted cluster point is a derivative of the overall aggregate points and the raw cluster points. The maximum points that can be obtained in KCSE is 84 points while the maximum group raw points is 48. For example, if you want to study medicine, the raw grouping points would be made up of biology, chemistry, mathematics /physics and english/kiswahili. Sometimes the competition can be quite high and individual ratings may be scrutinized.
However, there are some students who are admitted through the self-sponsored/parallel program. Such students need a minimum of C+. They can take a bridging/diploma course if they didn’t get 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 rate for regular students is subsidized by the government. Therefore, they will need between Kshs.30,000 and Kshs.55,000 per academic year. However, the fee for self-sponsored students is not subsidized. Many self-taught will pay a fee ranging from Kshs.70,000 (for arts courses) to Kshs.600,000 (for medical courses), depending on the course. The tuition rate charged by private universities varies, but is comparable to the rates charged by self-sponsored 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 university they are enrolled in.