University admissions soar as admission levels drop

Admissions to public universities this year will hit an all-time high of 53,010 – a breezy 26% above last year’s – thanks to the rapid expansion of college places, writes Rawlings Otieno for Standard Digital. The increase in capacity has lowered the qualifying mark for this year’s freshmen to 61 from last year’s 63 points, the Joint Admissions Board ( JAB) announced during a media briefing.

The admissions body resolved that all the 53,010 candidates who scored a minimum aggregate of B of 61 points and above be admitted to the 22 public universities and their constituent colleges. However, women who scored two points lower than the cut-off mark will be admitted as part of the traditional affirmative action policy.

More than 69,900 candidates who attained the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education pass mark of C+ last year failed to meet the JAB mark. Many of these, as well as others who scored lower, are now expected to enrol in private universities at home and abroad and in self-sponsored programmes in the public universities.
Full report on the Standard site