Top 10 Best Private Universities in Kenya

Going to university in Kenya has always been associated with having a brighter future in terms of success.

It is for this reason that every child in Kenya is brought up being encouraged to work hard in order to join a good university for a successful life.

With this in mind, private universities have seen a rise in applications and enrollments by providing an alternative from public universities.

These universities are now producing some of the best graduates in the job market today, with many employers preferring them to those from public universities.

Here is a list of the top ten best universities in Kenya:

Strathmore University (SU)

Located in Madaraka Estate off Lang’ata road, 5km from Nairobi City Centre, S.U has been ranked the top private university in Kenya and 4512 worldwide in the 2019 Webometrics ranking of world universities.

S.U has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students’ previous academic record and grades.

Its graduates are known for their professional and moral ethics.

Yearly tuition range for Kenyan students is in the range of 200,000 shillings and 500,000 shillings.

USIU – Africa

United States International University-Africa is the only university in the region that has dual accreditation in Kenya and the United States of America (USA) by the Commission for University (CUE) and WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) respectively.

This gives advantage to USIU-Africa students as they get international education affordable in Kenya. Having dual accreditation enables USIU-Africa students to be globally competitive.

Read Also: Did You Know: USIU is the oldest private secular university in the region?

USUI – Africa was ranked second in Kenya and 6682 worldwide in the 2019 Webometrics ranking of world universities.

Yearly tuition range for Kenyan students is in the range of 200,000 shillings and 500,000 shillings.

Mount Kenya University (MKU)

Mount Kenya University has slowly risen to become one of the most popular private universities in the country.

Through its various learning modules such as evening classes, weekend classes, school-based and virtual learning, it has become accessible to the working class and those in different towns, with its constituent colleges in towns like Eldoret, Mombasa, Kisii even traversing borders to Rwanda.

The university also offers a wide range of academic courses, right from short courses to doctorates.

Kabarak University

Kabarak University is a Christian non-profit private higher education institution located in the rural setting of the large town of Nakuru.

Yearly tuition range for Kenyan students is in the range of 100,000 shillings and 200,000 shillings.

Read Also: Most Relevant Careers in Kenya Going into The Next Decade

This university offers courses in Business, Law, Arts, Education, Theology and Science and Technology.

Daystar University

Daystar University is a very small (uniRank enrollment range: 1,000-1,999 students) coeducational higher education institution formally affiliated with the Christian-Interdenominational religion.

The university offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as pre-bachelor degrees (i.e. certificates, diplomas, associate or foundation degrees), bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study.

KCA University

KCA University is one of the best private universities in the fields of Accounting and IT in Kenya.

Many Bachelor of Commerce graduates from this university is preferred in the job market because of the quality training they receive and this gives them an edge over other graduates.

Pan Africa Christian University (PAC)

Officially accredited and recognized by the Commission for University Education, Pan Africa Christian University (PAC) is a small coeducational higher education institution formally affiliated with the Christian-Protestant religion.

It has a uniRank enrollment range of 3,000-3,999 students.

Yearly tuition range for Kenyan students is in the range of 100,000 shillings and 200,000 shillings.

Kenya Methodist University (KEMU)

KEMU is yet another Christian private institution formally affiliated with the Christian-Methodist religion.

The university is a medium-sized coeducational higher education institution with a uniRank enrollment range of 9,000-9,999 students.

It offers courses in Arts and Social Sciences, Health Sciences and Business.

St Paul’s University

St Paul’s University is a Christian affiliated institution with a uniRank enrollment range of 3,000-3,999 students.

This 30-year-old higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on students’ past academic record and grades.

Read Also: Top 10 Universities in Kenya To Choose From in 2019

Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA)

CUEA is well known for its Law and Theology programs. Apart from these two, it also offers a wide array of programs in Business, IT and Education among others.

The university is known to have strict moral teachings among its students, making those who graduate from the institution termed as those having high moral standings both at work and in society.