Garissa University (GarU)

Established in 2017 as Garissa University College, a constituent college of Moi University, and chartered in 2017, Garissa University is located in Garissa Town, Garissa County. The university serves over 4,200 students across its Main Campus.

The university operates four schools including Education, Business and Economics, Arts and Social Sciences, and Science and Natural Resources. Its location in Kenya's North Eastern region gives it a critical mandate to expand higher education access in a historically marginalised area.

Accredited by CUE and the IUCEA, the university ranks 39th nationally. It is the only public university headquartered in Garissa County, serving as the primary gateway to higher education for the pastoralist communities of Kenya's North Eastern region.

Garissa University's research focuses on arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), education in marginalised regions, and ICT for development. The School of Science and Natural Resources conducts research on drought resilience, water management, and sustainable pastoralist livelihoods suited to the arid conditions of north-eastern Kenya. The School of Education investigates strategies for improving educational access and quality in marginalised, predominantly pastoralist communities, while the School of Business and Economics researches informal cross-border trade and pastoralist enterprise models. Partnership with UNHCR supports research on refugee education and integration, connecting the university to the Dadaab refugee camp complex. The IUCEA affiliation ensures regional standards compliance. The School of Arts and Social Sciences contributes research on conflict resolution, governance, and social cohesion in a region affected by security challenges. Research output, though growing from a low base, increasingly informs county-level education policy, ASAL development strategies, and humanitarian programming across Garissa, Wajir, and the broader north-eastern region.

A C+ mean grade is the minimum for a Bachelor's degree; competitive programmes (medicine, engineering, law, nursing, architecture) require higher grades and specific KCSE subject clusters. Master's programmes require a relevant Bachelor's degree; PhD programmes a relevant Master's degree.