C1 to C4 are the four clusters that now replace the old national, extra-county, county and sub-county labels for senior schools. Each cluster depends on how many career pathways and subject combinations its schools can offer.
Source: Eastleigh Voice, 30 June 2025
What are the four levels of school?
The Star describes senior schools in four tiers: National (C1), Extra-County (C2), County (C3) and Sub-County (C4). The Ministry says the new model replaces the old classification and follows the 2023 report of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.
Source: The Star, 2025
Source: Eastleigh Voice, 30 June 2025
The table below shows each cluster with the count and placement figures from one Daily Nation report.
| Cluster | Old label | Schools in the cluster | Learners in the placement round |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | National | 204 public schools | 105,000 |
| C2 | Extra-county | 692 schools | Not reported |
| C3 | County | 1,373 schools | Not reported |
| C4 | Sub-county | 7,234 schools | 399,000 |
Source: Daily Nation, 23 December 2025
The counts come from one Daily Nation report, and that report shows no publication date. The Ministry's own cluster list was not opened, so the counts are unverified against it. The four counts also do not add up to the 9,383 secondary schools on the Ministry website, so do not quote them as official totals.
Source: Ministry of Education Kenya, 2026
What are C1, C2, C3, and C4 schools?
The clusters describe what a school can teach. Each cluster outlines the career pathways and subject combinations available at each school, so learners and parents can compare schools on those details. The three approved career pathways are Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports Science.
Source: Eastleigh Voice, 30 June 2025
Cluster 1 schools will offer all three pathways because of their superior infrastructure. Clusters 2, 3 and 4 must offer at least two pathways, and STEM is mandatory in them. Under the Basic Education Curriculum Framework, 60 percent of senior school learners are to be placed in the STEM pathway.
Source: Nation Media Group via Mwananchi, 30 June 2025
| Cluster | Pathways the school offers |
|---|---|
| C1 (national) | All three: STEM, Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports Science |
| C2, C3 and C4 | At least two, and STEM is compulsory |
Source: Nation Media Group via Mwananchi, 30 June 2025
Grade Nine candidates choose their senior schools using career pathways, gender, school type and location, among other factors. Placement decisions also weigh learner choice, merit, psychometric test results, regional equity or affirmative action, and school capacity. The current cycle covers about 1.2 million Grade Nine learners.
Source: Eastleigh Voice, 30 June 2025
Source: The Star, 2025
Senior schools will also have only three grades, which the ministry says frees up space in classrooms. That matters for parents who worry about places, because a school with few places can fill quickly in the higher clusters.
Source: Eastleigh Voice, 30 June 2025
Which are C1 schools in Kenya?
This article does not confirm a list of C1 schools. Items that could not be confirmed were checked on 26 October 2026. A Money254 C1 list appeared in search results only, and the page was not opened, so no school names from it are used here.
Check the Ministry of Education website at education.go.ke before you rely on any school name. To find a school yourself, use the school search or find schools near you.
Can you provide a list of county schools in Kenya?
A full list of Cluster 3 (county) schools is not confirmed. No official C3 list was opened for this article. Cluster 2 is different. Money254 has a list of extra-county (C2) schools covering all 47 counties.
Source: Money254, 2026
Browse every county to see which schools are near you, and check the Ministry site for the official cluster list.
Which is the only mixed national school in Kenya?
No source read for this article names a mixed national school, so this claim is unconfirmed. Do not repeat it until you have checked the school's own page or the Ministry site at education.go.ke. SchoolRegistry Kenya is a free, independent directory of every school in Kenya, so you can start with the school search.
How to check Grade 10 school selection?
Placement results are sent by SMS. According to The Star, parents and guardians send the learner's assessment number to 22263 at a cost of KSh 30 to receive placement results.
Source: The Star, 2025
The Star also reported that senior school placement letters are issued within one week after the KJSEA results are released. Learners were to access their placement letters before 25 December. Admission to senior schools was due to begin on 12 January 2026. That report is from 2025, so check whether these dates still apply.
| Step or date | What the report says |
|---|---|
| Placement letters | Issued within one week after KJSEA results are released |
| Access to letters | Before 25 December |
| Admission begins | 12 January 2026 |
| Placement results by SMS | Send the assessment number to 22263 for KSh 30 |
Source: The Star, 2025
The Ministry's senior school selection portal is named in Daily Nation and Eastleigh Voice reports as selection.education.go.ke. This article did not open that portal, so the step-by-step process is not confirmed. Check the official site before you act on any step.
