KUCCPS: Teacher Training Applications Exceed Capacity Following Reform-Driven Entry Grade Adjustment.
The Ministry of Education has confirmed that 310,502 students have been placed to various universities, colleges and tertiary institutions for the 2024 academic year. The exercise by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has shown a surge in demand for nursing and teacher education programmes.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced the news on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. KUCCPS placed 194,372 students who scored C+ and above in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination into degree, diploma and certificate programmes.
Ogamba said teacher training programmes saw a significant increase in demand following the adjustments to entry requirements recommended by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform.
20,786 applications were received for diploma programmes in teacher education against a national training capacity of 13,823. KUCCPS placed 11,636 applicants to these programmes with 10,800 admitted to Diploma in Primary Teacher Education and 836 admitted to Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education.
The Cabinet Secretary also announced that the Diploma in Law offered by the Kenya School of Law (KSL) was included on the KUCCPS platform for the first time. The programme received 500 applications.
In the first phase of the placement exercise focused on Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, 93,207 applicants were placed in government-sponsored TVET colleges. 52,725 qualified candidates applied to KMTC.
The Ministry of Education noted a huge shortage in available training slots for nursing programmes. Despite a cumulative capacity of 2,986, KUCCPS received 27,000 applications for nursing courses. Ogamba said, “The highest number of applicants at 27,000 is an indication that the demand for nursing programmes is growing.”
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In total 25,034 students have been placed in KMTC programmes. Of these 6,750 students scored C+ and above in the 2024 KCSE examination. Other health-related programmes that received high application volumes at KMTC include clinical medicine, surgery, medical emergency technician and community health.
This is the first full implementation of the reforms that will align training to national human resource needs especially in health and education. The Ministry will continue to expand capacity in areas of high demand through policy and infrastructure development.
KUCCPS: Teacher Training Applications Exceed Capacity Following Reform-Driven Entry Grade Adjustment.