The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has officially opened the 2026 application portal for placements to universities, colleges, and TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) institutions.
The online application system, which opened on April 7, 2026, will remain open until May 6, 2026.
The announcement was made following a briefing from KUCCPS officials, including Board Chair Cyrus Gituai and CEO Dr. Agnes Wahome, to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba. The team shared updates on the 2026/2027 academic year placement process and preparations for the placement cycle.
This year’s placement application is open to the 2025 cohort of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination, as well as previous years’ Form Four leavers. Applicants can apply for both degree programs and TVET courses.
Students applying for degree programs will join universities in September 2026, while those applying for TVET programs will begin their studies in May 2026, as TVET placements are continuous.
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In 2025 KCSE candidates, KUCCPS received results for 980,444 eligible students. Of these, 268,700 achieved a mean grade of C+ or higher, qualifying them for placement in degree programs at 43 public and 31 private universities. The remaining 711,744 students, who scored between C plain and E, are eligible for placement in public colleges and TVET institutions.
In total, there are 251 public TVET colleges, including 33 university TVET institutes, available for student placement this year. The minimum requirement for degree program applications remains a C+ (plus), while applicants for TVET programs can apply with any KCSE grade from A to E, for exams taken between 2000 and 2025. Students who scored C+ and above in the same period are also eligible to apply for degree programs at the Open University of Kenya.
KUCCPS emphasized that student placement will be done on merit, taking into account applicants’ KCSE performance, their preferred courses, and available spaces in institutions, as outlined by the Universities Act, 2012.
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For the 2026/2027 academic year, universities and colleges have already submitted their course offerings and capacities for approval by education regulators, including the Commission for University Education (CUE) and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA).
This year, a total of 322,396 spaces have been approved for degree programs at universities, while TVET colleges and institutions have a capacity of 1,132,531 for diploma, certificate, and artisan-level courses. Additionally, the Secondary Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) have a capacity of 2,480.
To assist applicants throughout the application process, KUCCPS will deploy officers to various universities and TVET institutions across the country. These officers will be available to provide support, and more details will be published on the KUCCPS website at www.kuccps.ac.ke
Applicants can also seek assistance at all Huduma Centres nationwide.
By Obegi Malack
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