Source: Daily Nation, 23 December 2025
Is there a top 20 list of C1 to C4 schools?
No top 10 or top 20 ranking of C1 to C4 schools is confirmed. No KCSE or performance ranking was read, and this was checked on 26 October 2026. No list of schools for girls or for STEM is confirmed either.
The clusters are based on each school's capacity to offer career pathways and subject combinations. Parents who want to compare schools can start with the school search.
Source: Eastleigh Voice, 30 June 2025
How many schools can learners choose?
The answer depends on which report you read. Money254 says the latest Grade 10 guidelines require learners to select eight schools, split across the clusters as shown below.
| Cluster | Schools to select |
|---|---|
| C1 (national) | 3 |
| C2 (extra-county) | 2 |
| C3 (county) | 2 |
| C4 (sub-county) | 1 |
| Total | 8 |
Source: Money254, 2026
The Daily Nation report says learners were given 12 school choices across C1 to C4 earlier in the year. The two reports disagree, so check the current rule on the official selection portal before you finalise your list.
Source: Daily Nation, 23 December 2025
Key figures to cite
- Senior schools fall into four clusters: C1 national, C2 extra-county, C3 county and C4 sub-county.
Source: Eastleigh Voice, 30 June 2025
- Only 204 public schools are Cluster 1 (national) schools, according to one Daily Nation report.
Source: Daily Nation, 23 December 2025
- The same report counts 692 Cluster 2 schools, 1,373 Cluster 3 schools and 7,234 Cluster 4 schools.
Source: Daily Nation, 23 December 2025
- Cluster 4 took the biggest share of placements, with 399,000 learners.
Source: Daily Nation, 23 December 2025
- Cluster 1 enrolled 105,000 learners in the same placement round.
Source: Daily Nation, 23 December 2025
- 60 percent of senior school learners are to be placed in the STEM pathway.
Source: Nation Media Group via Mwananchi, 30 June 2025
- About 1.2 million Grade Nine learners are in the current selection and placement process.
Source: Eastleigh Voice, 30 June 2025
- The Ministry of Education website counts 9,383 secondary schools.
Source: Ministry of Education Kenya, 2026
Read next
- KJSEA results and placement
- Top schools by KCSE
- International schools in Kenya
- How many schools are in Kenya?
- Boarding schools in Kenya
Looking for a school? Search every school on the register or find schools near you. We explain how the register is built on the methodology page.
Questions people ask
What does C4 stand for in school?
The pages read for this article say C1 to C4 are clusters, and they map them to national, extra-county, county and sub-county schools. They do not say what the letter C stands for, so that part is unconfirmed. Check education.go.ke for any official explanation.
Source: Eastleigh Voice, 30 June 2025
Which are C3 schools in Kenya?
No C3 school names were read on a page for this article, so no school is named here. In the Ministry grouping, C3 means county schools. Browse every county and check the official cluster list before you choose.
Source: Eastleigh Voice, 30 June 2025
Is an extra-county school the same as C2?
Yes. Under the new model, extra-county schools are Cluster 2. Money254 has a list of Cluster 2 schools covering all 47 counties.
Source: Money254, 2026
Why are there so few national schools in some regions?
The Daily Nation reports that in the Eastern region there are dozens of sub-county schools for every national school. That limits access to higher clusters for learners there. The ministry uses the CRA formula to spread students from all counties fairly across the four clusters.
Source: Daily Nation, 23 December 2025
Do C4 schools have to offer STEM?
Yes, under the rule reported by Nation Media Group. Clusters 2, 3 and 4 must offer at least two career pathways, and STEM is mandatory in them. Cluster 1 schools are expected to offer all three pathways because of their superior infrastructure.
Source: Nation Media Group via Mwananchi, 30 June 2025
How many secondary schools are there in Kenya?
The Ministry of Education website counts 9,383 secondary schools. The four cluster counts from the Daily Nation report do not add up to that figure, so use the Ministry number with care. Read more in the school count article.
Source: Ministry of Education Kenya, 2026
Are the cluster counts official?
Not yet. The counts come from one Daily Nation report with no date shown, and the Ministry's own cluster list was not opened. Treat them as unverified until you can compare them with the official list.
Source: Daily Nation, 23 December 2025
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