UoN’s dominance ends as KU levels up in latest global university ranking
By Steve Ireri, October 11, 2025The University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University have tied in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, marking a historic shift that ends UoN’s long-standing dominance in global academic listings.
According to the report released by Times Higher Education, both universities are placed in the 1501+ band globally, sharing an identical overall score range of 10.3 to 27.2.
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The two institutions, which have for decades represented Kenya’s leading public universities, recorded closely aligned performances across the key assessment areas of teaching, research environment, research quality, industry income, and international outlook.
From the figures, Kenyatta University scored 14.3 in teaching, 9.1 in research environment, 34.2 in research quality, 17.4 in industry, and 54.6 in international outlook.
The University of Nairobi, on the other hand, posted 15.9 in teaching, 16.1 in research environment, 39.7 in research quality, 22.5 in industry, and 49.4 in international outlook.
Despite minor variations across specific indicators, both universities remain level overall, with neither outperforming the other in total ranking.
This equality, according to the report, reflects Kenya’s growing balance in higher education quality between its top-tier institutions.
The tie places Kenya’s two flagship universities among the 2,191 institutions ranked from 115 countries and territories in the 2026 edition, a list trusted globally by students, academics, governments, and industry experts.
The report further highlights that the University of Oxford retained the number one position in the world for the tenth consecutive year, driven by its strong research environment score.
Princeton University rose to joint third place alongside the University of Cambridge, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology held second place.
Globally, China registered an impressive climb with five universities now in the top 40, up from three last year. Hong Kong also secured a record six spots in the top 200, boosted by improved teaching metrics, while India achieved a new milestone by becoming the country with the second-highest number of ranked universities, behind only the United States.
In Kenya, several other universities, including Egerton University, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Kabarak University, Karatina University, Kibabii University, Machakos University, Mount Kenya University, Murang’a University of Technology, and Riara University, were listed as reporter institutions, indicating that they provided data but did not meet the ranking threshold.
For Kenyatta University, which has grown from a modest teachers’ college in 1970 to a leading public research university with over 70,000 students and 1,500 academic staff, the ranking signals a significant rise in global visibility.
The ranking noted that its recent emphasis on research quality, digital learning, and international collaborations has positioned it shoulder to shoulder with the University of Nairobi, which has long been perceived as Kenya’s academic powerhouse.
While the University of Nairobi has traditionally led regional rankings, the latest results demonstrate that Kenyatta University has now levelled up, effectively closing the gap that once separated them.