NAIROBI, Kenya – A new report from the Commission for University Education (CUE) has revealed a dramatic increase in student enrollment in Kenyan universities, with the number of students rising from 240,551 in 2012 to 606,488 in 2024.
This marks a 152% growth over the past 12 years, reflecting the success of government policies aimed at expanding access to higher education.
The report, presented to the National Assembly’s Department Committee on Education, attributes the rapid increase in enrollment to the government’s policy of opening university access to all students who meet the minimum admission requirements.
Additionally, the introduction of the Privately Sponsored Students Programme (PSSP), commonly known as Module II, has significantly contributed to this growth by providing more opportunities for students to attend university.
According to the report, public chartered universities remain the largest sector for student enrollment, highlighting a skewed representation of students within the university education system in Kenya.
The Commission noted that while university education in Kenya has expanded rapidly in terms of both institutions and student numbers, public universities continue to dominate the sector.
In 2012, Kenya had a total of 33 fully-fledged universities, comprising 7 public and 26 private institutions.
By 2025, this number is expected to increase to 67, including 38 public universities and 29 private ones, marking a 41% rise over the past two decades.
Kenya is now ranked fifth in Africa, following Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, and Ghana, in terms of the number of universities.
The report emphasizes that university education plays a critical role in building technical and social capacity, contributing to national advancement.
The information provided by CUE was in response to a request by the National Assembly’s Committee on Education, which had sought details on student admissions, university capacity, accreditation, and regulatory challenges in the sector.
The MPs also requested updates on universities offering graduation without CUE approval and the future of higher education in Kenya, particularly with regard to the issuance of illicit degrees.
