Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) is a public university in Juja, 36 km north-east of Nairobi along the Nairobi–Thika Superhighway (Exit 15). It is known for engineering, technology, architecture, medicine and agriculture, and has strong research in biotechnology and engineering. This guide covers its history, campuses, schools, admission, fees, accommodation, alumni and contacts.
History and founding
JKUAT began in 1981 as Jomo Kenyatta College of Agriculture and Technology (JKCAT), a middle-level college set up by the Kenyan government with support from the government of Japan. Planning started in 1977, and in early 1978 President Jomo Kenyatta donated 200 hectares of farmland for the college. The first students were admitted on 4 May 1981, and President Daniel arap Moi formally opened the college on 17 March 1982.
The first graduation, in April 1984, awarded diplomas in agricultural engineering, food technology and horticulture. On 1 September 1988 the college became a constituent college of Kenyatta University as Jomo Kenyatta University College of Agriculture and Technology. It became a full university through the JKUAT Act of 1994 and was inaugurated on 7 December 1994, with Prof. Ratemo Michieka as founding vice-chancellor.
In 2010 JKUAT was chosen to host the Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI), an African Union initiative that admitted its first students in September 2011. Since 2000 the university has also hosted the African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD).
Campuses and location
The main campus is in Juja, Kiambu County. JKUAT also runs the Karen Campus (home of the School of Law), the Westlands Campus (formerly Nairobi Campus) and the Kigali Campus in Rwanda, plus CBD centres in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisii, Kitale, Kisumu, Kakamega and Eldoret.
Reputation
JKUAT is regarded as one of Kenya’s leading technology universities. Its engineering, architecture, biotechnology and computing programmes are in high demand, and its hosting of PAUSTI and AICAD reflects its research standing in science and technology across the region.
Schools and popular courses
JKUAT is organised into colleges (Engineering and Technology; Agriculture and Natural Resources; Pure and Applied Sciences; Health Sciences; Human Resource Development) and schools including:
- School of Medicine and School of Pharmacy
- School of Computing and Information Technology
- School of Architecture and Building Sciences
- School of Civil, Environmental and Geospatial Engineering
- School of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering
- School of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Materials Engineering
- School of Biosystems and Environmental Engineering
- School of Business and School of Law
- School of Communication and Development Studies
- School of Biomedical Sciences
- School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
- School of Mathematics and Physical Sciences
Popular degrees include the engineering degrees (civil, electrical, mechanical, mechatronic, agricultural and biosystems), Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor of Quantity Surveying, BSc Computer Science, BSc Information Technology, MBChB, Bachelor of Pharmacy, BSc Nursing, BSc Actuarial Science and Bachelor of Commerce.
Admission requirements
Government-sponsored students are placed by KUCCPS using KCSE results and cluster points. The general minimum for a degree is a KCSE mean grade of C+ (plus) with subject grades for each programme; engineering and architecture usually need strong mathematics and physics, and medicine needs strong biology and chemistry. Self-sponsored applicants apply directly to JKUAT and must meet the same requirements. JKUAT also runs diploma and certificate programmes, which can lead on to degrees.
Fees
An official JKUAT fee structure for 2023/24 put year 1 of BSc Public Health, Community Health and Health Records at KSh 275,400 (KSh 141,000 and KSh 134,400 across the two semesters), with tuition of KSh 228,640 and accommodation of KSh 13,000 a year extra.
Annual fees for popular programmes in 2026:
| Programme | Annual fee (KSh) |
|---|---|
| MBChB / Clinical Medicine | 487,911 |
| Bachelor of Pharmacy | 451,981 |
| Bachelor of Nursing | 320,061 |
| BSc IT / BBIT | 306,000 |
| BSc Computer Science | 207,142 |
| Bachelor of Commerce | 168,967 |
Your admission letter states the exact fee. Government-sponsored students have their costs shared between a government scholarship, a HELB loan and the household; see government-sponsored vs self-sponsored fees.
