Kenya has emerged as East Africa’s regional and international educational hub and we are listing down the best universities in Kenya that you can consider. It is increasingly becoming a choice for international students from different countries mostly in Africa. The Kenyan government has invested heavily in education to make it accessible. This explains the many universities in the country.
In this article, we’ll look at the top 10 best universities in Kenya
Top 10 Best Universities in Kenya
#1. University of Nairobi
The University of Nairobi prides itself as the pioneer institution of university education in Kenya. The university has remained to be the leading institution of higher learning in Kenya and the region.
It offers more than 200 academic programs among them sciences, applied sciences, humanities, arts, social sciences, and technology. The universities mission is to provide quality university education and training and to embody the aspirations of the Kenyan people and the global community through the creation, preservation, integration, transmission, and utilization of knowledge.
For ease of access, the university has seven campuses within Nairobi and its environs thus making it one of the best universities in Kenya.
Nairobi University has the following faculties:
- Faculty of Agriculture
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Built Environment
- Faculty of Business & Management Sciences
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Science & Technology
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Main Campus: Located within Nairobi City, the campus hosts the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Architecture and Engineering.
Chiromo Campus: Located a few meters from the main campus is the Chiromo campus which hosts the College of Biological and Physical Sciences.
Upper Kabete Campus: This campus hosts the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences.
Lower Kabete Campus: This campus hosts the School of Business.
Kenyatta National Hospital Campus: this campus hosts the College of Health Sciences.
Parklands Campus: This campus hosts the School of Law.
Kikuyu Campus: This campus hosts the College of Education and External Studies.
Kenya Science Campus: This campus caters to students pursuing B.Ed Science.
Kisumu Campus: This campus located in Kisumu City hosts part of the School of Law, School of Business, and the College of Education and External Studies.
Mombasa Campus: This campus located in Mombasa City hosts part of the School of Law, School of Business, and the College of Education and External Studies.
#2. Kenyatta University
Kenyatta University commonly referred to as KU, is among the best universities in Kenya, with the main campus located in a serene environment on the outskirts of Nairobi City.
The university strives to be a dynamic, inclusive, and competitive center of excellence in service to humanity, research, teaching, and learning. They provide quality education and training, promote innovation, and creativity and inculcate moral values in the students for individual and community development.
The University has the following faculties:
- School of Agriculture and Enterprise Development
- School of Architecture and the Built Environment
- School of Business
- School of Creative Arts, Film & Media Studies
- Digital School of Virtual and Open Learning
- School of Economics
- School of Engineering And Technology
- School of Environmental Studies
- School of Education
- Graduate School
- School of Hospitality Tourism and Leisure Studies
- School of Humanities & Social Sciences
- School of Law
- School of Medicine
- School of Nursing
- School of Pharmacy
- School of Pure and Applied Sciences
- School of Public Health & Applied Human Science
- School of Security, Diplomacy and Peace Studies
The university has several campuses such as Main Campus, Nairobi City Campus, Parklands Campus, Kitui Campus, Mombasa Campus, Embu Campus, Nakuru City Campus, Dadaab Campus, and Ruiru Campus. Kenyatta University offers various programs such as certificates, diplomas, undergraduate, Postgraduates, Master’s, and Ph.D. Program, Purely Online MBA, and DSVOL Programs.
#3. Egerton University
Egerton is not only one of the best universities in Kenya but also the oldest institution of higher learning. Founded by Lord Maurice Egerton of Tatton in 1939 as a farm school, it was upgraded to an Agricultural College in 1950 offering diploma programs.
The college has grown into Egerton University located in Njoro in Nakuru City. The university has the following faculties:
- Faculty of Agriculture (FoA)
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
- Faculty of Commerce (FOC)
- Faculty of Education and Community Development Studies (FEDCOS)
- Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET)
- Faculty of Environment and Resources Development (FERD)
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS)
- Faculty of Law (FOL)
- Faculty of Science (FOS)
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (FVMS)
- Institute of Women, Gender & Development Studies (IWGDs)
- School of Open and Distance Learning (SoDL)
Egerton University has 3 campuses, Main Campus, Nakuru City Campus, and Kenyatta Campus 5 kilometers from the main campus.
#4. Moi University
Moi University is one of the best universities in Kenya and it was inaugurated on December 6, 1985. The main campus is located in Kesses, Uasin Gishu County, and has a total of 15 Schools, 9 Directorates, and 2 institutes.
The University has the following faculties: School of Agriculture and Natural Resources
- School of Arts and Social Sciences
- School of Sciences and Aerospace Studies
- Institute of Open and Distance Learning
- School of Nursing
- School of Public Health
- School of Tourism, Hospitality and Events Management
- School of Graduate Studies
- School of Engineering
- School of Business and Economics
- School of Dentistry
- School of Education
- School of Information Sciences
- Confucius Institute at Moi University
- School of Medicine
- School of Law
- Centers of Excellence
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics
Moi University has 4 campuses, Main Campus, Town Campus, Eldoret West Campus, and Odera Akang’o Campus. The University has 2 constituent colleges Garissa and Rongo that offer unique undergraduate and postgraduate programs, and 3 Satellite Campuses in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kitale.
