Visiting Computer Colleges in Nairobi? Take This 12-Point Checklist With You

A college website can say anything. A visit tells you more, but only if you know what to look at. This checklist is for anyone shortlisting computer colleges in Nairobi: school leavers, parents, and working adults who’ve been burned by a course before.

We’re a college ourselves, Excel Global College in Parklands, so read this knowing that. We’ve written it so it works for any college you visit, including ours. Half of it you can do from your phone before leaving the house.

Part 1: Check these online before you go

Accreditation is the easiest thing to fake on a poster and the easiest thing to check on an official website. Every awarding body worth its name keeps a public list of approved centres.

If a college names a body but you can’t find it in that body’s directory, ask why before you go any further.

Three more online checks:

1. Read the Google reviews, the recent ones. Look for named trainers and specific courses, not just stars. We have 189 Google reviews, and they’re linked from our homepage.
2. Find a published fee list. If fees are only given “on enquiry”, ask for them in writing before you visit.
3. Look at real photos. Stock images of smiling students tell you nothing. Our gallery shows our own classes and events.

Part 2: Check these on campus

4. Count the computers against the class size. Ask how many students sit in one class and how many working machines are in the lab. You want one learner per computer, every session. We keep classes small for this reason.
5. Look at the software on screen. Is it a current version of Windows and Office? Old software means you’ll learn menus that no longer exist at work.
6. Ask to see the timetable. Are there slots that fit your life? We run 7:00 to 9:00 am, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, 2:00 to 5:00 pm and 5:30 to 8:00 pm, plus weekends.
7. Ask who teaches, and what they hold. A trainer for MOS should be Microsoft certified. A trainer for ICDL should know the ICDL syllabus inside out. Ask directly.
8. Ask how you’re assessed. One final exam, or continuous work? Our computer packages use continuous, project-based assessment, so you’re building things from week one.
9. Ask what the certificate says and who signs it. A college certificate, an ICDL certificate and a Microsoft certificate are three different things. Ask to see a sample.
10. Get the fees and instalments in writing. Including exam fees, retake costs and any registration charge. We take M-Pesa, bank transfer and cash, and offer instalment plans.
11. Ask what happens after the course. Is there any job placement support or career guidance? Look at our job placements page to see what we offer.
12. Notice how you’re treated. Did someone answer your questions without rushing you? Were you pressured to pay on the spot? That front desk is a preview of the next eight weeks.

Red flags worth walking away from

• An accreditation logo that doesn’t appear in that body’s online directory.
• A course that promises six or seven programs in one or two weeks.
• “Pay today, the price goes up tomorrow” pressure.
• No published fees, and a different number every time you ask.
• No clear answer on whether the exam fee is included.

None of these automatically means a college is dishonest. They do mean you need more answers before paying.

Visiting Excel Global College

We’re opposite CITAM Church on Second Parklands Avenue, Nairobi. We’ve trained students for over 10 years. We’re an authorised ICDL test centre, a Certiport exam centre, a Microsoft IT Academy, an ACCA Gold Approved Learning Provider, ABE accredited and a Tally partner.

Bring this checklist and ask us every question on it. If it helps you compare, read our earlier post on comparing computer colleges in Nairobi and the full 2026 fee breakdown.

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