Thousands of students who qualified for degree programmes in the 2025 KCSE examination have not applied for university placement, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has revealed.
According to KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer Agnes Mercy Wahome, since the beginning of the application process, 212,510 students who scored C+ and above have submitted their choices, representing 79.1 per cent of the 268,714 candidates eligible for university placement.
This means 56,204 students who qualified for degree programmes have not applied through KUCCPS, despite the government revising the higher education funding model to make it more student-centred.
KUCCPS has reopened its application system for Form Four leavers to revise their university choices or make new applications. The portal will remain open from May 16 to 22, following the first application window that closed on May 6.
“Applicants who have secured provisional placement into degree courses have been notified through SMS messages and the KUCCPS portal. Unsuccessful applicants have been invited to revise their choices,” according to Dr Wahome.
She urged all 2025 Form Four leavers who qualified for degree programmes but have not applied to do so. She also called on those who applied but have not secured a course to log in to the system and apply again.
Dr Wahome said some degree programmes, such as Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Engineering were filled during the first application round. She said the demand was higher compared to the available spaces. These courses have now been removed from the portal.
“We encourage students who applied for these programmes but missed them due to competition to apply for available programmes,” she said.
Education experts say several factors may explain why qualified students are yet to apply, including subject combinations, cost barriers, course relevance and alternative pathways.
A growing number of students are opting for TVET institutions, KMTC, or Utalii College, which offer practical skills and faster entry into the job market.
“Some students may not meet the subject requirements for their preferred courses. University education remains expensive, and even the Sh1,500 application fee is prohibitive for some families. Many students feel courses offered do not guarantee clear career paths, making them hesitant to commit,” said the Kenya Human Rights Commission Deputy Executive Director and Elimu Bora Convener, Cornelius Oduor.
From left: Elimu Bora Working Group members David Karani, Boaz Waruku, Deputy Executive Director of Kenya Human Rights Commission Cornelius Oduor and Maxwell Magawi address journalists in Nairobi on February 11, 2024.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
At the same time, KUCCPS is undertaking continuous placement to TVET institutions, Kenya Medical Training Colleges (KMTC) and Kenya Utalii College.
Available KMTC programmes include Diploma in Community Health, Mortuary Science, Health Records and IT, Medical Engineering, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Physiotherapy and Public Health. Eight certificate courses are also available on a rolling basis until filled.
However, Nursing, Clinical Medicine and Pharmacy programmes are not available in this cycle and will be offered in the September intake.
At Kenya Utalii College, students can apply for Diploma in Housekeeping and Laundry Management, Certificate in Front Office Operations, and Certificate in Housekeeping and Laundry Operations. These programmes are open to students who sat the KCSE between 2000 and last year.
KUCCPS and KMTC have deployed career guidance officers in 23 KMTC campuses nationwide to assist applicants.
KUCCPS has also partnered with Huduma Kenya to extend services to all 59 Huduma Centres across the country, where trained agents are available to support applicants.
National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa urged teachers and parents to help Form Four leavers apply for degree courses in the second phase.
“There is the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and scholarships for students to access university education, so I don’t know why more than 50,000 are yet to apply. I urge parents to guide and counsel their children on applying for university degrees. Higher education in public universities is cheaper compared to private ones,” said Mr Obuhatsa.
National Parents Association Chairman David Obuhatsa Silas (centre) and other members of the association.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
For the past month, KUCCPS has been engaging Kenyans through social media to sensitise them on the application process. Dr Wahome has repeatedly raised concerns over challenges facing Form Four leavers during course selection, citing parental pressure and peer influence as major obstacles to effective career planning. She urged parents to allow children to decide for themselves the kind of careers they would like to pursue based on ability, talent and interest.
“The world today offers many upcoming careers in performing arts, sports, art and design, unlike in the past when choices were limited to health and teaching courses,” she said.
