Student enrollment in universities has risen steadily from 240,551 in 2012 to 606,488 in 2024, a report of the Commission for University Education shows.
The report, presented to the National Assembly’s Department Committee on Education, said the figure represents a 152 per cent growth in 12 years.
“The rapid increase in student enrollment could be attributed to the government policy of opening access to all students who met the minimum admission requirements to be absorbed in the university,” the report noted.
It further noted that the introduction of the privately sponsored students programme (PSSP) -Module II, contributed significantly to the increase in student numbers in universities.
“The largest proportion of the students are enrolled in public chartered universities, reflecting a skewed representation of students in the university education sector in Kenya,” the report highlighted.
CUE said the most salient feature of university education in Kenya is its rapid growth in terms of the number of institutions and student enrollments, noting that the sub-sector has expanded rapidly over the last two decades.
The report further noted that in 2012, the total number of fully-fledged universities were 33 (7 public and 26 private)
“By 2025 the total number had increased to 67 (38 public and 29 private) universities and 13 at various stages of accreditation. This represents a 41 per cent increase in a span of 20 years, making the country ranked fifth, after Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Ghana in the number of universities.”
CUE maintained that university education plays an important role in building capacity for the technical and social advancement of nations.
The CUE report was a response to the request by the committee vide a letter reference NA/DCC/EDUC/025/9052 dated April 8, 2025.
The committee had asked the commission to provide information on student admissions and capacity of universities, accreditation and compliance, quality assurance, and regulatory challenges.
Other issues MPs sought information about were actions taken on universities that offer graduation without approval of CUE, the future of higher education, and the issuance of illicit degrees.
