University of Nairobi
The University of Nairobi (UoN) traces its origins back to 1956 with the establishment of the Royal Technical College. It became an independent university in 1970 following the dissolution of the University of East Africa. Today, UoN operates across several campuses in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu, offering a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The university is highly regarded for its research output, academic excellence, and strong contributions to development studies, agriculture, and medicine in the East African region.
Programmes
- Accredited Academic Programmes 29.05.2026
- Bachelor in Political Science & Public Administration
- Bachelor of Agriculture
- Bachelor of Architectural Studies
- Bachelor of Architecture
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology
- Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology
- Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Production
- Bachelor of Arts in Conflict and Peace Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in Design
- Bachelor of Arts in French
- Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Development
- Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in History
- Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Management
- Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Mass Communication
- Bachelor of Arts in Language and Communication
- Bachelor of Arts in Literature
- Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy
- Bachelor of Arts in Planning
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Administration
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
- Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
- Bachelor of Arts in Tourism
- Bachelor of Arts in Travel and Tourism Management
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Construction Management
- Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Bachelor of Dental Surgery
- Bachelor of Economics
- Bachelor of Economics & Statistics
- Bachelor of Education Arts
- Bachelor of Education Physical Education)
- Bachelor of Education Science
- Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education
- Bachelor of Environmental Chemistry
- Bachelor of Laws
Tuition
- READ THE FUNDING CONTEXT FIRST: Kenya's university funding framework has been litigated continuously since 2023 and is being rewritten again. The High Court declared the Student-Centred Funding Model unconstitutional in December 2024; the Court of Appeal stayed that ruling in March 2025 and expressly directed that students be TOLD the framework could still change. Treat every figure below as indicative and dated August 2026. Indicative annual undergraduate tuition runs from about KSh 144,000 for Arts to KSh 600,000 for Medicine, with Engineering around KSh 396,000, plus roughly KSh 20,000-30,000 a year in administrative and activity fees covering medical, ICT, library and student services. These come from Kenyan education aggregators, not a UoN fee document, and it is often unclear whether they describe government-sponsored (Module I) or self-sponsored (Module II) rates — the difference is large. What actually determines your cost is your funding band: government-sponsored students are means-tested across five bands, with Band 1 (household income up to KSh 5,995 a month) receiving 95% government support as 70% scholarship plus 25% loan, leaving 5% to the household, plus a KSh 60,000 upkeep loan. As a public university UoN attracts BOTH Universities Fund scholarships and HELB loans; private universities currently get loans only. Apply through hef.co.ke as soon as KUCCPS places you, and never pay anyone claiming to expedite funding approval — the official process is free. Budget separately for accommodation, meals, transport, materials and internet, which together are a large share of total cost. KENYAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY FUNDING: government-sponsored students placed through KUCCPS pay around KES 16,000 a year; the figures shown here are the SELF-SPONSORED rate. That placement decision is close to a tenfold difference and is made by KUCCPS central placement, not by the university. Funding runs through the Higher Education Financing (HEF) model and HELB loans at hef.co.ke. WHO IT SUITS: students seeking a traditional, widely recognised public university degree with deep corporate and government networks across East Africa. FOUR PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITIONS ARE RECORDED — CLE for law, EBK for engineering and KMPDC for medicine and dentistry — each of which governs whether graduates in that field can register and practise.
Admissions
- KCSE aggregate minimum grade of C+ from at least seven approved subjects obtained AT THE SAME SITTING, or equivalent qualifications approved by the University Senate.
- UoN states explicitly that the published entry requirements are MINIMUMS which in no way entitle an applicant to a government-sponsored place. You must also meet the specific requirements of the faculty, school or institute you apply to.
- Meeting C+ does not get you in. Placement depends on your KUCCPS cluster weight — performance in the four subjects most relevant to your chosen programme, weighted against overall KCSE performance and that year's competition. Cut-offs move every year. Medicine, Engineering and Law require far higher cluster weights in practice.
- Admission is governed by Statute XXI of the University of Nairobi plus criteria approved by the University Senate.
- Accepts international applicants
- Scholarships or financial aid available
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