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The Co-operative University of Kenya (CUK)

Kenya's specialised co-operative and business university in Karen, Nairobi, training finance and development professionals.

County
Nairobi
Established
1968
Students
6,500
Employment rate
75%

The institution

Who they are, how big, and how they rank.

About

Established in 1947 as the East Africa School of Co-operation, the Co-operative University of Kenya (CUK) was chartered in 2016 as a full public university. Located in Karen, Nairobi, the university serves over 8,000 students across its Main Campus and satellite centres in Mombasa, Kisumu, and Kitale.

The university operates schools of Business, Co-operative and Community Development, Computing and Information Technology, Education, and Graduate Studies. Its co-operative management and microfinance programmes are unique in Kenya, serving the country's large co-operative movement.

Accredited by CUE, CUK ranks 33rd nationally. Its specialised focus on co-operative business, microfinance, and community development makes it the only university in Kenya dedicated to training professionals for the co-operative sector.

The numbers

Annual fees
Ksh 80,000 to Ksh 250,000
Student to staff
20:1
Mode of study
Full-time, Part-time, Distance Learning
Charter status
Chartered
Chartered
2016
Scholarships
None recorded

Research

Cuk focuses on research in cooperative governance, sustainable enterprise, and financial inclusion, publishing in journals such as the journal of co operative studies. the school of co operatives and community development conducts research on co operative governance, sacco management, and community based enterprise models that directly inform kenya's co operative sector policy. the school of business and economics investigates microfinance, value chain financing, and entrepreneurial development within the co operative framework. partnerships with the international co operative alliance (ica) and the international labour organization (ilo) support collaborative research on co operative business models and decent work. collaboration with the co operative college of manchester (uk) enables faculty exchange and benchmarking of co operative education standards. the university engages extensively with county governments to train and capacitate devolved co operative structures. research output increasingly informs national co operative policy, sacco regulation, and financial inclusion strategies, bridging academic scholarship with the practical needs of kenya's co operative movement.

Accredited by

  • Commission for University Education (CUE)
  • International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)

What they teach

Faculties, departments and the programmes on offer.

Admission requirements

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.

Intakes

  • January
  • May
  • September

Schools and faculties

4 in total
  • School of Co-operatives and Community Development

    Main Campus, Karen

  • School of Business and Economics

    Main Campus, Karen

  • School of Computing and Mathematics

    Main Campus, Karen

  • Institute of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

    Main Campus, Karen

Campus and beyond

Where you would be, and who they are connected to.

Campuses

Main campus
CUK Main Campus, Karen, Nairobi
  • Main Campus (Karen)

    Nairobi

    Karen, along Langata Road, Nairobi

  • Nairobi Centre

    Nairobi

    NTI Building, Nairobi CBD

On campus

  • Library
  • Computer Labs
  • Lecture Halls
  • Student Hostels
  • Sports Ground
  • Cafeteria
  • Co-operative Training Centre

Notable alumni

  • Cooperative movement leaders and managers
  • Business and finance professionals from Nairobi

International partnerships

3 institutions
  • International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)
  • International Labour Organization (ILO)
  • Co-operative College of Manchester (UK)

Further reading

Keep this

Entry marks, intakes and fees at The Co-operative University of Kenya are restated each year. Save it and the app keeps this version, so you can see what changed when it does.