University of Nairobi Courses, Fees & Rankings 2026

The University of Nairobi is one of Kenya’s best universities, and many Kenyan students aspire to join it immediately after completing the Kenyan secondary education exams (KCSE). The University currently accepts applications from students in East Africa and from international students. It is also ranked in the #1001-1200 range in the QS World University Rankings 2026, while at the same time topping the list in Kenya and Africa in the QS Sustainability Rankings, performing well in Environmental Impact, making it a university of choice for anyone aspiring to join it for the 2026/2027 Academic Calendar

The University of Nairobi (UON) offers a wide range of courses accommodating students at all programme levels, including Degree, Master’s, and certificate and Diploma programs. What makes UON stand out is that, as much as it is the leading public University in Kenya, it also accommodates students who want to join the education programs on a self-sponsored ticket. So if you are looking to be part of the UON family, understanding all the Programs on offer is quite essential for admission. Are the UoN admission letters out for 2026 and 2027? Yes, they are available online, and the courses on offer cover everything you need to know.

About Nairobi University

The University of Nairobi is one of the oldest Universities in Kenya and perhaps the first university established in the late 1970s. However, before that, the University itself, with everything it has today, traces its origins to pre-independence Kenya in 1947, when the idea was to establish a higher education centre in the East African region to accommodate the growing professional needs in the area. Thus, in 1956, the University was formed as the Royal Technical College.

In 1956, the Royal Technical College of East Africa welcomed its first cohort of 215 students, comprising 105 Africans, 100 Asians, and 10 Europeans.

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In 1961 the institution was upgraded to Royal College Nairobi, gaining a special relationship with the University of London and training students for London-awarded degrees and by 1964 the college became University College Nairobi in 1964 within the federal University of East Africa, preparing students first for University of London degrees and later for degrees of the University of East Africa itself in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

On 1 July 1970, the Federal University was dissolved, and the University of Nairobi was officially formed through Cap 210 of the Parliament of Kenya, making it the first Public university in Kenya. As of 2026, the University of Nairobi admits tens of thousands of students each academic year across undergraduate and postgraduate levels, up from its first 215 students in 1956.

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List of Courses Offered at UoN (2026 Intake)

How many intakes does the University of Nairobi have? The University of Nairobi generally has three main intakes per year: January, May, and September, with the main intake in September/October. Therefore, timing these periods can help you easily apply for your programme of choice before the deadline arrives.

However, before doing so, you need to understand the programmes offered for the 2026/2027 academic calendar. The best part is that the university has already listed some of these programs on its UON students’ application portal, which you can access via: https://www.uonbi.ac.ke/search-programme

The programs on UoN are available in all its Faculties, which are eleven in number as follows:

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• FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
• FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
• FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
• FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• FACULTY OF LAW
• FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
• FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
• FACULTY OF EDUCATION
• FACULTY OF ARTS
• FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
• FACULTY OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND DESIGN

In General, the University of Nairobi has more than 900 programmes offered across various levels as follows:

Bachelor Programmes

Masters Programmes

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Programmes

Post Graduate Diploma

Fellowships Programmes:

University of Nairobi Fees Structure

What is the fee structure per semester at Nairobi University? The fee structure you pay at the University of Nairobi varies mainly by the program you are enrolled in and the level of study (i.e., undergrad/postgrad), as well as whether you are sponsored/self-sponsored. However, in General, as per the latest information on UON’s website, the fee one pays covers tuition (around Ksh 16,000/year for sponsored undergrads) plus mandatory fees like Registration (Ksh 2,250/sem), Medical (Ksh 6,500/year), ICT (Ksh 7,000/year), Library (Ksh 4,000/year), Caution (Ksh 5,000 once), and Activity (Ksh 2,000/year).In General, however, Self-sponsored students, postgraduate, and international students pay significantly more.

NB: THESE FEE STRUCTURES MAY BE UPDATED, AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PERSONALLY SEEK THE FEE STRUCTURE FOR YOUR COURSE FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE.

For the Bachelor programmes, you may expect to pay the following:

How to pay UoN fees?

There are various ways to pay for the UON fee structure. They are as follows:

1. Direct Bank Deposit; EFT; RTGS

NB: Use the following bank accounts

2. M-Pesa

• Go to the M-Pesa menu on your mobile phone
• Select Lipa na MPESA
• Go to Paybill
• Enter Paybill number as 300059
• Enter the Account number, which is the student registration number (E.g., D61/1234/2019)
• Enter the fee amount
• You will receive a confirmation message from M-Pesa.
• Wait for your student portal to be credited within 2 hours
• Confirm receipt of payment in your student portal

What is the ranking of the University of Nairobi in 2026?

According to the newly released 2026 results from the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, the University of Nairobi continues to shine in Kenya and on the global stage, appearing in the 1501+ band with an overall score range of 10.3 to 27.2

Data from THE suggests the following:

UON admisision 2026

As of the writing, the September 2026 admissions for the University of Nairobi are open. And this brings us to the question: DO you really know how to go through the admission process at the University of Nairobi? The process itself is quite easy, and you don’t need to visit the institution in person to secure a place. The admission process is open to two categories of students at the university, who are as follows:

KUCCPS Students

If you want to join the University of Nairobi as a government‑sponsored student, you apply and are placed through the KUCCPS Student Portal, not directly through the UON website. Your secondary school may assist with guidance, but you must log in to the KUCCPS portal using your KCSE index number and year, select UON programmes, and pay the required KUCCPS application fee personally.​

KUCCPS charges a non‑refundable placement processing fee of KSh 1,500 for first‑time degree applicants in a placement cycle. Once you have paid this fee, you normally use the same M‑Pesa transaction code for subsequent revisions within that cycle, and you are not charged the full Ksh 1,500 again. After KUCCPS completes placement, UON uploads admission letters and joining instructions for placed students to its admission systems, where you can download them and complete registration online before reporting on the stated dates.

Self-Sponsored Students

These are the categories of students who join the university by making applications directly to the University of Nairobi through the admission portal, which is discussed below.​

1. Visit the official University of Nairobi Admissions portal using the link https://application.uonbi.ac.ke/.​
2. When the page loads, you will see a list/table of various programmes; go through it to see if your course is available. Also, make sure that you understand the admission requirements before applying.​
3. To get started with the admission process, you will need to register on the portal. Click on the “Register” button and provide all the required details accurately. Prospective students must complete their own application. The University of Nairobi does not make use of representatives, agents, or agencies during the application process.​
4. Check the email you provided during the registration process, activate your account, and log in.​
5. Once you are logged in, update your profile under “Profile Management” so you can start the course application. The needed details are your personal details, contact information, educational background, work experience (if any), academic certificates, and other required documents.​
6. On your user Dashboard, click on the “Click here to apply” menu option to see the available programmes. When you are satisfied with everything, click on the “Apply intake” or “Apply” button to start the programme application process.​
7. Next, to submit that particular programme for consideration, you will need to pay the application fees using the portal’s provided payment channel.

NB: For self-sponsored students, you must pay a non-refundable application fee so that your details can be processed. The fee varies by level: undergraduate and master’s levels cost Ksh 3,000, PhD level costs Ksh 4,000, and international students applying to the university pay an application fee of USD 50. Upon payment, you will receive a payment confirmation at your email address and/or phone number.​

University of Nairobi FAQs: Answers to your questions