University of Nairobi: Courses, Cut-Off Points and How to Apply

Updated 17 October 2026

University of Nairobi is a public university in Nairobi County. This guide covers where it is, every degree programme it offers through KUCCPS for the 2026/2027 cycle, the 2025 and 2024 cut-off points, and how to apply. All programme and cut-off figures come from the official KUCCPS institution page, checked on 17 October 2026.

Quick Facts

About University of Nairobi

The University of Nairobi is the oldest university in Kenya. It became the country's first full university in 1970, and its main campus sits in the middle of Nairobi, a short walk from the Central Business District. Other campuses and schools are spread across the city, including the medical school next to Kenyatta National Hospital, so the place you study depends on your programme.

For KCSE candidates, UoN matters because it sets some of the highest cut-offs in the country. Medicine, dental surgery, pharmacy and computer science all needed more than 44 weighted cluster points in 2025. At the other end, several arts, design and education programmes have entry points close to the low 20s, which puts a UoN degree within reach of far more students than its reputation suggests.

Courses and Cut-Off Points

The table lists all 59 degree programmes UoN has declared on KUCCPS for 2026/2027, from the highest 2025 cut-off down. Cut-offs are weighted cluster points out of 48, and they show the lowest score admitted in that year. They change every year with demand and the number of places, so read them as a guide, not a guarantee. A dash means KUCCPS did not publish a cut-off for that year. You can also search these programmes, and compare them with other universities, in our universities and colleges directory.

To see how these cut-offs compare with other universities, see our national cut-off guides for medicine, nursing, pharmacy, law, medical laboratory science, computer science, actuarial science, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, architecture, commerce, economics and journalism.

How to Apply to University of Nairobi

Government-sponsored places at UoN are allocated through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS). You do not apply to the university directly for these places.

1. Wait for your KCSE results, then work out your cluster points for each course you are considering. Our KUCCPS cluster points calculator does the arithmetic, and this explainer shows how the weighting works.
2. When KUCCPS opens its application window, log in to the KUCCPS student portal with your KCSE index number and year, and pay the application fee through eCitizen. If your payment does not show, see our fix for the KUCCPS payment not reflecting error.
3. Choose your programmes using the exact programme codes from the table above, in your order of preference.
4. Submit before the deadline, then check the portal for your placement results.

Because UoN programmes fill up quickly, list your strongest UoN choice first and back it up with similar programmes at other public universities in case you miss the cut-off. Our guide to how KUCCPS university placement works explains revision windows and what happens if you are not placed.

If you want a place outside KUCCPS, you can usually apply to UoN directly as a self-sponsored student. Fees are higher, and you should confirm the intake dates with the university itself.

Entry Requirements

To be considered for a degree through KUCCPS, you need a minimum KCSE mean grade of C+. Each programme also sets minimum grades in particular subjects, its cluster subjects. Meeting the minimum makes you eligible, but places go to the highest-ranked applicants, so in practice you need cluster points at or above the recent cut-off. At UoN, that ranged from 20.715 for Bachelor of Arts (Planning) to 46.069 for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 2025. Check each programme’s subject requirements on the KUCCPS portal before you choose it.

Fees, Funding and HELB

Our University of Nairobi fees guide covers what students currently pay. Under the student-centred funding model, government-sponsored students pay fees based on their household need, through a mix of scholarships, HELB loans and family contribution. Our guide to university fees in Kenya explains the bands, and government-sponsored versus self-sponsored fees shows how the two differ. First-time applicants can follow our step-by-step HELB application guide.

Documents and Upload Sizes

KUCCPS, HELB and university portals reject files that are too large or in the wrong format. Before you start, prepare clear scans of your KCSE result slip or certificate, your birth certificate or ID, and a passport photo. Our free KUCCPS document compressor, HELB upload tool and passport photo resizer work in your browser, and your files are never uploaded to us.

Frequently asked questions

Is it hard to get into the University of Nairobi?

It depends on the course. The competitive programmes are very hard: medicine needed 46.069 points in 2025. But some programmes, such as the Bachelor of Arts (Planning), had 2025 cut-offs of about 20.7 points.

How many KUCCPS programmes does University of Nairobi offer?

59 degree programmes for the 2026/2027 KUCCPS cycle. 48 of them had a published 2025 cut-off.

What is the KUCCPS code for University of Nairobi?

The institution code shown on KUCCPS is UON. Each programme also has its own code, listed in the table above, which is the one you enter when you apply.

Related Guides

• Kenya universities and colleges directory
• KUCCPS cut-off points 2025
• Best schools in Nairobi County
• Jobs in Nairobi on JobInKenya, useful for part-time work and attachments while you study
• Career advice for graduates on JobInKenya