The Engineering Cut-Off Points Standing Between Kenyan Students and University

For thousands of students who sat the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations, the next critical step is understanding exactly where their cluster points can take them.

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has published the cut-off points for engineering degree programmes across public universities, giving candidates a clearer picture of what is required to secure a place in some of the country's most competitive faculties.

These cut-off points represent the minimum cluster weight attained by the last student admitted to each programme during the previous placement cycle. The figures shift year on year, depending on course demand, available institutional slots, and the overall performance of candidates in the national examinations.

Civil Engineering remains among the more sought-after disciplines. The following cut-off points apply across institutions offering the programme:

- South Eastern Kenya University: 35.556

- Taita Taveta University: 34.293

- University of Embu: 36.545

The picture is more competitive for Electrical and Electronic Engineering:

- JKUAT: 42.755

- Kenyatta University: 42.271

- University of Nairobi: 42.208

- Dedan Kimathi University of Technology: 39.302

- Technical University of Kenya: 36.417

- Technical University of Mombasa: 36.417

Mechanical Engineering follows a similar pattern at the upper end:

- University of Nairobi: 41.798

- Kenyatta University: 40.925

- JKUAT: 40.562

- Egerton University: 39.003

- Technical University of Kenya: 38.945

- Chuka University: 36.952

- Machakos University: 36.61

- Technical University of Mombasa: 35.195

- Murang'a University of Technology: 35.822

- South Eastern Kenya University: 33.976

Some of the more specialised disciplines attract equally steep requirements:

- Technical University of Kenya, Aeronautical Engineering: 42.162

- JKUAT, Aerospace Engineering: 39.074

- University of Nairobi, Geospatial Engineering: 36.025

- Moi University, Mechanical and Production Engineering: 26.664

At the other end of the spectrum, Kirinyaga University offers entry points that are considerably more accessible. Its Bachelor of Technology in Renewable Energy requires 15.982, while Computer Systems Engineering stands at 15.683. These figures reflect programmes that provide pathways into technical careers for candidates whose cluster weights fall outside the range demanded by the larger universities.

The cut-off system works by arranging applicants in descending order of cluster weight. Available slots are filled from the top down, and the cluster weight of the last student placed becomes the official cut-off for that programme at that institution. The figures published are therefore not minimum requirements set in advance but outcomes of the previous cycle's competition.

A total of 270,715 candidates scored a mean grade of C+ and above in the 2025 KCSE examinations, accounting for 27.18 percent of all candidates. Of these, 1,932 attained the highest grade of A. All qualifying students have been advised to monitor the KUCCPS portal for the opening of the application window. Candidates can log in using their KCSE index number and KCPE index number as the password, then navigate to "All Programmes" to view the full list.