Kenya recorded a decline in PhD graduates even as the number of students graduating with master’s degrees and postgraduate diplomas increased, according to the Commission for University Education (CUE).
According to the Universities Statistics Report 2025, the number of PhD graduates fell from 1,022 in 2024 to 852 in 2025, a drop of 170 graduates, representing approximately 16.6 percent.
In contrast, master’s graduates increased from 7,943 in 2024 to 8,611 in 2025, while postgraduate diploma graduates rose from 672 to 1,026 over the same period.
“Master’s degrees grew from 7,943 (6.4%) to 8,611 (6.9%), postgraduate diplomas surged from 672 (0.5%) to 1,026 (0.8%), while PhD graduates contracted sharply from 1,022 (0.8%) to 852 (0.7%) — a decline of 170 in a single year,” read part of the report.
Bachelor’s degrees continued to account for the largest share of university graduates, representing 92.2 percent of the 123,928 graduates recorded in 2024 and 91.6 percent of the 124,912 graduates in 2025.
CUE Report Shows Distribution of Degree, Master’s and PhD Enrolment
The report also highlighted changes in gender representation across the different qualification levels.
At the PhD level, the gender gap narrowed from 20.4 percentage points in 2024 to 10.8 percentage points in 2025, as the number of male doctoral graduates declined more sharply than that of female graduates.
Additionally, CUE stated that at the postgraduate diploma level, female representation increased from 40.2 percent in 2024 to 49.4 percent in 2025, bringing the cohort closer to gender parity.
Master’s graduates maintained near gender parity in both years, while the gap between male and female bachelor’s graduates narrowed by one percentage point.
Overall, the number of university graduates increased by 984, from 123,928 in 2024 to 124,912 in 2025, with bachelor’s degrees remaining the dominant qualification.
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Gender Gap Narrows as Kenya’s PhD Graduates Fall to 852
According to CUE male PhD graduates fell from 615 in 2024 to 472 in 2025, while female graduates declined from 407 to 380 over the same period.
As a result, the gender gap narrowed from 20.4 percentage points in 2024 to 10.8 percentage points in 2025, with women accounting for 44.6 per cent of PhD graduates.
Despite the narrowing gap, women remain underrepresented at the doctoral level. Financial constraints, family responsibilities, limited mentorship opportunities and male-dominated research environments are among the structural barriers that can affect women’s progression into doctoral programmes.
At the master’s level, however, graduation figures show a more balanced gender distribution. Female graduates accounted for 3,993, or 50.3 per cent, of the 7,943 master’s graduates in 2024, compared with 3,948 men.
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The trend continued in 2025, when women made up 4,362, or 50.6 per cent, of the 8,611 master’s graduates, while men accounted for 4,249, or 49.3 per cent.
Research-focused master’s programmes equip graduates to work as research assistants, analysts, and policy advisers, while also preparing some to pursue doctoral studies.
The gender balance at this level suggests women are participating in postgraduate education at rates comparable to men, although the figures alone do not explain why disparities persist at bachelor’s and PhD levels.
“In 2024, females held a slim majority at 3,993 (50.3% of 7,943) against 3,948 males (49.7%), and this parity deepened slightly in 2025 with females at 4,362 (50.6% of 8,611) against 4,249 males (49.3%). It suggests that the structural barriers that disadvantage women at Bachelor’s level where the gender gap remains at approximately 7 percentage points in 2025 — and at PhD level are less pronounced at Master’s level,” read part of the report.
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