- University of Nairobi is Kenya’s top university again
- Ranked 952 globally and 14th in Africa
- Beat Kenyatta University and all other local institutions
- Only Kenyan university in global top 1,000
University of Nairobi has once again emerged as Kenya’s highest-ranked university, cementing its dominance in the latest UNIRANKS 2026 World University Rankings.
According to the newly released rankings, UoN placed 952nd globally and 14th in Africa, making it the only Kenyan institution to break into the global top 1,000.
Out of 47 verified universities in Kenya, only eight were classified as Top by Country, six as Top by Region (Africa), while just one earned the prestigious Elite University status a title claimed by UoN.
UNIRANKS noted that Kenya continues to grow as a higher education hub, with universities evaluated based on academic performance, research output, global visibility, and institutional credibility.
In this assessment, the University of Nairobi emerged as the strongest performer, scoring 77.35 points and receiving the UNIRANKS Platinum Award.
Founded in 1970, UoN has built a strong reputation for research excellence, academic diversity, and community impact.
The institution offers a wide range of programmes including medicine, engineering, law, agriculture, education, social sciences, and technology, factors that have significantly boosted its global standing.
In comparison, Kenyatta University ranked 2015th globally with a score of 66.89, earning recognition for quality education and community engagement but still trailing UoN by a wide margin.
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology followed closely with a global rank of 2176 and a score of 65.57, praised for its focus on research, innovation, and technology-driven programmes.
Other Kenyan universities also featured in the rankings, including Moi University, Egerton University, Strathmore University, Maseno University, the Technical University of Kenya, and Mount Kenya University, among others.
While many showed steady performance, none came close to UoN’s global position.
The latest rankings reaffirm the University of Nairobi’s status as Kenya’s academic powerhouse and a leading institution on the African continent, further strengthening its appeal to students, researchers, and international partners seeking globally competitive education.
University Rank 2026 Score Moi University 2261 64.91 Egerton University 2940 60.11 Strathmore University Nairobi 3501 56.18 Maseno University 3880 53.42 Technical University of Kenya 4042 52.25 United States International University 5419 45.64 Catholic University of Eastern Africa 6007 43.32 Mount Kenya University 6498 41.32 Daystar University 6598 40.93 Kenya Methodist University 6761 40.24 Masinde Muliro University of Science & Technology 6800 40.1 Dedan Kimathi University of Technology 7433 38.05 Kabarak University 7598 37.6 Meru University of Science & Technology 8486 35.5 University of Eldoret 8516 35.42 Saint Paul’s University Limuru 8518 35.42 University of Eastern Africa Baraton 8905 34.65 African Virtual University 9023 34.4 Karatina University 9049 34.33 Kenya Forestry Research Institute 9155 34.11 Machakos University 9225 33.96 Murang’a University of Technology 9300 33.82 University of Embu 9320 33.78 KCA University 9362 33.7 Africa Nazarene University 9429 33.58 South Eastern Kenya University 9645 33.21 Multimedia University of Kenya 10053 32.41 Pwani University 10525 31.55 Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science & Technology 10750 31.13 Zetech University 11464 29.79 Chuka University 11483 29.77 University of Kabianga 11532 29.68 Africa International University 11543 29.65 Kisii University 11559 29.62 Masai Mara University 11644 29.42 Pan Africa Christian University 11718 29.27 Kenya Medical Training College 11892 28.98 Riara University 12012 28.77 Technical University of Mombasa 12164 28.46 Great Lakes University of Kisumu 12230 28.33 Kenya School of Government
