🏠 Home
Universities
🎓 All Universities 💰 Budget Predictor
More
📝 Exams 🏆 Scholarships 📰 Blogs ✍️ Application Mentorship 🛍️ Dream Admit Store 🛒 Cart 👥 About Us 📞 Contact
Account
🔐 Sign In ✨ Sign Up Free
EduAtlasHub·University Brochure
Est. 1970
Public

University of Nairobi

"In Unity and Work"
🌍 Kenya ◯ Nairobi ⬡ Africa
Last updated: September 15, 2026
Official Site → Apply Now
QS World 2026
#1001-1200
Global Ranking
Acceptance
Not Available
Students
49047
Tuition/yr
$608/yr
Employed
Not Available
Faculty Ratio
Not Available
Quick Summary

The University of Nairobi is Kenya's oldest and largest public university, tracing its origins to the 1956 Royal Technical College of East Africa and gaining full university status in 1970. It enrolled roughly 49,000 students across ten faculties as of 2023, spread over several campuses in and around Nairobi. The university is ranked in the QS World University Rankings 2026 1001-1200 band and is known for Law, Medicine, Engineering, and Business Administration, with an alumni roster that includes a sitting Kenyan president and Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai.

01
Institutional Profile
Who they are

The University of Nairobi traces its roots to the Royal Technical College of East Africa founded in 1956 and became a fully independent national university in 1970, making it Kenya's oldest and largest public university. It charges international students the same programme-based fees as Kenyan nationals under a non-discriminatory fee policy, an unusual arrangement that keeps costs for foreign students far below what is typical at comparable African universities. Its alumni network includes a sitting Kenyan president, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in Wangari Maathai, and multiple former chief justices, giving it an outsized footprint in Kenyan public life relative to other regional institutions. The university's Employability and Outcomes score placed it 72nd worldwide on that specific QS 2026 indicator, ahead of its overall global ranking band.

Founded1970
TypePublic
Total Students49047
Intl StudentsNot Available
Faculty RatioNot Available
CampusUrban, main campus on University Way with additional campuses across Nairobi
Campus SizeNot Available
Affiliated HospitalsKenyatta National Hospital
AccreditationCommission for University Education (CUE), Kenya
02
Global Standing
Three independent ranking systems
QS World 2026
#1001-1200
Quacquarelli Symonds
Times Higher Ed
#1501+
THE World University
ARWU Shanghai
Not Available
Academic Ranking
03
Academics & Research
What you can study
Undergraduate, postgraduate diploma, master's, and doctoral programs across ten faculties, including Arts and Social Sciences, Science and Technology, Law, Business and Management Science, Engineering, Health Sciences, Agriculture, and Veterinary Medicine
Programs
Yes, doctoral programs are offered across most of the university's ten faculties.
PhD Programs
Yes, the university offers open, distance and e-learning (ODeL) programs through its dedicated e-learning platform.
Online Programs
Not Available
Research Centers
The University of Nairobi scored 95.6 on the Employability and Outcomes indicator in the QS World University Rankings 2026, placing 72nd globally on that specific metric, and it is ranked 1001-1200 in the overall QS World University Rankings 2026. That gap between a strong employability score and a more modest overall rank suggests its research output is weighted more toward producing work-ready graduates than toward high-volume academic publishing.
Research Output
Commission for University Education (CUE), Kenya
Accreditation
04
Admissions Brief
What it takes to get in
Entry Requirements
Acceptance RateNot Available
IELTSNot Available
TOEFLNot Available
Min GPANot Available
GRENot Available
GMATNot Available
SATNot Available
ACTNot Available
Key Dates

Application deadlines are being updated. Check the official website for current dates.

Required Documents
TranscriptsSOPEnglish ScoresLORsPassport
Insider Tip
Kenyan undergraduate applicants apply through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) using their KCSE results, while international and self-sponsored applicants apply directly to the university. The University of Nairobi applies a non-discriminatory fee policy, meaning international students pay the same programme-based fees as Kenyan students rather than a separate higher international rate, which is unusual among African public universities. Because the university spans ten faculties and around 900 degree programmes, applicants should check faculty-specific minimum grade requirements carefully rather than relying on a single university-wide cutoff. Postgraduate applicants should route inquiries through the Deputy Registrar (Postgraduate Studies) office rather than the undergraduate admissions desk.

