KCSE 2024: National schools continue to showcase academic dominance as private schools rise
Schools from metropolitan counties, particularly Nairobi and Kiambu, dominated the rankings.
The 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam results have highlighted notable shifts in Kenya's educational landscape.
Private schools have made impressive gains, while national schools have continued to showcase their academic dominance.
More To Read
- Kenya faces funding challenge as record number of students qualify to join universities
- Orphaned girl from Garissa who beat odds to score A- in KCSE aims at becoming a medical doctor
- Coast region celebrates as top students shine in 2024 KCSE results
- Over 40,000 students score Grade E in 2024 KCSE exams
Merishaw School, a private institution in Kajiado County, has emerged as the top performer in the 2024 exams.
With a mean score of 10.569, Merishaw topped the rankings, surpassing traditional academic giants.
The school, which charges higher fees than national schools, presented 51 candidates, seven of whom earned straight A grades.
Merishaw proudly declared, "One hundred per cent university admissions!"
Behind Merishaw, the national schools upheld their dominance.
The following were the top schools in the 2024 KCSE exams:
1. Merishaw School, Kajiado County – Mean score: 10.569
2. Alliance High School, Kiambu County – Mean score: 10.31
3. Kapsabet Boys, Nandi County – Mean score: 10.145
4. Kenya High School, Nairobi County – Mean score: 10.131
5. Starehe Boys, Nairobi County – Mean score: 10.112
6. Strathmore School, Nairobi County – Mean score: 10.087
7. Maryhill Girls High School, Kiambu County – Mean score: 10.051
8. Alliance Girls High School, Kiambu County – Mean score: 10.038
9. Mang’u High School, Kiambu County – Mean score: 10.011
10. Light Academy, Nairobi County – Mean score: 10
Schools from metropolitan counties, particularly Nairobi and Kiambu, dominated the rankings.
Besides Merishaw and Kapsabet Boys, the top 10 schools were mainly from these regions, showing the growing influence of urban institutions in shaping national academic performance.
In the broader top 20, schools from other regions also performed well. Moi High School Kabarak (Nakuru), Friends School Kamusinga (Bungoma), and Pangani Girls (Nairobi) were among the prominent performers.
The 2024 KCSE results marked several milestones.
For the first time, more girls (482,202) than boys (480,310) sat the exams.
Additionally, a record 246,391 students scored a mean grade of C+ and above, qualifying for university admission. Notably, performance improvements were observed in 17 out of the 30 subjects tested.
However, some traditional powerhouses like Kabarak High School and Mudasa Academy experienced a decline in rankings.
The rise of Merishaw School shows a shift in the private schools' standing in national academic competition.
Regional trends were also evident, with schools from the Coast, Western, and Nyanza regions making significant progress.
Sheikh Khalifa High School and Light Academy Mombasa were in the top 50, while Maseno School, Maranda High School, and Kiage Tumaini High School represented Nyanza strongly.
Friends School Kamusinga and St Brigid's Girls Kiminini maintained their top positions in Western.