Strathmore University has overtaken Kenyatta University and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) in the latest national university rankings.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

According to a report by UniRank obtained by Kenyans.co.ke , the University of Nairobi retained its top position as the country's leading institution of higher learning, with over 60 Kenyan universities featured in the list.

Strathmore University climbed to second place even as Kenyatta University dropped to third, with Mount Kenya University ranked fourth and JKUAT fifth.

Strathmore’s sudden rise to second place marks one of the most notable changes in the 2026 rankings , depicting intensified competition among Kenya’s leading universities.

📌 What You Need to Know

The latest rankings assessed 69 accredited universities and colleges across the country based on factors including institutional popularity, web presence and academic visibility.

United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) was ranked sixth nationally, followed by Moi University in seventh and Egerton University in eighth place.

The Technical University of Kenya (TUK) and Kenya Methodist University completed the top ten rankings, Catholic University was ranked eleventh, ahead of KCA University in twelfth and Murang’a University in thirteenth position.

Maseno University secured the fourteenth spot, while the University of Embu was ranked fifteenth, with Daystar University and Pwani University following in sixteenth and seventeenth positions, respectively.

Among universities ranked between 18th and 25th were Zetech, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Tangaza, Kabarak, Chuka, Kisii, Masinde Muliro and Africa Nazarene Universities.

Kirinyaga University, the University of East African Baraton, Kibabii University and the Technical University of Mombasa also featured in the mid-table rankings.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke