More than 42,000 students who sat the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination and qualified for university admission failed to apply for placement.
Education CS Julius Ogamba revealed this during the official release of the 2024 university placement results, raising serious concerns within the Ministry of Education over the growing number of qualified learners not transitioning to higher education.
Out of the 965,501 candidates who sat the 2024 KCSE, 244,563 attained the minimum university entry grade of C+ and above. However, only 201,695 of those eligible actually applied for placement through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), leaving out a significant 42,868 students. 7,000 students applied for placement but were not given slots.
CS Ogamba noted that some high performing students, about 7,640, deliberately chose to join Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions instead of pursuing university courses while 6, 750 candidates opted to join Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and teacher training colleges.
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However, he expressed concern over the majority who did not apply at all, pointing to possible causes such as financial constraints, lack of information and misperceptions about the new funding model. The total number of candidates who joined KMTC is 25, 034 with 18,284 of them coming from those who sat for KCSE in the previous years.
In response, the government has encouraged the affected students to explore alternative pathways such as the Open University of Kenya, Teachers Training Colleges and upcoming intakes by institutions like the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in September.
The CS further emphasized that higher education opportunities remain open and accessible beyond the traditional university path.
So far KUCCPS has placed 193, 372students into various degree and tertiary programmes, which accounts for 79.4 percent of the C+ and above cohort. 162, 252 of these have been placed in public universities while 17, 873 placed in private university.
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CS Ogamba reaffirmed that the minimum university entry grade remains a C+ and dismissed speculation about any planned changes to the threshold.
He further assured that the government is committed to supporting all qualifying students under the new higher education funding model, which blends scholarships and loans.
For the 2024 intake alone, the government is expected to spend about Ks 25.8 billion, with the total cost projected to rise to Ksh100 billion across the students’ four year academic journey.
The Ministry has now called on all stakeholders, including schools and parents, to step up efforts in sensitizing students on application procedures and the variety of post-secondary options available. The high number of non-applicants has brought into sharp focus the need for better guidance and access to information for KCSE candidates as they transition from high school.
By Benedict Aoya
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