University Fees in Kenya 2026: What Each Degree Programme Actually Costs

The New University Funding Model: What Changed in 2023/2024

The old "Module I vs Module II" system — where government-sponsored students paid almost nothing and self-sponsored students paid full fees — is gone. The Ministry of Education introduced the University Funding Model (UFM) from the 2023/2024 academic year, and it works differently from what most people are familiar with.

Under the UFM, every student joining a public university is assessed through a Means Testing Instrument (MTI) — essentially a financial household survey. The government uses that assessment to determine what portion of your fees it will contribute. Students fall into three broad bands: those who receive a full government scholarship (a minority), those who get a partial scholarship topped up by a HELB loan, and those classified as self-sponsored who receive little to no government contribution.

In practice, the vast majority of students land in the middle category: partial government contribution, a HELB loan, and a family contribution gap that still needs to be filled. The fee numbers in this article reflect what families typically end up paying after government support — figures that surprised many when the model launched.

Public University Fees by Course (2026 Approximate)

The figures below reflect typical annual fees after government contribution for students on the partial scholarship band, and the full self-sponsored equivalent for those who receive no government support. Exact amounts vary between institutions and may be revised each academic year.

Arts and Humanities (BA)

These are among the lower-cost programmes at public universities. After government contribution, a student in the partial band might pay KES 28,000–50,000 per year. The full self-sponsored rate typically runs KES 70,000–120,000 per year, meaning a four-year arts degree costs KES 280,000–480,000 in tuition alone if you receive no government support.

Business (B.Com, BBA)

Business degrees are mid-range in cost. Partial band students pay roughly KES 40,000–70,000 per year. Self-sponsored fees land at KES 90,000–150,000 per year, putting the four-year total at KES 360,000–600,000. Business is one of the most popular undergraduate programmes in Kenya, which means large cohorts and a well-established self-sponsored market at most institutions.

Computer Science and IT

Technology-related courses attract slightly higher fees than arts or business. After government contribution: KES 50,000–80,000 per year. Self-sponsored: KES 110,000–180,000 per year. A four-year CS or IT degree in the self-sponsored band therefore runs KES 440,000–720,000 in tuition — before accommodation or living costs.

Law (LLB)

Law is one of the more expensive humanities-adjacent programmes. Partial band: KES 60,000–90,000 per year. Self-sponsored: KES 130,000–200,000 per year. Over four years of tuition, a self-sponsored law student is looking at KES 520,000–800,000. Note that LLB requires an additional year at the Kenya School of Law before you can be admitted to the bar, which adds a further cost.

Engineering (B.Eng)

Engineering is among the most expensive undergraduate programmes. After government contribution: KES 70,000–100,000 per year. Self-sponsored: KES 150,000–250,000 per year. The typical four-year programme in the self-sponsored band costs KES 600,000–1,000,000 in tuition alone. JKUAT, which has a particularly large engineering faculty, sits at the higher end of this range.

Medicine (MBChB) — 6 Years

Medicine is the most expensive degree on this list — and also the one where government investment is highest. Most government-sponsored medical students are on or close to a full scholarship. However, the self-sponsored equivalent at a public university runs KES 300,000–500,000 per year, making the six-year programme total somewhere between KES 1.8 million and KES 3 million. Very few families can fund this unassisted; the majority of medical students in public universities carry the government sponsorship that makes the course viable for them.

What the Major Universities Actually Charge

The ranges above are broad. Here is how annual tuition breaks down at specific institutions for popular courses, giving you a more concrete sense of what you are committing to.

USIU-Africa prices its fees partly in USD — which means the cost in shillings fluctuates with the exchange rate. A course priced at USD 3,500 per semester costs very different amounts depending on whether the dollar is at KES 120 or KES 160. If you are considering USIU, build in a currency buffer when planning.

Private universities generally do not participate in the UFM government contribution system in the same way, so the fee you see is closer to what you pay. Some have their own bursary and scholarship programmes, but the baseline is significantly higher than public universities for equivalent programmes.