KUCCPS cut-off points at JKUAT
JKUAT lists 100 degree programmes on the KUCCPS portal. These are the cut-off points for the 2025, 2024 and 2023 placements, from the most competitive. The highest 2025 cut-off was 45.812 for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. For every university, see KUCCPS cut-off points 2025.
| Programme | Code | 2025 cut-off | 2024 cut-off | 2023 cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery | 1249131 | 45.812 | 44.834 | 45.048 |
| Bachelor of Science in Mechatronic Engineering | 1249240 | 45.109 | 44.028 | 43.232 |
| Bachelor of Pharmacy | 1249129 | 44.644 | 43.697 | 43.872 |
| Bachelor of Science in Computer Science | 1249115 | 44.205 | 43.230 | 44.101 |
| Bachelor of Science Clinical Medicine | 1249560 | 43.821 | 42.949 | 42.847 |
| Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering | 1249116 | 43.265 | 42.300 | 42.618 |
| Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering | 1249117 | 43.180 | 42.755 | 42.434 |
| Bachelor of Science in Nursing | 1249132 | 43.173 | 41.614 | 42.950 |
| Bachelor of Science in Radiography | 1249T35 | 43.036 | ||
| Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering | 1249118 | 41.981 | 40.562 | 41.450 |
| Bachelor of Architectural Studies/bachelor of Architecture | 1249564 | 41.824 | 41.779 | 41.803 |
| Bachelor of Science(aerospace Engineering) | 1249573 | 41.421 | 39.074 | 41.341 |
| Bachelor of Science (Electronic and Computer Engineering) | 1249350 | 41.067 | 40.330 | 40.823 |
| Bachelor of Laws (Llb) | 1249134 | 41.014 | 40.369 | 41.184 |
| Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences | 1249194 | 40.736 | 40.314 | 40.675 |
| Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Analytics | 1249409 | 40.538 | 39.111 | 38.717 |
| Bachelor of Science in Computer Technology | 1249208 | 39.902 | 38.488 | 37.867 |
| Bachelor of Quantity Surveying | 1249103 | 39.594 | 38.243 | 39.763 |
| Bachelor of Science (Physiotherapy) | 1249465 | 39.379 | 38.322 | 38.224 |
| Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering | 1249599 | 39.297 | ||
| Bachelor of Science in Information Technology | 1249232 | 39.119 | 38.307 | 39.851 |
| Bachelor of Science in Public Health | 1249732 | 37.568 | 35.849 | 37.245 |
| Bachelor of Science (Marine Engineering) | 1249140 | 37.156 | 35.744 | 35.669 |
| Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science | 1249309 | 36.732 | 34.761 | 36.724 |
| Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science | 1249107 | 36.194 | 34.725 | 34.347 |
| Bachelor of Science (Telecommunication and Information Engineering) | 1249197 | 36.143 | 38.053 | 37.472 |
| Bachelor of Science (Geomatic Engineering) | 1249619 | 35.851 | 33.669 | 33.464 |
| Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy | 1249196 | 35.228 | 33.138 | 32.570 |
| Bachelor of Construction Management | 1249176 | 35.198 | 34.616 | 32.379 |
| Bachelor of Science (Financial Engineering) | 1249352 | 35.120 | 32.589 | 32.040 |
| Bachelor of Business Information Technology | 1249244 | 34.556 | 34.605 | 34.173 |
| Bachelor of Science (Animal Health, Production & Processing) | 1249290 | 33.494 | 32.819 | 29.401 |
| Bachelor of Commerce | 1249133 | 33.024 | 32.918 | 32.291 |
| Bachelor of Science (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) | 1249437 | 32.225 | 32.070 | 31.058 |
| Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering) | 1249121 | 32.211 | 31.683 | 27.474 |
| Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Technology | 1249124 | 32.096 | 31.175 | 30.855 |
| Bachelor of Science (Geospatial Information Science) | 1249719 | 31.694 | 24.920 | 27.531 |
| Bachelor of Science (Medical Biochemistry) | 1249580 | 31.458 | 30.650 | 33.565 |
| Bachelor of Landscape Architecture | 1249353 | 31.359 | 28.014 | 34.016 |
| Bachelor of Communication and Marketing | 1249153 | 31.286 | ||
| Bachelor of Science in Procurement and Contract Management | 1249245 | 31.196 | 28.127 | 25.264 |
