More KCSE candidates choose TVET courses over university degrees as preference for practical skills grows

Although more than 200,000 candidates who sat the 2024 KCSE qualified for university admission, most are choosing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses, which better reflect the practical, skills-based learning emphasised by the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

Data from the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) shows that a total of 173,098 students were admitted to TVET institutions, surpassing the 156,713 placed in university degree programmes.

This marks the fourth consecutive year in which technical and vocational training has outpaced traditional university education in terms of student preference.

KUCCPS data reveals that placements to TVET institutions have consistently exceeded those to universities since the financial year ending June 2022.

The last time university placements outnumbered TVET admissions was in 2021, when 122,831 students were admitted to degree programmes, compared to 94,609 placed in TVET institutions. Since then, there has been a clear and steady shift toward technical education, a path now seen by many as more practical and aligned with the demands of the job market.

The 2025 Economic Survey further reinforces this shift, noting: “Total enrolment in TVET institutions grew by 10.4 per cent to 709,885 in 2024, with Eldoret National Polytechnic accounting for the largest proportion of student enrolment at 7.9 per cent of the total number of students enrolled in TVET institutions.”

CBC implementation

The rise in TVET enrolment has been widely attributed to the ongoing implementation of the competency-based curriculum (CBC), which is gradually replacing the 8-4-4 system. The CBC emphasises practical skill development over theoretical, exam-based learning, aligning naturally with the experiential and hands-on approach of vocational training.

Of the 962,512 candidates who sat the 2024 KCSE examination, 246,391 attained a mean grade of C+ and above, making them eligible for placement into degree programmes. However, a significant number are choosing to pursue diplomas, certificates, and artisan-level courses in TVET institutions instead.

At the same time, enrolment in diploma and certificate courses offered by universities is falling sharply. The University of Nairobi, for instance, recorded a 73 per cent drop in enrolment for such programmes, down from 824 students to only 220.

Kenyatta University registered a 66 per cent decrease, admitting just 700 students, while Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) saw enrolment dip by 55 per cent to 829 students.

The trend is similar at other institutions.

Moi University reported a 79 per cent decline to 68 students, Maasai Mara University saw a 64 per cent fall to 124, and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology posted a 44 per cent drop, with 532 students enrolled.

Legislative changes

The decline in non-degree university enrolments comes as policymakers consider legislative changes that could further restrict the scope of programmes universities are allowed to offer.

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• Education
• KUCCPS
• Certificates
• TVET courses
• diplomas
• artisan courses
• university admissions
• degree programmes
• More KCSE candidates choose TVET courses over university degrees as preference for practical skills grows
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The Universities (Amendment) Bill (No. 5) 2023, sponsored by Embakasi Central MP Benjamin Gathiru, proposes limiting universities to offering only degree and postgraduate programmes.

If passed, the law would effectively bar universities from admitting students to diploma and certificate courses, a segment that has long served as a critical revenue stream.

The National Assembly’s Committee on Education and Research, which is currently reviewing the Bill, noted that allowing universities to offer diploma and certificate courses has led to duplication of roles, congestion in university facilities and underutilisation of resources.