Full List of Universities Approved to Offer Medical and Dental Courses in Kenya: Everything You Need to Know

Updated 25 October 2026

Only a short list of Kenyan universities is allowed to train doctors and dentists. The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) approves every medical and dental school, and a graduate from a programme it has not approved cannot be indexed, cannot do an internship and cannot be registered to practise. That makes the approved list the first thing to check before you choose a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) or a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) course. This guide sets out the universities KMPDC lists, the entry grades it sets, how indexing works and how to confirm a school yourself. It is based on KMPDC’s undergraduate training page and its online training institutions register.

Universities Approved to Offer Medicine (MBChB) in Kenya

KMPDC’s undergraduate training page lists 13 approved medical schools. Its online register of training institutions, which is the council’s live database, lists the same core group but with a few differences, so both are shown below.

The register also lists the College of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa against the MBChB cadre. Because the two KMPDC lists do not match exactly, check the live register on the day you apply, and ask the university for its KMPDC approval letter if it is not on both lists.

Universities Approved to Offer Dentistry (BDS)

Dentistry is far more limited. KMPDC lists only two approved dental schools in Kenya:

• University of Nairobi (School of Dental Sciences, which trains at Kenyatta National Hospital)
• Moi University (School of Dentistry, which trains at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital)

If you want to study dentistry in Kenya, these are the only two options with KMPDC approval. Dental schools elsewhere in East Africa that KMPDC recognises, such as Makerere University in Uganda, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania and the University of Rwanda, are listed separately below.

Teaching Hospitals Linked to the Schools

Medical students do their clinical rotations in approved teaching hospitals. KMPDC’s 2018 public notice paired the schools approved at that time with these hospitals. Newer schools have added their own teaching hospitals since then, so treat this as a guide and confirm with the school.

The notice told deans that students must rotate only in approved institutions, which is another reason to pick a school whose hospital arrangements are in order.

Entry Requirements Set by KMPDC

Universities set their own admission rules, but KMPDC sets the minimum for indexing. For both MBChB and BDS, a KCSE candidate needs:

• A mean grade of at least C+ (plus).
• An average of B plain in the cluster subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics, and English or Kiswahili.

KMPDC also accepts two principal passes in Biology and Chemistry at A level with a subsidiary in Mathematics or Physics, a grade of 5 or above in the International Baccalaureate, a three-year diploma in a medical field with a credit pass from a recognised training institution plus C+ at KCSE, or a degree in the biological sciences plus the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). For BDS, the qualifying diplomas include dental technology, dental hygiene, community oral health, clinical medicine, laboratory technology, radiography, pharmaceutical technology and nursing.

Meeting the minimum only makes you eligible. Government-sponsored places go to the highest scorers, and in 2025 the MBChB cut-off ran from about 42.3 to 46.1 points depending on the university. Our page on Medicine (MBChB) cut-off points per university has the full table, and the KCSE grading system explains how cluster points are worked out.

Why Indexing Matters

Every medical and dental student must be indexed by KMPDC. The council gives each student an indexing number after admission, and the dean of the school is supposed to send the list of new students within three months. KMPDC warns that students who are not indexed will not be eligible for internship. If you have just joined a medical or dental school, follow up with your dean’s office to confirm your name was submitted. Students trained abroad must contact the council directly about indexing.

Schools Recognised Across the East African Community

KMPDC gives reciprocal recognition to some schools in partner states. In Kenya, the University of Nairobi, Moi University, JKUAT, Kenyatta University, Egerton University, Kenya Methodist University, Mount Kenya University, Maseno University and Uzima University are on that list. The council’s list also names schools in Uganda (for example Makerere, Mbarara, Gulu and Kampala International University), Tanzania (for example Muhimbili and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College under Tumaini University), Rwanda and Burundi. This matters if you plan to study in a neighbouring country and come back to practise in Kenya.

How to Check That a School Is Approved

1. Open the KMPDC registers site and go to the training institutions register for medical institutions.
2. Search for the university and confirm the cadre (Medicine or Dentistry) and the course name.
3. Compare it with the approved schools list on KMPDC’s undergraduate training page.
4. If a school appears on only one list, or you cannot find it, write to KMPDC at info@kmpdc.go.ke or call 0727 666 444 or 0111 052 222 before you pay fees.

Costs and Careers

Medicine is one of the most expensive degrees to study, especially for self-sponsored students. Our guide to the cost of studying medicine in Kenya breaks down fees by university, and university fees in Kenya compares programmes more widely. Once qualified, see what doctors earn in Kenya. If your points fall short of MBChB, clinical medicine cut-off points show a related route into patient care.

Frequently asked questions

How many universities offer medicine in Kenya?

KMPDC’s approved list names 13 medical schools. Its online register shows a slightly different set, so check both before applying.

Which universities offer dentistry in Kenya?

Only the University of Nairobi and Moi University are approved by KMPDC to offer the Bachelor of Dental Surgery.

What grade do I need for medicine in Kenya?

KMPDC’s minimum is a C+ mean grade and an average of B plain in Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics, and English or Kiswahili. Actual cut-offs are much higher.

Can I study medicine at a university not on the KMPDC list?

You should not. Graduates of unapproved programmes cannot be indexed, cannot do an internship and cannot be registered to practise.

What is KMPDC indexing?

It is the council’s register of medical and dental students. Your dean should submit your name within three months of admission, and unindexed students cannot get an internship.

Sources: Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council, undergraduate training page (approved medical and dental schools, entry requirements, indexing) and online training institutions register; KMPDC public notice on approved medical and dental schools and teaching hospitals (August 2018); KUCCPS 2025 cut-off points.