| Bachelor of Science in Statistics | 1249163 | 31.094 | 28.979 | 30.147 |
| Bachelor of Economics | 1249146 | 31.084 | 28.381 | 27.073 |
| Bachelor of Mass Communication | 1249242 | 31.040 | 30.205 | 30.116 |
| Bachelor of Science (Business Computing) | 1249536 | 30.803 | 28.168 | 25.731 |
| Bachelor of Science Health Information Management and Informatics | 1249543 | 30.720 | 24.418 | 23.896 |
| Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Economics and Rural Development) | 1249615 | 30.164 | 25.307 | 15.864 |
| Bachelor of Science Agribusiness Management and Enterprise Development | 1249787 | 30.097 | 26.793 | 22.911 |
| Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management | 1249247 | 30.044 | 23.199 | 24.391 |
| Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics | 1249405 | 30.037 | 29.165 | 28.234 |
| Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) | 1249226 | 29.629 | 28.953 | 28.159 |
| Bachelor of Science in Agriculture | 1249122 | 29.277 | 29.108 | 29.064 |
| Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management | 1249189 | 28.921 | 30.427 | 29.685 |
| Bachelor of Science (Mining and Mineral Processing Engineering) | 1249349 | 28.846 | 15.299 | 15.683 |
| Bachelor of Science (Renewable Energy and Environmental Physics) | 1249512 | 28.771 | 15.299 | 15.683 |
| Bachelor of Science (Biostatistics) | 1249638 | 27.994 | 24.755 | 25.775 |
| Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science | 1249213 | 27.721 | 27.687 | 25.137 |
| Bachelor of Science in Revenue Administration and Technology | 1249P97 | 27.497 | ||
| Bachelor of Science in Nautical Science | 1249P99 | 27.044 | ||
| Bachelor of Science in Banking and Finance | 1249540 | 26.945 | 28.552 | 28.368 |
| Bachelor of Science (Public Administration and Leadership) | 1249149 | 26.213 | 28.402 | 24.193 |
| Bachelor of Science in Information Science | 1249233 | 25.910 | 19.799 | 24.800 |
| Bachelor of Science (Applied Bioengineering) | 1249563 | 25.608 | 15.299 | 27.294 |
| Bachelor of Science (Microbiology) | 1249123 | 25.497 | 25.288 | 25.280 |
| Bachelor of Science (Medical Microbiology) | 1249281 | 25.331 | 23.852 | 24.600 |
| Bachelor of Science (Food Service and Hospitality Management) | 1249639 | 24.762 | 26.241 | 23.871 |
| Bachelor of Science (Community Development and Environment) | 1249243 | 24.306 | 26.503 | 25.350 |
| Bachelor of Science in Real Estate | 1249T34 | 24.071 | ||
| Bachelor of Development Studies | 1249303 | 23.910 | 23.896 | 22.449 |
| Bachelor of Project Management | 1249327 | 23.868 | 28.434 | 28.760 |
| Bachelor of Science (Corporate Communication and Management) | 1249452 | 23.787 | 26.594 | 24.395 |
| Bachelor of Science (Water and Environment Management) | 1249489 | 23.711 | 15.092 | 15.864 |
| Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Economics and Food Industry Management | 1249B54 | 23.230 | 20.333 | 15.864 |
| Bachelor of Science (Medical Social Work) | 1249478 | 23.024 | 28.665 | 26.901 |
| Bachelor of Science in Community Health and Development | 1249423 | 23.023 | 23.372 | 24.867 |
| Bachelor of Science in Industrial Chemistry | 1249108 | 22.906 | 23.033 | 24.943 |
| Bachelor of Science in Analytical Chemistry | 1249114 | 22.729 | 15.299 | 24.651 |
| Bachelor of Science (Land Resource Planning & Management) | 1249351 | 21.231 | 15.092 | 15.864 |
| Bachelor of Science in Business Innovation and Technology Management | 1249214 | 19.799 | 21.375 | |
| Bachelor of Entrepreneurship | 1249298 | 19.799 | 21.375 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Strategic Management) | 1249493 | 19.799 | 21.375 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Industrial Mathematics) | 1249311 | 18.467 | 18.831 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Operations Research) | 1249533 | 18.467 | 18.831 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Geophysics) | 1249377 | 15.794 | 15.683 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Control and Instrumentation) | 1249231 | 15.299 | 15.683 | |
