This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
According to a recent study by CPS International, a marketing and social research organisation, the University of Nairobi is the top public university in Kenya for graduate employability, with 38% of companies preferring to employ its graduates.
Kenya's other top public universities, including Kenyatta University, Moi University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture Technology (JKUAT), Egerton University, and Maseno University, follow closely behind, with 30%, 25%, 19%, 18%, and 18% of companies preferring their graduates, respectively.
Among private universities, Mount Kenya University leads the pack, with 18% of companies preferring its graduates, followed by United States International University-Africa, KCA University, Strathmore University, and Aga Khan University, with 6%, 6%, 5.8%, and 4.8% of companies preferring their graduates, respectively.
The study, which was conducted between November 2019 and January 2020, surveyed 67 universities and 50 organisations and found that for every 10 jobs available, eight are likely to be taken up by public university graduates, especially those from the University of Nairobi.
Professor Herman Manyora, the company's Lead Researcher, noted that the study had established that 81% of employed graduates are from local universities while 17% are from institutions abroad.
Executives from the companies surveyed also revealed that they mostly prefer graduates from ICT, economic studies, humanities, medical science, and social and behavioural sciences courses.
