[2] The main campus of the university is located in Njoro, a small community approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi), southwest of the town of Nakuru.

[3] This is located approximately 182 kilometres (113 mi), by road, northwest of Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya.

The school's original purpose was to prepare white European youth for careers in agriculture.

[6] In 1979, with support from the Government of Kenya and USAID, the college expanded yet again, becoming part of the University of Nairobi system.

[2] In 2004, the university established a partnership with Western Michigan University that allows students to complete half of their degree at Egerton and finish their studies at WMU in a choice of computer science, engineering and business administration.