The short answer
Yes — Kenyan students study in Germany in English (no German needed at the universities you can apply to through Craydel). A KCSE mean around C+ wins direct bachelor's entry; tuition is about €12,193/yr (≈ KES 1.8m) with scholarships up to 50%. The visa needs €11,904 (≈ KES 1.8m) in a blocked account, and you apply at the German Embassy in Nairobi.
Yes — Kenyan students can and do study in Germany, and for many it’s the most affordable route to a respected European degree. This guide walks the journey from Nairobi: which English-taught universities you can apply to, the grades you need — KCSE, A-Levels, IB or IGCSE — what a year costs in shillings, and the student visa step by step. For the wider picture — costs, scholarships, work rights and staying on — start with our complete guide to studying in Germany.
Can Kenyan students study in Germany?
Yes. You don’t need to speak German — the universities you can apply to through Craydel teach in English. The path has five steps: choose a course, get your offer, open a blocked account and take health insurance, then Craydel prepares your visa application and you lodge it at the German Embassy in Nairobi, and finally you travel and enrol.
Zoe Craydel, Senior counsellor, Craydel Germany
Which universities can you apply to?
Through Craydel you can apply to 20+ English-taught universities — including SRH University, the University of Europe for Applied Sciences, IU International, Constructor University, Macromedia, EU Business School and Gisma — strongest in business, IT, AI/data, and creative fields. See our universities guide. Germany’s tuition-free public universities are an option too, but they teach in German and you apply directly — see study in Germany for free.
What grades do you need? KCSE, A-Levels, IB, IGCSE
Entry is set per course, and Kenyan students arrive with all sorts of qualifications — the national KCSE, or the international curricula many Nairobi schools offer. Here is how German universities assess each one for direct bachelor’s entry, and the route in if you sit below the line.
| Your qualification | Direct bachelor’s entry | If you’re below the line |
|---|---|---|
| KCSE (8-4-4) | Mean around C+ | Foundation year from a mean of D, then the degree |
| A-Levels (Cambridge / British) | Around CCC (a little higher or lower by course) | Foundation year |
| IB Diploma | On points — the full diploma (24+) meets many courses; selective ones want ~27–30 | Assessed per course; foundation if below |
| IGCSE / O-Levels only | Rarely enough on their own | Foundation year, then progress into the degree |
| American / AP | On GPA, assessed per course | Per course |
Good news for Kenyan students: the IB is accepted at nearly every university in our German network, with A-Levels and KCSE at almost as many — IGCSE-only and American profiles are taken by fewer, so a counsellor checks your exact profile against real course lines. Whatever your curriculum, there is no German exam on this route; you prove English instead, usually around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (set per course).
Your grade alone isn’t the whole picture. Direct entry also depends on your subjects and the specific programme. If you sit below a course’s line, a foundation year or a “bachelor’s with an integrated foundation year” gets you in, then you progress into the degree.
How much does it cost from Kenya?
Tuition at the English-taught universities starts from about €6,450 a year (≈ KES 961k) — a fraction of Australia or the UK. Grade-based scholarships can cut that by up to 50%. Separately, the visa requires you to prove €11,904 (≈ KES 1.8m) in a blocked account for living costs.
| Item | Amount | ≈ KES |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest programmes from | €6,450 | ≈ KES 961k |
| Blocked account (living funds) | €11,904 | ≈ KES 1.8m |
Median first-year fees net of discounts; blocked-account figure set by the German government. KES indicative (≈ 149/€); rates move.
Prefer to talk it through with someone in Nairobi?
Craydel’s counsellors shortlist English-taught German courses on fit and cost — with no agent fees to you — and guide the blocked account and visa.
The student visa from Nairobi
Kenyan students apply for a national (type D) student visa at the German Embassy in Nairobi — and this is the step Craydel manages for you. Rather than leaving you to work it out alone, Craydel prepares and manages your visa application end to end: assembling and checking the documents, setting up the €11,904 blocked account and German-recognised health insurance, confirming the current APS position, and getting your file embassy-ready — then guiding you through the in-person biometrics appointment you attend in Nairobi. Kenya currently has no APS-certificate requirement (unlike India, China or Vietnam), but Craydel confirms the latest position with the Embassy before you lodge. Start a few months ahead, especially for the October intake (April is the smaller second intake). Full detail in our German student visa guide.
Work, post-study and staying on
140 days a year
Work up to 140 full days (about 20 hours a week in term) to help with living costs.
18-month job search
Stay 18 months to find work related to your degree.
Route to residence
A work permit or EU Blue Card leads towards permanent residence.
Up to 50% off
Grade-based awards at several universities cut tuition — see our scholarships guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I study in Germany from Kenya?
Yes. Kenyan students study in Germany every intake, in English — no German needed for the universities you can apply to through Craydel. You choose a course, get an offer, open a blocked account (€11,904 ≈ KES 1.8m) and take health insurance, then lodge a national student visa at the German Embassy in Nairobi.
What grades do I need — with KCSE, A-Levels, IB or IGCSE?
Across the English-taught programmes in our data, a KCSE mean of about C+ meets direct bachelor’s entry; below that, a foundation year (from D) is the route in. International curricula are assessed too — Cambridge A-Levels around CCC, the IB Diploma on points (24–30, not a letter grade), and IGCSE/O-Levels via a foundation year. American/AP is assessed on GPA per course. There’s no German exam; you prove English, usually around IELTS 6.0–6.5.
How much does it cost to study in Germany from Kenya?
Tuition starts from about €6,450 a year (≈ KES 961k), with scholarships up to 50% off. Separately, the visa needs €11,904 (≈ KES 1.8m) in a blocked account for living costs. Public universities are tuition-free but German-taught.
Do I need to speak German?
Not for the English-taught universities you can apply to through Craydel. Public (tuition-free) universities mostly teach in German. Some German still helps daily life and part-time work.
Sources
- Craydel course, campus and admissions data (2026) — English-taught universities, fees, entry thresholds by curriculum (KCSE, A-Level, IB, IGCSE, American), scholarships, work/post-study.
- Exchange rates for USD→EUR/KES conversion (2026); indicative only.
- Federal Foreign Office / German Embassy Nairobi — student visa, blocked account (€11,904), APS. make-it-in-germany.com
Want this built around your grades and budget?
A Craydel counsellor will shortlist Germany universities that fit what you can actually afford — free.
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