Applying to University of Nairobi? Review your SOP first.

Our AI scores your Statement of Purpose against University of Nairobi's real admission standards — acceptance rate, what the committee values, red flags to avoid. Takes 60 seconds.

Analyze my SOP →
05
Cost Ledger
Amounts in Kenyan Shilling
UG Tuition
$608/yr
per year · KES
Application Fee
$50
one time · USD
Scholarships AvailableNot Available
Financial AidYes, the university's finance office lists funding and scholarship support programs intended to help students cover part or all of their education costs.
Work-StudyNot Available
Calculate My Cost →
06
Featured & Popular Programs
A sample from Undergraduate, postgraduate diploma, master's, and doctoral programs across ten faculties, including Arts and Social Sciences, Science and Technology, Law, Business and Management Science, Engineering, Health Sciences, Agriculture, and Veterinary Medicine programs total
ProgramLevelDuration
LawBACHELOR3-4 YRS
MedicineMASTER1-2 YRS
EngineeringPHD3-5 YRS
Business AdministrationMBA12-24 MO
ArchitectureBACHELOR3-4 YRS
View All Programs →
07
Career Outcomes
Where graduates land
Not Available
Average Salary After Graduation
Not Available
Employment Rate
Notable Alumni
Wangari Maathai (Nobel Peace Prize laureate), William Ruto (President of Kenya), Martha Koome (Chief Justice of Kenya), Willy Mutunga (former Chief Justice of Kenya), Rigathi Gachagua (former Deputy President of Kenya), P.L.O. Lumumba (law professor and public commentator)
08
Campus & Student Life
Life beyond lectures
Housing
Yes, the university operates on-campus halls of residence at its main and satellite campuses, though as with most large public universities in Nairobi many students also live off-campus.
Sports Facilities
Not Available
Student Clubs
Not Available
Library Resources
Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library plus college and faculty libraries
Exchange Programs
Not Available
Summer Programs
Not Available
✦
What sets it apart
The university grew out of the Royal Technical College of East Africa, a regional institution founded in 1956 to serve Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania before it was reconstituted as Kenya's national university in 1970. It is organized into ten faculties spread across multiple campuses in and around Nairobi, including dedicated colleges for veterinary medicine and the built environment that are not offered by most other Kenyan universities. Its Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library and faculty libraries anchor a collection built up over more than six decades as the country's founding national university. The Chiromo, Kabete, Kikuyu, and Lower Kabete campuses each host specific faculties, giving the university a distributed, multi-site structure within the greater Nairobi area rather than a single unified campus.
09
Funding
Scholarships matched to Kenya

Below is a curated index of international funding opportunities and external scholarship programs that eligible students may apply for when attending this institution.

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Scholarship and Bursary Deadline: September 8 (2026/2027 cycle first-time applicant window) → African Union Scholarship (Pan African University – PAU) Fully Funded Full funding including tuition and stipends Deadline: September 15 (Annual) → YALI Regional Leadership Center (RLC) Fellowship Fully Funded Full program costs including travel, tuition, and board Deadline: Varies by regional center and cohort (Multiple cycles per year) → Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme (Ismaili Scholarship) Varies based on tuition costs and location of study Deadline: March 31 (Annual) → Aga Khan Foundation Secondary Education Scholarship Fully Funded Varies based on financial need assessment Deadline: Varies by Academy (typically between December and March) → Aga Khan University Financial Assistance Program Varies based on financial need assessment Deadline: Varies by program (Typically March to May for most cycles) → View all Kenya scholarships →
10
Questions
Answered
What is the acceptance rate?+
Not available. Check the official website.
What English score do I need?+
IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 90 typically.
How much does it cost per year?+
Estimated total cost is not available per year including tuition and living.
Are scholarships available?+
Not available. Check the official website.
What is the application deadline?+
Not available. Check the official website.
Can I work while studying?+
International students can typically work part-time (20 hrs/week) during term.
Applying to University of Nairobi?
Get expert guidance on your SOP, personal statement and application strategy from mentors who've been through the process.
Get Mentorship →