UoN vs KU vs JKUAT 2026: Fees, Cut-Offs and Campuses

Updated 2 November 2026

UoN vs KU vs JKUAT in short: the University of Nairobi has the highest KUCCPS cut-offs for almost every flagship course (46.069 for medicine in 2025), Kenyatta University is the broadest (117 bachelor’s programmes) and the strongest name in education degrees, and JKUAT is the technology specialist and usually the cheapest of the three for self-sponsored commerce and computer science. All three are public universities in or near Nairobi, all take government-sponsored students through KUCCPS and all admit self-sponsored students directly. The tables below compare fees, cut-off points and campuses so you can rank your choices.

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Updated November 2026. Fees are from each university’s published self-sponsored fee schedules as covered in our fee guides; cut-off points are from the KUCCPS portal for the 2025, 2024 and 2023 placements. Your admission letter shows the exact amount you will pay.

UoN vs KU vs JKUAT: comparison table

Fees compared: self-sponsored students

Public universities charge self-sponsored students the full programme fee. UoN quotes an annual fee, KU quotes the year-1 fee and JKUAT quotes an annual fee for 2026, so treat the figures as close guides rather than identical measures.

On these figures JKUAT is cheapest for medicine, computer science and commerce, KU is cheapest for pharmacy and engineering, and UoN is the most expensive for commerce and computer science. KU bills about 60% of the year’s fee in the first semester and 40% in the second. Full schedules are in our guides to University of Nairobi fees, Kenyatta University fees and JKUAT fees.

Government-sponsored students placed by KUCCPS pay far less: the cost is shared between a government scholarship, a HELB loan and the household, depending on the student’s needs band.

KUCCPS cut-off points compared (2025)

Cut-off points are the cluster points of the last student admitted to a course. A higher number means a harder course to enter.

UoN tops every row. JKUAT beats KU on computer science and civil engineering, which reflects its technology reputation, while KU edges JKUAT on medicine, pharmacy, nursing, law and commerce. Earlier years follow the same pattern: in 2024 UoN’s MBChB cut-off was 44.926 against 44.834 at JKUAT. Programme-by-programme lists are in UoN courses and cut-offs, KU courses and cut-offs and JKUAT courses and cut-offs.

Campuses and student life

• UoN: the main campus is in the CBD, with Chiromo (sciences), Kenyatta National Hospital (health sciences), Parklands (law), Upper Kabete (agriculture and veterinary medicine) and Kikuyu (education). It had 49,047 students in 2023. Being in town means easy transport but more expensive private housing.
• KU: a main campus of more than 1,000 acres at Kahawa, plus Parklands, City Centre, Kitui, Mombasa, Nyeri, Nakuru, Embu and Dadaab campuses. Many students rent privately in Kahawa Wendani and Kahawa Sukari.
• JKUAT: the main campus in Juja has six halls of residence and three cafeterias with subsidised meals; accommodation was KSh 13,000 a year in the 2023/24 fee structure. Law is taught at the Karen Campus, and there is a Westlands Campus and a Kigali Campus in Rwanda.

Which should you choose?

• Choose UoN if you have very high cluster points and want the most competitive name for medicine, law, architecture or economics, and you can handle city living costs.
• Choose KU if you want the widest choice of programmes, a teaching degree, or a large self-contained campus with strong sport.
• Choose JKUAT if you want engineering, computing or architecture, or a lower self-sponsored fee for commerce and computer science.

Put the course first and the university second: a course you qualify for at JKUAT is a better bet than a course you narrowly miss at UoN. Check your points with our KUCCPS cluster points calculator, and apply for funding through HELB as soon as you are placed.

How to apply to UoN, KU or JKUAT

1. Government sponsorship: apply through the KUCCPS student portal when it opens after KCSE results, listing courses at any of the three in order of preference.
2. Self-sponsored: apply directly on each university’s website (uonbi.ac.ke, ku.ac.ke, jkuat.ac.ke) when intakes are advertised. You must meet the same minimum entry requirements.
3. Pay fees only into the bank accounts printed on your admission letter or the official fee structure.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, UoN, KU or JKUAT?

It depends on the course. UoN has the highest cut-offs for most flagship courses, KU offers the widest range and leads in education, and JKUAT is strongest in engineering and computing.

Which is cheapest for self-sponsored students?

On published figures JKUAT is cheapest for medicine (KSh 487,911), computer science (KSh 207,142) and commerce (KSh 168,967). KU is cheapest for pharmacy and engineering.

What is the cut-off for medicine at UoN, KU and JKUAT?

In 2025 it was 46.069 at UoN, 45.961 at KU and 45.812 at JKUAT.

Is JKUAT harder to enter than KU?

For computer science and civil engineering, yes: JKUAT’s 2025 cut-offs were 44.205 and 43.265 against KU’s 43.344 and 43.219. For medicine, pharmacy, nursing and law, KU’s cut-offs were higher.

Do all three accept HELB loans?

Yes. Students at all three public universities can apply for HELB loans and government scholarships.

Sources: University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University and JKUAT published fee schedules; KUCCPS portal cut-off points 2023 to 2025. See also our university fees in Kenya hub.