Medical and Health Courses You Can Do With C-, C and C+ in KCSE

Many students dream of a health career but are unsure whether their grade is enough. Health courses at diploma and certificate level ask for lower mean grades than medicine at degree level, so there are real options at C-, C and C+.

What the entry grades look like

According to Kenyans.co.ke (13 January 2026), KUCCPS opened 36 KMTC certificate and diploma programmes for students with C and D grades. Some courses need a C plain, others accept D+ or D depending on the subject combination. All courses except Mortuary Science need at least C- in English or Kiswahili and in Mathematics.

On CourseChecker, KMTC programmes in our data mostly ask for around C or C-. For example, the KMTC Diploma in Community Oral Health asks for C, while the Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics asks for C-.

Examples of health programmes to look at

• Nursing, clinical medicine, medical laboratory, pharmaceutical technology and community health at KMTC and other colleges
• Nutrition and dietetics, community oral health, health records and information
• Public health, nutrition and community health at degree level, for higher grades

Names and entry grades vary, so check the exact programme.

Subjects matter

Health courses usually ask for Biology, and often Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics at set grades. For example, a KMTC requirement listed on CourseChecker can read English or Kiswahili at C, Biology at C, and one of several science subjects at C-. Read each requirement carefully.

If your grade is just below

• Look at a lower level in the same field, such as a certificate.
• Retake a key subject as a private candidate if only one grade holds you back.
• Study at a college that accepts a lower mean grade, then upgrade later.

Check your health options

• See health courses and campuses at coursechecker.co.ke/college-courses and coursechecker.co.ke/institutions.
• See KMTC courses for each grade at coursechecker.co.ke/courses-by-grade.
• Enter your grades at coursechecker.co.ke/kmtc to see only the programmes you qualify for.

Sources

• Kenyans.co.ke, "KUCCPS Opens 36 KMTC Programmes Across Kenya for Eligible Form Four Leavers", 13 January 2026
• CourseChecker course data; confirm entry grades with KMTC and KUCCPS