Nearly 9,000 students who qualified for university admission after the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations chose diploma and certificate programmes instead of degree courses, reflecting a growing preference for technical and vocational training.
The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) said 8,900 candidates who met the minimum requirements for university admission did not seek placement in degree programmes, opting instead for alternative higher education pathways. The figure rose from 7,640 recorded last year.
The statistics were released during the announcement of placement results for the 2026/2027 academic year, in which 293,869 students secured places in universities and tertiary institutions.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said 51,835 eligible candidates, representing 19.3 per cent of those qualified for placement, did not submit applications through KUCCPS.
“We recognise that some eligible students did not apply for placement because they may have opted for alternative pathways to higher education and training, such as the disciplined forces, overseas training or self-sponsored programmes in universities and colleges,” Mr Ogamba said.
He added that some candidates may have failed to apply because of personal circumstances and directed KUCCPS to introduce a late application window to accommodate such students.
Of those placed, 202,133 secured admission to degree programmes, while 28,246 joined the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC). Another 500 students were admitted to the Diploma in Law (Paralegal Studies) at the Kenya School of Law, 765 joined Kenya Utalii College and 875 enrolled in secondary teacher training colleges.
Mr Ogamba attributed the increased opportunities to expanded capacity in higher education institutions, the establishment of additional public universities and the accreditation of specialised degree-awarding institutions.
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The Commission for University Education approved 327,157 degree vacancies across 43 public and 33 private universities, alongside about one million training opportunities in public Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
This year’s placement also marked the first time KUCCPS placed students in Kenya Utalii College, as well as specialised institutions including KMTC, the Kenya School of Law and the Morendat Institute of Oil and Gas National Polytechnic.
The Cabinet Secretary further announced that the university transfer period would be extended from two weeks to one month, giving students more time to change institutions or academic programmes.
KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer Mercy Wahome said admission cut-off points are determined by competition among applicants rather than being fixed beforehand. She explained that applicants are ranked using cluster subject weights relevant to their chosen courses, with the final admitted candidate determining the programme’s cut-off point.
She cited medicine as an example, noting that although only 702 places were available in public and private universities, the programme attracted about 6,500 applicants, including 1,535 candidates who scored an A and 3,328 who attained an A-.
“Admission was therefore determined by candidates’ cluster weights, calculated from their performance in mathematics, chemistry, biology and a language subject, with those attaining the highest scores securing the limited places,” she said.
Dr Wahome said applications were highest among top-performing candidates and gradually declined across lower grades. Of the 1,931 students who attained an A, 1,860 applied for placement, while 8,667 of the 9,259 candidates who scored an A- submitted applications.
Among B+ candidates, 20,911 of the 23,748 eligible students applied, compared with 42,029 of the 49,805 students who attained a B. The trend continued among B- and C+ candidates, with 65,410 of 80,128 and 78,017 of 103,858 students, respectively, applying for placement.
She noted that some learners bypassed KUCCPS altogether and enrolled directly in private universities.
Education courses remained the most sought-after programmes, attracting about 40 per cent of applicants, while medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and nursing continued to record demand far exceeding available capacity.
“About 3,000 students applied to universities but did not get the institutions they had chosen. KUCCPS offered them alternative placements, but they declined those options. In total, 17,000 students were placed in private universities,” Dr Wahome said.
Analysis of the 2025 KCSE results also showed strong performance in technical subjects, signalling growing potential for skills-based education under the Competency-Based Education system.
Aviation Technology recorded the highest performance, with 95 per cent of candidates attaining C+ and above. It was followed by Drawing and Design (93 per cent), Electricity (90 per cent), Woodwork (89 per cent), Building Construction (85 per cent) and Power Mechanics (84 per cent).
Performance in science subjects remained comparatively low, with only 13 per cent of Chemistry candidates attaining C+ and above, compared with 17 per cent in Biology and 19 per cent in Mathematics Option A.
Education officials said the results demonstrate the need to strengthen technical education while addressing the limited number of students qualifying for science-based degree programmes such as medicine and engineering.
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