Kenya's universities teach mainly in English. United States International University-Africa, a private university in Nairobi, admits undergraduate and graduate students for Fall, Spring and Summer semesters, and its 2026-2027 academic calendar sets a Spring 2027 undergraduate and MBA application deadline of 29 September 2026, a Summer 2027 deadline of 30 March 2027, and a Fall 2027 deadline of 29 June 2027 for all majors. International applicants whose prior studies were not in English need TOEFL iBT 79 or IELTS 6, or a grade C in the Cambridge Test of English Proficiency or in USIU-Africa's own English test, unless they come from a country where English is the official language. Students from outside East Africa at USIU-Africa pay 30 percent above local rates for tuition and mandatory fees; in 2025-2026 a 12-unit semester of a business bachelor's degree cost KES 171,600 in tuition, and a 15-unit semester of a computing degree cost KES 263,250 in tuition.
The Directorate of Immigration Services issues a Student's Pass to a foreigner who wishes to pursue education at an academic or training institution where they have been accepted or admitted. The educational institution's authorized personnel completes and stamps Form 30, and the institution sends a cover letter to the Director General of Immigration Services naming the course and its duration. Applicants provide a copy of their valid national passport bio-data page, their current immigration status if already in Kenya, recent passport-size colour photographs, and certified copies of academic certificates for those joining tertiary institutions. A sponsor provides a commitment letter and a passport copy, and self-sponsored students provide proof of funds. Minors need a parental consent letter, a copy of the parent's passport and a copy of the birth certificate. Applicants also provide a copy of the institution's registration certificate from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, a curriculum vitae, and, for adults, a police clearance certificate; renewal applicants attach their previously held Student's Pass, and refugees attach a clearance letter from the Department of Refugee Affairs. Documents in a foreign language must be translated into English by an embassy, a public notary or a recognized institution. The fee is 100 US dollars a year for applicants from outside the East African Community, and East African Community member states pay no fee. The Directorate's page does not publish a processing time, a required proof-of-funds amount, weekly work hours for pass holders, or a post-study work route.