Graduands follow proceedings at Kenya Coast National Polytechnic (KCNP) during their 5th Graduation Ceremony in Mombasa in this photo taken on 18th April 2024.
University degree placements have overtaken those for technical colleges over the past year, marking a reversal of recent trends, the 2026 Economic Survey shows.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics shows that the number of students placed in degree programmes rose to 182,391, surpassing the 157,718 placed in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in the financial year ending June 2026.
The statistics show the number of government-sponsored students placed in public universities increased by 18.2 per cent to 164,518, while those placed in TVETs registered a general decline across diploma, certificate and artisan courses. “The number of students placed into public universities rose by 18.2 per cent to 164,518, while the number of students placed into TVET institutions to pursue diploma, certificate and artisan courses in the 2025/26 academic year declined by 2.6, 13.7 and 24.2 per cent, respectively,” says KNBS in the 2026 Economic Survey.
This is a departure from what has been the trend in placements over the recent past, where a number of students with university qualifications opted for technical and vocational training in a significant shift in career pathway preferences.
Growing preference
The growing preference for technical training marked a departure from previous trends, where degree qualifications were widely seen as the primary route to employment and career advancement.
Over the last five years, placements into TVET institutions have surpassed those for degree programmes as they were viewed as a better fit for Kenya’s competency-based education (CBE), which is gradually replacing the 8-4-4 system.
A mechanical engineering student operates a lathe machine during a practical session at Kisumu National Polytechnic.
However, this trend appears to be shifting amid a growing imbalance in the country’s technical training system, where highly technical courses are hosting far more students per tutor than recommended.
Larger class sizes limit access to equipment, reduce trainer-to-student interaction and ultimately weaken competency outcomes.
Similarly, the Economic Survey shows a decline in university enrolment for diploma and certificate courses, dropping to 27,020 in the year ending June 2026 from 34,443 the previous year.
Examination reforms
The 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) results recorded the highest number of university-qualifying candidates since national examination reforms were introduced.
In 2016, the Ministry of Education initiated a sweeping crackdown on examination malpractice that had undermined public confidence in national examinations, disbanding the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) board and removing officials linked to irregularities.
A total of 270,715 out of the 993,226 candidates who sat the 2025 KCSE attained a C+ and above, qualifying for degree programmes, equivalent to 27.18 per cent of the total candidature.
At 27.18 per cent, the qualification rate exceeded the 25.53 per cent in 2024, 22.3 per cent in 2023, 19.03 per cent in 2022 and 11.3 per cent in the 2017 KCSE, which were the first examination results released after the reforms were introduced.
A tutor during a practical lesson at Mpeketoni Vocational Training Centre in Lamu. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROU
The increased enrolment in higher education institutions has increased pressure on Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funding, which has not kept pace with the growing number of candidates making the minimum university grade of C+ and above.
“The number of students placed by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to public and private universities went up from 157,762 in 2024/25 to 182,391 in 2025/26,” the KNBS says.
The number of students funded in public universities is expected to increase by 81.6 per cent to 355,140 in the 2025/26 academic year.
The KNBS notes that State funding to universities is expected to decline from Sh16.9 billion in 2024/25 to Sh8.2 billion in the financial year 2025/2026.
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