C1 national senior schools

Cluster 1 (C1) is the top tier of public senior schools on the Ministry of Education’s list. It has 253 schools, and every county has at least one. C1 is made up of the former national schools. Reporting by the Nation describes these schools as offering all three pathways: STEM, Social Sciences, and Arts & Sports Science. Every C1 school is a boarding school. Of the 253, 108 are boys’ schools, 110 are girls’ schools and 35 are mixed. The list also puts 37 special needs (SNE) schools in C1, and 12 more C1 schools take integrated learners.

What C1 means for your child

C1 places are the most competitive because they draw learners from the whole country. When your child makes their 12 choices across C1 to C4, a C1 school should be a realistic pick for their KJSEA performance and their chosen pathway, not just a famous name. Check that the school offers the subject combination your child wants. Pathway alone is not enough, because each school offers specific combinations from the Ministry’s catalogue. It is also wise to spread choices across clusters, so that a strong C2 or C3 school near home is a genuine option too.

Fees at C1 schools

C1 schools are boarding schools, so the government fee ceilings for boarding apply. These were published in Gazette Notice 1449 of 2026 and are paid across three terms. See senior school fees 2026 for the current figures and what each covers.

Below are all 253 C1 schools, grouped by county. You can also open the finder filtered to C1 to narrow by gender or sub-county.