Accommodation and Living Costs

Tuition is only one part of the real cost of a degree. Once you factor in where you will sleep and how you will eat, the total picture changes substantially.

Campus hostels at public universities typically cost KES 8,000–20,000 per semester — cheap, but demand almost always exceeds supply. Most students in their second year and beyond end up in off-campus accommodation.

Off-campus rent near major public universities runs KES 6,000–18,000 per month for a single room, depending on location and amenities. Nairobi campuses (UoN, KU Parklands, Strathmore) attract the highest rents; Moi University in Eldoret or smaller campus towns sit at the lower end. Annualised, accommodation outside the family home costs KES 60,000–216,000 per year.

On top of rent, a student living independently in Nairobi needs to budget for food, transport, toiletries, airtime, and miscellaneous study costs — typically KES 10,000–20,000 per month, or KES 120,000–240,000 per year.

The Total Annual Cost: Putting It Together

Here is what a self-sponsored student at a public university in Nairobi actually pays each year, combining all three cost categories:

For a four-year degree, that is a total spend of KES 1.1 million to KES 2.4 million. Engineering or medicine students, or those at private universities in Nairobi, can push well beyond that upper figure.

Most families are not writing these cheques all at once — costs are paid semester by semester. But the cumulative number is useful to understand when you are thinking about how much to borrow, how much to save, or how much of the burden a student needs to cover through part-time work.

What HELB Actually Covers

HELB typically provides a loan of KES 40,000–60,000 per year to eligible students, which includes a bursary component that does not need to be repaid. The bursary is typically KES 8,000–16,000 of that amount; the rest is a loan.

Against an annual cost of KES 280,000–600,000, HELB covers roughly 7–20% of the total. It is a meaningful contribution — particularly for a student who receives the government tuition contribution on top of it — but it is not close to covering the full cost for most students.

The practical implication: HELB is best understood as one layer of funding among several. Students who plan to rely on it as their primary source of university finance will find themselves short. The gap needs to come from family savings, bursaries, part-time work, or a combination.

How to Close the Funding Gap

There are legitimate sources of university funding that many Kenyan students do not fully use. Most require applications with deadlines, and missing those windows means waiting a full year.

• HELB loan and bursary — apply annually through the HELB portal. New students apply when they receive their admission letter; continuing students apply at the start of each academic year. Missing the application window is common and costs students money they were entitled to.
• Constituency Development Fund (CDF) bursary — contact your local MP's office or the CDF office in your constituency. Most constituencies allocate bursary funds to university students from the area. Applications are usually early in the calendar year.
• County government bursary — many county governments run their own bursary programmes separate from the national CDF. Check your county government website or county education office for deadlines and requirements.
• University bursary and scholarship office — most public universities have internal bursary schemes funded by alumni donations, government allocations, and corporate sponsors. These are undersubscribed because few students know to apply. Ask the student finance office at your university directly.
• Employer scholarships — some large Kenyan employers (banks, telcos, FMCG companies) offer undergraduate sponsorships, often tied to a bond agreement where you commit to work for them after graduation. Look at companies in the sector you plan to enter.

Between HELB, CDF, county bursary, and a university internal bursary, a persistent student can sometimes cover the majority of their tuition costs. The students who claim all four sources are a minority — mostly because the application windows are different and the process requires effort that many do not prioritise.

The Bottom Line

A university degree in Kenya in 2026 costs far more than most families discuss openly when a student receives their admission letter. The tuition figure in the offer letter is only the starting point — accommodation and twelve months of living costs typically double or triple the annual expense.

The new funding model means that most students are now partly self-funding even within the government-sponsored system. Understanding how much your specific course at your specific institution actually costs — not just the headline admission fee — is the first step in building a funding plan that does not collapse mid-degree.

Apply for every bursary available to you, do not miss the HELB window, and understand that the loan you take now will follow you for years into your working life. Running those repayment numbers before you borrow, rather than after your first payslip, gives you time to plan rather than react.