Form Four leavers and other eligible candidates have until midnight Wednesday to submit or adjust their applications on the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service portal, before the system is closed for the current university and college intake cycle.
Since April 8, the portal has been open for applicants seeking admission into degree programmes, diploma and certificate courses across universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions, Kenya Utalii College, Kenya Medical Training College, and teacher training colleges. During this period, KUCCPS has been urging students to complete their applications in good time, repeatedly stating, “KUCCPS is leaving no one behind! What are you waiting for? Log in to http://students.kuccps.ac.ke and apply now!” as part of its push to ensure wide participation.
With the deadline now just hours away, candidates who are yet to finalise their choices are making last-minute adjustments before the portal is switched off. Once the clock hits midnight, no new applications or changes will be accepted until the next placement cycle.
To qualify for degree programmes, applicants must have attained at least a C+ in the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations. Candidates from earlier years who are seeking admission into the Open University of Kenya are also part of the process. For technical and vocational training programmes, learners with grades ranging from A to E remain eligible for different course levels.
Applicants have been advised to safely keep their payment reference numbers, which will be required for any future revisions or follow-ups during the placement process. KUCCPS has also directed students to rely on the 2024 cut-off points available on its portal, noting that the 2025 cluster points will only be established after the application window closes.
The cut-off marks for each course are based on the lowest cluster weight among those ultimately placed, making previous years’ figures a key reference for applicants when selecting courses.
Data from the education sector shows continued expansion in learning institutions. According to the 2026 Economic Survey, universities increased from 72 to 74, while TVET institutions grew by 370 newly accredited centres to reach 3,126 in 2025. Teacher training colleges also rose to 98.
Enrolment trends show mixed performance across the sector. TVET institutions recorded a 17.3 per cent rise in total enrolment to 825,484 in 2025, while vocational training colleges registered a 7.4 per cent drop to 147,680 learners. Private technical and vocational institutions recorded a sharp 79.7 per cent increase in enrolment, reaching 196,790, driven by growing demand for skills-based training.
Despite this growth, placement into TVET programmes for the 2025–26 academic year dropped across several categories. Diploma courses fell by 2.6 per cent, certificate programmes by 13.7 per cent, and artisan courses by 24.2 per cent.
University placement, however, moved in the opposite direction, rising from 157,762 in 2024–25 to 182,391 in 2025–26. Public universities recorded an 18.2 per cent increase to 164,518 students, while private universities declined by 3.7 per cent to 17,873.
Once the portal closes at midnight, KUCCPS will begin processing applications and preparing placements, marking the next stage for thousands of students transitioning from secondary school into higher education and training institutions across the country.