#5. Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology
Located in Juja town, 36 kilometers from Nairobi CBD is Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) which is one of the best universities in Kenya. It was inaugurated as a university on 7th December 1994 and has grown to be a leading university in the region.
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology has the following faculties:
- College of Health Sciences (COHES)
- College of Engineering & Technology (COETEC)
- College of Pure & Applied Sciences (COPAS)
- College of Agriculture & Natural Resources (COANRE)
- College of Human Resource & Development (COHRED)
JKUAT has several campuses among them: Karen Campus, Kitale Campus, Kisii Campus, Mombasa Campus, Kakamega Campus, Nakuru Campus, Eldoret Campus, and Nairobi CBD Campus.
#6. Maseno University
Maseno University prides itself as the only university in the world that lies along the Equator. It was founded in 1991, and it is among the best universities in Kenya. The Main Campus is located 25 km from Kisumu City. The university has another campus in Kisumu City CBD.
Maseno University has the following faculties:
- School of Arts and Social Sciences
- School of Education
- School of Physical and Biological Science
- School of Public Health and Community Development
- School of Nursing
- School of Development and Strategic Studies
- School of Business and Economics
- School of Medicine
- School of Agriculture, Food Security, and Environmental Sciences
- School of Mathematics and Actuarial Science
- School of Computing and Informatics
- School of Planning & Architecture
#7. Technical University of Kenya
Technical University (TU-K) is one of the best universities in Kenya. For a long time, it was known as Kenya Polytechnic and it was officially opened on 29th May 1961. In 2012, The TU-K was established as the first Technical University of Kenya.
The University has the following faculties:
- Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
- School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (link is external)
- School of Architecture and Spatial Planning (link is external)
- School of Construction and Property Studies (link is external)
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (link is external)
- School of Surveying and Spatial Sciences (link is external)
- School of Civil and Resource Engineering (link is external)
- School of Chemical and Biological Systems Engineering (link is external)
- School of Aerospace and Vehicle Engineering (link is external)
- Centre for Energy, Materials, and Sustainability
- Institute for Spatial Analysis and Regional Development
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology
- School of Business and Management Studies (link is external)
- School of Creative Arts and Media (link is external)
- School of Hospitality and Human Ecology (link is external)
- School of Information and Social Studies (link is external)
- Centre for Science and Technology Studies (link is external)
- Centre for Language and Communication Studies (link is external)
- Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology
- School of Biological and Life Sciences (link is external)
- School of Physics and Earth Sciences (link is external)
- School of Computing and Information Technologies (link is external)
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences (link is external)
- School of Mathematics and Actuarial Science (link is external)
- School of Chemistry and Material Science (link is external)
- Centre for Earth System and Space Sciences
- Centre for Integrated Water Resources Management
#8. Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology
The university was founded in 1972 as the Western College of Arts and Applied Sciences (WECO). In December 2002, it was elevated to a constituent College of Moi University and became Western University College of Science and Technology (WUCST). In 2007, it was elevated to a full university and changed its name to Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), and its located in Kakamega County.
MMUST has the following faculties:
- School of Agriculture, Veterinary Sciences and Technology
- School of Arts and Social Sciences
- School of Business and Economics
- School of Computing and Informatics
- School of Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance
- School of Education
- School of Engineering and the Built Environment
- School of Medicine
- School of Natural Sciences
- School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Paramedics
- School of Public Health, Biomedical Sciences & Technology
#9. University of Embu
Started in 1947 as Embu Agricultural Staff Training College until it was converted into Embu University College in June 2011. In 2016, Embu University College transitioned from a Constituent College of UoN to a fully-fledged University of Embu and has become one of the best universities in Kenya.
The University of Embu has the following faculties:
- School of Agriculture
- School of Pure & Applied Sciences
- School of Business & Economics
- School of Nursing
- School of Education & Social Sciences
- School of Law
#10. Murang’a University of Technology
The Murang’a University of Technology is one of the best universities in Kenya and was chartered on October 7th, 2016. It is located in Murang’a Town, 85 kilometers from Nairobi CBD. The university strives to provide high-quality education and training for individual and societal development.
The Murang’a University of Technology has the following faculties:
- School of Computing & Information Technology
- School of Pure, Applied & Health Sciences
- School of Business & Economics
- School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
- School of Engineering & Technology
- School of Education Humanities and Social Sciences
Conclusion
We have listed the top 10 best universities in Kenya according to Webometrics ranking. We hope this information will be a worthy guide to the best universities in the country. Below is a list of other ranking universities in Kenya
- South Eastern Kenya University
- Machakos University
- Dedan Kimathi University of Technology
- Pwani University
- Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology
- Kisii University
- University of Eldoret
- Kibabii University
- Meru University of Science & Technology
- Masai Mara University
You can read a guide on the best Saccos in Kenya here.