| Bachelor of Science in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering | 1249E55 | 15.299 | 15.683 | |
| Bachelor of Science Horticulture | 1249185 | 15.092 | 15.864 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Food Science and Nutrition) | 1249191 | 15.092 | 15.864 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Environmental Horticulture & Landscaping Technology) | 1249354 | 15.092 | 15.864 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Crop Protection) | 1249421 | 15.092 | 15.864 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Nutraceutical Science and Technology) | 1249505 | 15.092 | 15.864 | |
| Bachelor of Science in Energy and Environmental Technology | 1249514 | 15.092 | 15.864 | |
| Bachelor of Science in Aquaculture Technology | 1249518 | 15.092 | 15.864 | |
| Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Aquaculture | 1249519 | 15.092 | 15.864 | |
| Bachelor of Science (B.sc) | 1249120 | 14.796 | 15.683 | |
| Bachelor of Science Genomic Science | 1249147 | 14.796 | 15.683 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Botany) | 1249462 | 14.796 | 15.683 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Zoology) | 1249464 | 14.796 | 15.683 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Applied Biology) | 1249477 | 14.796 | 15.683 | |
| Bachelor of Science Industrial Biotechnology | 1249728 | 14.796 | 15.683 |
How fees compare with other universities
Self-sponsored fees for a Bachelor of Commerce or similar business degree at universities we cover:
| University | Business degree fee (KSh) | Billing period |
|---|---|---|
| University of Nairobi | 216,000 | Per year |
| Kenyatta University | 183,600 | Year 1 |
| JKUAT | 168,967 | Per year |
| USIU-Africa (BSc Finance/Accounting) | 147,750 | Per semester |
| Strathmore (most degrees) | 230,000–270,000 | Per semester |
Public universities bill per year, while Strathmore and USIU-Africa bill per semester, so multiply private-university figures by the number of semesters in your year when comparing.
Accommodation and catering
JKUAT offers subsidised accommodation to some students in six hostels on the main campus: Halls 1, 2 and 4 for women and Halls 3, 5 and 6 for men. There are three cafeterias, Candle in the Wind, the Main Mess and the Hall Six mess, with subsidised meals: breakfast 6.30–8.00am, lunch 11am–2pm and supper 5–8pm. Many students also rent in Juja town, Gachororo and Highpoint, close to the main gate.
Library
The main library seats 600 students and holds about 80,000 volumes, with online services, reference, inter-library loans, user education and photocopying.
Notable alumni
JKUAT graduates include architect Emma Miloyo, the first female president of the Architectural Association of Kenya; Prof. Paul Chepkwony, the first governor of Kericho County and a former JKUAT lecturer; and Aden Duale, former Majority Leader of the National Assembly.
Contacts
JKUAT, Juja, off the Nairobi–Thika Superhighway (Exit 15), Kiambu County. Website: jkuat.ac.ke. Pay fees only into the accounts printed on your admission letter.
Related
University and TVET fees hub · KUCCPS cut-off points · School fees hub
Frequently asked questions
How much is nursing at JKUAT?
About KSh 320,061 a year in 2026; your admission letter gives the exact amount.
How much is computer science at JKUAT?
About KSh 207,142 a year.
When was JKUAT founded?
It opened as a college in 1981 and became a full university under the JKUAT Act of 1994.
Where is JKUAT?
In Juja, 36 km north-east of Nairobi on the Nairobi–Thika Superhighway (Exit 15).
Does JKUAT have hostels?
Yes, six halls on the main campus at subsidised rates; accommodation was KSh 13,000 a year in the 2023/24 fee structure.
What is the KUCCPS cut-off for JKUAT?
It depends on the programme; in 2025 it ranged up to 45.812 for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. The table above lists every programme.
Sources: Wikipedia, JKUAT, KUCCPS. Last updated October 2026.
