The University of Nairobi (UoN) has emerged as the top university in Kenya, according to the latest rankings by EduRank, a platform that ranks universities from 183 countries.

UoN was ranked first in Kenya and eighth in Africa, beating its rival Kenyatta University (KU), which came second, and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), which came third.

The rankings were based on factors such as academic and employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, citations in research, and international research collaborations.

Below is the list of the best universities in Kenya

 University of Nairobi (UoN)

The University of Nairobi was ranked first in Kenya, 805th globally, and 8th in Africa. The higher ranking was attributed to the institution’s advancements in research output with over 20,000 publications, offering the best courses that recorded the highest admission.

UoN’s more than 100 notable alumni, including President William Ruto, Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and Kenyan Lawyer James Orengo, also played a role in the ranking.

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Kenyatta University

Kenyatta University (KU) secured the second spot in Kenya, ranking 2135th globally and 36th in Africa with 8,541 academic publications, 85,581 citations, and 16 notable alumni.

JKUAT

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) came in third, ranked 2613th globally, bolstered by its 10,000 academic publications, notable non-academic reputations and an impact from 5 notable alumni.

Strathmore University

Strathmore University ranked 4th in Kenya, 3100th in the global 2025 rating, with over 1,000 academic publications and 10,000 citations.

The institution has the impact of 4 notable alumni in Kenya and a good non-academic reputation.

Mount Kenya University

Mount Kenya University ranked 5th in Kenya, 3203rd in the global 2025 rating with over 2,000 academic publications, 8,435 citations attributed to the university, and a non-academic reputation.

Other Universities that appeared in the top 10 best universities include Moi University, Egerton, Technical University of Kenya (TUK), Catholic University and Pwani University.