Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Kenya
Kenya: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) was 611,146 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Kenya, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Kenya stood at 611,146. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 23.7% on the previous year and up 45.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Kenya peaked at 611,146 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 7,795, in 1970.
That places Kenya 48th out of 200 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 7,795 | — |
| 1971 | 8,591 | +10.2% |
| 1972 | 8,379 | -2.5% |
| 1973 | 9,896 | +18.1% |
| 1974 | 11,351 | +14.7% |
| 1976 | 9,407 | -17.1% |
| 1977 | 9,146 | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 9,904 | +8.3% |
| 1979 | 11,746 | +18.6% |
| 1980 | 12,986 | +10.6% |
| 1981 | 13,398 | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 18,444 | +37.7% |
| 1984 | 20,072 | +8.8% |
| 1985 | 21,756 | +8.4% |
| 1987 | 26,839 | +23.4% |
| 1989 | 31,287 | +16.6% |
| 2000 | 89,016 | +184.5% |
| 2001 | 94,629 | +6.3% |
| 2002 | 98,115 | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 108,407 | +10.5% |
| 2005 | 113,532 | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 167,983 | +48.0% |
| 2015 | 421,134 | +150.7% |
| 2016 | 539,749 | +28.2% |
| 2017 | 562,521 | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 527,833 | -6.2% |
| 2023 | 494,035 | -6.4% |
| 2024 | 611,146 | +23.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 611,146 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 252,098, 2.4× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 611,146 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 83,195, 7.3× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +184.5% | 31,287 | 89,016 |
| 2015 | +150.7% | 167,983 | 421,134 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9,579 | 7,795 | 11,746 | 9 |
| 1980s | 20,683 | 12,986 | 31,287 | 7 |
| 2000s | 111,947 | 89,016 | 167,983 | 6 |
| 2010s | 512,809 | 421,134 | 562,521 | 4 |
| 2020s | 552,590 | 494,035 | 611,146 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More education data for Kenya
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 168,396 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 235,728 (2016)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.44 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.44 million (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.74 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 8.04 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.7181 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1453 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Kenya?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Kenya was 611,146 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 611,146 in 2024.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 7,795 in 1970.
- How does Kenya rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
- Kenya ranks 48th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 45.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release