KUCCPS Cut-Off Points & Courses(Lookup Tool)
Search KUCCPS cut-off points for the 2026/2027 placement cycle by course, by university, or by your own cluster weight. Every programme below shows its KCSE 2025, 2024 and 2023 cut-offs side by side, so you can see whether a course is rising, falling, or stable before you commit a choice.
Short answer: A KUCCPS cut-off point is the cluster weight of the last student admitted to a course on merit in the previous placement cycle. KUCCPS does not fix it in advance — it is produced by demand: how many candidates applied for that course versus how many slots the university had. That is why it moves every year. You qualify for consideration when your cluster weight for that course is equal to or above its cut-off.
KUCCPS Cut-Off Points Lookup Tool
| Code | Programme | Institution | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|
What Is a KUCCPS Cut-Off Point?
A cut-off point is the cluster weight of the applicant who took the last available slot in a course on merit during the previous placement cycle. Three things follow from that definition, and they explain almost every question candidates ask:
- It is not set in advance. KUCCPS does not sit down and decide that Medicine will require 45 points this year. The figure is whatever the last admitted candidate scored once the slots ran out.
- It is driven by demand versus capacity. A popular course with few slots produces a high cut-off. A course with many slots and few applicants produces a low one, sometimes below 20 points.
- It moves every year. KCSE performance, how many candidates qualified, and how the crowd chose all shift the number. Last year's cut-off is a guide, not a guarantee.
Cluster Points vs Cut-Off Points
These two are confused constantly, and the confusion costs people placements.
| Cluster points (cluster weight) | Cut-off points | |
|---|---|---|
| Whose number is it? | Yours | The course's |
| Where it comes from | Your KCSE performance in the 4 subjects that matter for that degree, plus your overall performance | The lowest cluster weight admitted to that degree last cycle |
| Maximum | 48.000 | Cannot exceed 48.000 |
| Where to find it | students.kuccps.net after you log in | The programme list — or the tool above |
You have 20 different cluster weights, one per cluster. Your weight for Cluster 2 (Engineering) is not the same as your weight for Cluster 12 (Business). So "my points are 38" is meaningless on its own — always compare the right cluster weight against courses in that same cluster.
How to Check the Courses You Qualify For
- Go to the KUCCPS student portal at students.kuccps.net.
- Log in with your KCSE index number, your KCSE year, and your KCPE index number as the password (candidates without a KCPE index use the alternative credential KUCCPS issues).
- Open Programme Lists and note your cluster weights for all 20 clusters.
- Use the tool on this page: type your cluster weight into the box and the list narrows to programmes whose most recent cut-off sits at or below it.
- Confirm the subject requirements for each shortlisted programme before you commit a choice. Meeting the cut-off but missing a compulsory subject grade means automatic disqualification.
Filling all your choices with courses whose cut-offs are above your cluster weight is the single most common reason candidates go unplaced and end up in the revision window. Balance the list: one or two ambitious choices, two realistic ones at or just below your weight, and one safe choice several points below.
Which Courses Have the Highest Cut-Off Points?
Across the institutions listed above, the ceiling is consistently held by the same group. In the most recent cycle, Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nairobi topped the list at 46.069, followed by Dental Surgery (45.652), Pharmacy (45.234), Mechatronic Engineering at JKUAT (45.109) and Computer Science at UoN (44.970). Nursing, Clinical Medicine, Medical Laboratory Science, Law and Civil Engineering form the next tier, typically between 37 and 44 depending on the university.
Which Courses Have the Lowest Cut-Off Points?
The lowest published figures cluster around 14 to 22 points and sit in pure sciences, agriculture, arts, education and technology programmes at the less crowded institutions. Many programmes show a dash for the most recent year, meaning no merit cut-off was published — usually because slots were not competitively filled. Those are the most realistic targets for a candidate with a C+ who wants a degree rather than a specific title.
How to Use the 2025, 2024 and 2023 Columns
Read the three columns as a trend, not three separate facts:
- Rising across years — the course is getting more competitive. Leave yourself a margin of 1 to 2 points above the latest figure.
- Falling across years — demand is cooling. A course slightly above your weight is worth a lower-priority choice.
- Stable — the most predictable case. Treat the latest cut-off as a reliable planning figure.
- A dash in the latest column — no merit cut-off published that year. These are generally the easiest programmes to secure.
KUCCPS Cut-Off Points FAQ
What are KUCCPS cut-off points?
The cluster weight of the last student admitted to a course on merit in the previous placement cycle. It is not fixed in advance — it is the outcome of how many candidates applied for the course versus how many slots existed.
What is the difference between cluster points and cut-off points?
Cluster points are your personal score out of 48, calculated from your KCSE performance in the four subjects relevant to a specific degree. Cut-off points are the lowest cluster weight that got admitted to that degree last cycle. You are in contention when your cluster points meet or beat the cut-off.
What is the lowest cluster point for a degree?
The minimum entry requirement is a KCSE mean grade of C+ with the relevant subject grades. In practice the lowest published programme cut-offs sit around 14 to 21 points in low-demand science, arts and agriculture courses.
Are the 2026 cut-off points already out?
The programme lists for the 2026/2027 cycle publish the KCSE 2025, 2024 and 2023 cut-offs so you can choose realistically. The actual 2026 cut-off for a course is only known after placement is run, because it depends on this year's applications.
Can I be placed in a course whose cut-off is higher than my points?
Not above the line. Placement runs strictly on merit within available slots. However, a cut-off can drop below last year's figure if fewer candidates apply, so a course slightly above your weight is still worth a lower-priority choice.
Do public and private universities have different cut-offs?
Yes. Private universities participating in placement often carry lower cut-offs for the same course because demand for the government-sponsored slots there is lower. The tool above lets you filter public only, private only, or both.
My cluster weight is below every cut-off. What now?
Look at programmes showing a dash in the most recent column, consider a different cluster where your weight is stronger, or apply for a TVET diploma and ladder into a degree later. The course revision window is also an opportunity to re-choose realistically.
Not Sure Which Courses You Actually Qualify For?
Send us your KCSE results and cluster weights on WhatsApp. We'll check your options, shortlist realistic courses and help you submit or revise your KUCCPS choices correctly.
WhatsApp Us NowCut-off data reflects the programme lists published for the 2026/2027 placement cycle, showing KCSE 2025, 2024 and 2023 cut-offs. Verified September 2026. Always confirm against the official portal before submitting choices.
