New Ranking Reveals Kenya's 10 Most Popular Universities [Full List]

Amos Robi 10:24 - 19 June 2026

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To qualify for inclusion, institutions must be officially chartered, licensed or accredited in Kenya, offer at least three-year bachelor's degrees or postgraduate programmes, and primarily deliver face-to-face education.

The University of Nairobi (UoN) has once again emerged as Kenya's most popular university, retaining the top spot in the 2026 uniRank Kenya University Rankings.

The latest ranking places Strathmore University second, followed by Kenyatta University in third position, highlighting the continued dominance of the country's oldest and most established institutions in terms of online visibility and public interest.

Mount Kenya University climbed to fourth place, ahead of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), while United States International University Africa (USIU-Africa) completed the top six.

Unlike academic league tables that assess research output, teaching quality or graduate employability, the uniRank ranking measures universities based on independent web metrics, including their online presence and visibility.

The organisation says its rankings are intended to help students identify institutions with a strong digital footprint rather than determine academic excellence.

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The University of Nairobi

Public universities continue to dominate

Public universities occupy six of the top 10 positions, with the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, JKUAT, Moi University, Egerton University and the Technical University of Kenya all making the list.

Private universities also performed strongly, led by Strathmore University in second place. Mount Kenya University, USIU-Africa, and Kenya Methodist University rounded off the top 10, reflecting their growing online presence and brand recognition among prospective students.

One notable trend is Nairobi's continued dominance as the country's higher education hub, with seven of the top 10 universities based in the capital.

Notable performers

Beyond the top 10, several institutions continued to strengthen their positions.

Murang'a University of Technology ranked 13th, ahead of several older universities, while the University of Embu secured 15th place. Tangaza University also made the top 20, reflecting its growing visibility.

Other universities in the top 20 include Pwani University, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Kabarak University and Chuka University.

Full list of Kenya's universities in the 2026 uniRank ranking

Rank	University	Town
1	University of Nairobi	Nairobi
2	Strathmore University	Nairobi
3	Kenyatta University	Nairobi
4	Mount Kenya University	Thika
5	Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology	Nairobi
6	United States International University Africa	Nairobi
7	Moi University	Eldoret
8	Egerton University	Njoro
9	Technical University of Kenya	Nairobi
10	Kenya Methodist University	Meru
11	The Catholic University of Eastern Africa	Nairobi
12	KCA University	Nairobi
13	Murang'a University of Technology	Murang'a
14	Maseno University	Maseno
15	University of Embu	Embu
16	Daystar University	Nairobi
17	Pwani University	Kilifi
18	Zetech University	Ruiru
19	Dedan Kimathi University of Technology	Nyeri
20	Tangaza University	Nairobi
21	Kabarak University	Nakuru
22	Chuka University	Chuka
23	Kisii University	Kisii
24	Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology	Kakamega
25	Africa Nazarene University	Nairobi
26	Kirinyaga University	Kerugoya
27	University of Eastern Africa, Baraton	Eldoret
28	Kibabii University	Bungoma
29	Technical University of Mombasa	Mombasa
30	Meru University of Science and Technology	Meru
31	Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology	Bondo
32	South Eastern Kenya University	Kitui
33	University of Eldoret	Eldoret
34	The Co-operative University of Kenya	Nairobi
35	Machakos University	Machakos
36	Karatina University	Karatina
37	St. Paul's University	Limuru
38	Maasai Mara University	Narok
39	Amref International University	Nairobi
40	Laikipia University	Nyahururu
41	Great Lakes University of Kisumu	Kisumu
42	Riara University	Nairobi
43	Africa International University	Nairobi
44	Multimedia University of Kenya	Nairobi
45	Kiriri Women's University of Science and Technology	Nairobi
46	Tom Mboya University	Homa Bay
47	Rongo University	Rongo
48	University of Kabianga	Kericho
49	Management University of Africa	Nairobi
50	The Presbyterian University of East Africa	Kikuyu
51	Garissa University	Garissa
52	Adventist University of Africa	Nairobi
53	Kaimosi Friends University	Kaimosi
54	Tharaka University	Marimanti
55	Taita Taveta University	Voi
56	Pan Africa Christian University	Nairobi
57	Umma University	Kajiado
58	Scott Christian University	Machakos
59	KAG East University	Nairobi
60	Uzima University	Kisumu
61	Lukenya University	Kambu
62	Pioneer International University	Nairobi
63	The East African University	Nairobi
64	International Leadership University, Kenya	Nairobi
65	Alupe University	Busia
66	GRETSA University	Thika
67	Islamic University of Kenya	Kisaju
68	Kenya Highlands University	Kericho
Unranked	Aga Khan University, Kenya	Nairobi

How the ranking was compiled

According to uniRank, the 2026 Kenya University Ranking includes institutions that are officially recognised or accredited by the relevant higher education authorities in Kenya, offer bachelor's and postgraduate degree programmes, and primarily provide traditional classroom-based learning.

The organisation emphasises that the rankings are based on independent web intelligence and online popularity metrics rather than information submitted by universities themselves.