The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has opened the application portal for degree courses.

In a statement, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced that the 2026 application cycle has officially opened and that the KUCCPS placement portal will remain open until May 6, 2026.

“This afternoon, I received a brief on the 2026/2027 Academic Year placement cycle from the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS),” stated CS Ogamba.

“The placement cycle has officially opened today, with the KUCCPS placement portal remaining open until 6th May, 2026.”

KCSE candidates can apply by logging in to their KUCCP portal.

Students can apply for courses at 40 public universities, 29 private universities, and the Open University of Kenya (OPUK).

How to apply for KUCCPS placement

  • To apply, candidates should access the KUCCPS website online via (http://students.kuccps.net) and select the student’s portal under the ‘portals’ option. 
  • After accessing the website, create an account by entering the required details.
  • Then log in to the portal using your KCSE Index number, Year of KCSE, and password, which should be your KCPE index number or birth certificate number.
  • Upon logging in, the candidate will access the dashboard, which displays the number of institutions and courses offered.
  • Proceed to view the various universities or colleges available for placement under the institutions tab.
  • Select your preferred courses by adding them to your basket, and note their respective codes.
  • To apply, click the “Application” tab, then “Apply Now”. 
  • Enter the Programme Codes in the provided form, arranging them in your order of priority, starting with your most preferred course at choice number one (1a, 1b, and 1c), which should be the same course in three different universities. Follow with your other choices in your order of priority.
  • After entering the Programme Codes for all the courses that you are applying for, click Submit.
  • Upon submission, the question “Would you like to be placed in any other programme in case you don’t secure your choices?” will appear. Respond by choosing ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Choosing ‘Yes’ means that you have allowed KUCCPS to place you in any other course/institution if you do not secure any of those you have selected.
  • Click Submit. You will be required to pay Ksh1,500, and the portal will displaya variety of payment options via eCitizen. Choose the one that suits you and proceed with payment.
  • Log out after submitting your application by clicking your Index Number displayed on the top right corner of the portal.

How Students Selected Universities in 2025

In 2025, more than 8,000 students who qualified for university degree entry through the KUCCPS placement chose diploma courses instead.

According to the student placement service, 8,130 candidates who scored C+ or higher, making them eligible for university degree programs, opted to apply to diploma programs. 

The chosen institutions included the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), the Kenya School of Law, and the Morendat Institute of Oil and Gas.

At the same time, there was a slow uptake of the university placements, with KUCCPS data showing that only 104,514 out of 246,391 eligible candidates had applied for degree programs.

This meant that over half of the qualified candidates had yet to choose their university courses.

Chief Executive Officer Agnes Mercy Wahome, while speaking to Business Daily, urged students to consider under-enrolled programs like agriculture at the degree level.

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KUCCPS Re-opens Applications for KMTC Placement; How to Apply
A collage of some of Kenya’s universities. Photo/UON, KU, Egerton