Best KMTC Courses 2026 by Grade (C+, C Plain and C-)

Updated 19 October 2026

Quick answer: with a C plain or C+, the strongest Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) choices are the diplomas in Kenya Registered Nursing, Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Sciences and Radiography, as long as your subject grades also match. With a C-, look at the certificates in Community Health Nursing, Orthopaedic Trauma Medicine and Public Health, or the Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics. With a D+, the Certificates in Medical Engineering, Nutrition and Dietetics and Health Insurance Management are open to you.

All the minimum grades below come from KMTC’s own pre-service intake advertisement (the September 2025 advert is the latest full list on kmtc.ac.ke). KMTC can adjust them in each new advert, so confirm on the KUCCPS portal when the next window opens.

How We Picked the “Best” KMTC Courses

There is no official ranking of KMTC courses, so this guide uses three plain tests rather than opinion:

• A clear licence at the end. Courses that lead to registration with a professional body (the Nursing Council of Kenya, the Clinical Officers Council, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, the Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board and others) give you a recognised career path.
• Jobs in both public and private health. Hospitals, clinics, laboratories and pharmacies all hire these cadres, and nurses and clinical officers are also recruited by counties.
• An upgrade route. A KMTC diploma can be topped up to a degree later, and many certificates lead to the matching diploma.

Popular courses fill with higher grades first, so meeting the minimum makes you eligible but does not guarantee a place. Check Cluster 13 cut-off points to see how competitive related degree courses are.

Best KMTC Courses for C+ and C Plain

A C+ does not unlock extra KMTC courses, because no KMTC pre-service diploma asks for more than a C plain mean grade. What a C+ does is make you more competitive for the most popular diplomas. The subject grades are where most applicants fall short.

Pharmacy and Medical Laboratory Sciences are the strictest, with a straight C in Chemistry and Biology plus a C in Physics or Maths. Clinical Medicine and the nursing diplomas accept a C- in the third science. If you want to know what clinical officers earn after qualifying, see our clinical officer salary guide.

Other C Plain Diplomas Worth Considering

These have lighter science requirements and less competition, but still lead to steady health-sector jobs: Community Health Nursing, Public Health, Health Records and Information Technology, Health Promotion, Medical Social Work, Health Counselling, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Orthopaedic Technology, Orthopaedic and Trauma Medicine, Community Oral Health, Dental Technology, Emergency Medical Technology and Health Insurance Management. For example, the Diploma in Emergency Medical Technology asks only for a C plain mean grade and D+ in Biology, and the Diploma in Health Insurance Management asks for C in English or Kiswahili with D+ in Biology and Maths.

Best KMTC Courses for C- (Minus)

The certificate in Community Health Nursing is the usual entry point for students who want to become nurses but missed the C plain needed for the registered nursing diplomas. Nutrition and Dietetics and Mortuary Science are the only diplomas KMTC listed for a C- in the September 2025 advert.

KMTC Courses for D+

• Certificate in Medical Engineering: D+ in English or Kiswahili, D in Maths, D- in one science.
• Certificate in Nutrition and Dietetics: D+ in English or Kiswahili, D in Biology and one other listed subject.
• Certificate in Health Insurance Management: D+ in English or Kiswahili, Biology and one other listed subject.

What KMTC Courses Cost

Government-sponsored students placed through KUCCPS pay about KSh 82,200 in Year 1 (KSh 43,200 in Semester 1, including one-off charges, and KSh 39,000 in Semester 2) and about KSh 78,000 a year after that, so a three-year diploma is roughly KSh 238,200 before accommodation, meals and uniforms. Your admission letter has the exact figures. Placed students can apply for HELB funding. For a wider comparison, read our guides on the cost of studying nursing in Kenya and the cost of studying pharmacy.

How to Apply for a KMTC Course

1. Wait for the intake announcement on kuccps.ac.ke or kmtc.ac.ke (March and September intakes).
2. Log in to the KUCCPS student portal with your KCSE index number and year.
3. Pick your KMTC courses and campuses in order of preference. Our list of KMTC campuses by county helps you choose a realistic campus.
4. Pay the KSh 1,500 application fee through eCitizen and submit before the deadline.
5. Wait for the placement SMS, then download your admission letter from the KMTC admissions portal.

The full timeline, including when the March 2027 window is likely to open, is in our KMTC intake guide. If you later apply for a higher diploma and need to upload scans under 2 MB, use the KMTC upload size and compressor tool. Once you qualify, health jobs are posted daily on JobinKenya.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best KMTC course for a C plain?

Kenya Registered Nursing and Clinical Medicine and Surgery are the most sought after, if you have a C in English or Kiswahili and Biology plus a C- in Chemistry, Physics or Maths.

Can I do nursing at KMTC with a C-?

Not the registered nursing diploma, which needs a C plain. You can apply for the Certificate in Community Health Nursing with a C- and C- in English or Kiswahili and Biology.

Which KMTC diplomas accept a C-?

In the September 2025 advert, Nutrition and Dietetics and Mortuary Science were the diplomas open to a C- mean grade.

Does a C+ guarantee a KMTC place?

No. A C+ makes you more competitive, but placement depends on your subject grades, your choices and how many people apply for each campus.

Do I apply to KMTC directly?

No. Regular diploma and certificate places are applied for through KUCCPS. Higher diplomas for qualified health workers go through the KMTC admissions portal.