Recent global university rankings by Times Higher Education have placed Kenyatta University (KU) at the top of Kenya’s higher education landscape, surpassing the historically dominant University of Nairobi (UoN). While this shift marks a significant change in the Kenyan academic scene, it highlights broader trends in teaching, research, and student demographics that shape the nation’s universities. Despite the internal reshuffling, none of Kenya’s universities have cracked the top 10 in Africa, a list dominated by institutions from South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana. This ranking reflects both achievements and struggles that Kenyan universities face as they seek to compete regionally and globally.
A key factor in university rankings is the quality of teaching, often measured through metrics like staff-to-student ratios, teaching reputation, and institutional income. In Kenya, the public university system has struggled with underfunding, leading to overcrowded classes and insufficient faculty support. Kenyatta University’s top spot in the national rankings can be seen as a relative success in navigating these issues, though its score of 14.2% on the teaching performance indicator suggests room for improvement. In contrast, the University of Nairobi, long regarded as Kenya’s academic flagship, scored 12.5%, reflecting a decline in teaching quality and student satisfaction.
This drop at UoN has been attributed to various factors, including the growing disconnect between university curricula and market demands, leading to reduced employability of graduates. Additionally, faculty strikes and low pay have worsened the teaching environment, a challenge exacerbated by a controversial funding model introduced last year. This model has faced resistance from lecturers and students alike, with concerns over inadequate financial resources to improve learning conditions. As Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, observes, “When you underfund university teaching, the result is often worse staff-to-student ratios and inadequate contact hours.”
Research remains a cornerstone of university rankings, and here too, Kenyan universities face considerable hurdles. The University of Nairobi continues to lead in research output with a score of 9.8%, slightly outperforming Kenyatta University’s 8.9%. However, when it comes to research quality—measured by citation impact and influence—UoN has a more pronounced advantage, scoring 37.3% compared to KU’s 27.2%. Despite this, these figures reflect the overall challenge Kenyan universities face in producing globally impactful research. A lack of funding, limited access to high-quality research infrastructure, and inconsistent government support have curbed the potential of Kenyan scholars to make significant contributions to global academic discussions.
The broader African landscape is similarly competitive, with universities from South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana dominating research indicators across the continent. These institutions have managed to secure greater research funding and form stronger partnerships with international academic bodies, allowing them to surpass their Kenyan counterparts in global rankings. Without a strategic focus on increasing research productivity and quality, Kenyan universities risk falling further behind.
One area where Kenyan universities lag considerably behind global and regional counterparts is international outlook. While exact figures were not provided, no Kenyan university is recognized for substantial international engagement in terms of student mobility, staff diversity, or cross-border research collaborations. This is in stark contrast to South African institutions like the University of Cape Town, which boasts strong international ties and attracts a large number of foreign students and scholars.
For Kenyan universities, increasing their international presence is crucial not just for rankings but also for enhancing their academic environments. Exposure to diverse perspectives and global academic standards can improve teaching and research quality, while also raising the profile of Kenyan institutions in the global education market. Currently, however, Kenyan universities remain predominantly inward-looking, with student bodies and faculty that are overwhelmingly local.
In a global and regional context, Kenyan universities face significant competition, particularly from better-resourced institutions in South Africa and Nigeria. These universities have succeeded in attracting international funding, forging research partnerships, and offering world-class education, positioning themselves as academic powerhouses on the continent. To compete, Kenyan universities must prioritize improving their research capabilities and expanding their international outreach.
Other top-ranked Kenyan universities include Amref International University, Egerton University, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Kabarak University, Kibabii University, Kisii University, Maasai Mara University, Machakos University, Catholic University of Eastern Africa, University of Eldoret, University of Kabianga, and Zetech University.
The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025 assess over 2,000 universities from 115 countries and territories, using an enhanced “WUR 3.0” methodology. This framework evaluates institutions across five key areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook. These rankings, draw on massive datasets, including over 18 million research publications and survey responses from more than 93,000 scholars worldwide.
