Information as of 18 September 2026. We work to keep it accurate, but details can change or contain errors. Always check the official websites for the latest, correct information.
Japanese universities guide
There is more than one way into a Japanese university as an international student. This page walks through admission to Japanese-taught faculties, English-taught programmes, special admission for students educated abroad, the MEXT scholarship and preparatory courses, then explains the eligibility rules and the EJU that apply across these routes.
This is the admission route for international students joining a faculty that teaches in Japanese. Tohoku University, for example, runs it as one of its special selections (sogo-gata senbatsu), according to its guidelines for 2025 entry.[4]
The common test used for this route is the EJU. Because the university and faculty decide which subjects you sit and in which language, read your target university's guidelines before registering.[2]
These programmes teach in English and do not ask for Japanese when you apply. Waseda's English-based programmes, for example, do not require Japanese ability to apply and accept tests and qualifications such as the SAT, ACT, IB and A-Levels.[7]
Kyoto iUP (at application), Nagoya University's G30 (at enrolment) and the University of Tsukuba's English programmes also set no Japanese requirement.[8][9][10]
Deadlines vary widely. For 2027 entry, applications for the Institute of Science Tokyo's GSEP closed on 21 August 2026, and Akita International University's International Examination closes on 9 October 2026. The English-taught programmes page lists requirements and deadlines university by university.[11][12]
Some universities run special admissions for applicants who studied at schools outside Japan. The University of Tsukuba's Global Student Selection (2027 entry, October round) is open regardless of nationality and has two categories.[13]
| Category | Main eligibility |
|---|---|
| Type 1 (long-term study abroad) | 8+ years at foreign schools across primary to high school[13] |
| Type 1 (qualification holders) | IB, GCE A Level or International A Level obtained abroad[13] |
| Excluded from Type 1 | 4+ years at Japanese primary or secondary schools[13] |
| Type 2 (returnees) | 4+ years at Japanese schools plus 2+ continuous years abroad[13] |
For Type 2, the two continuous years abroad must fall between the final year of lower secondary school and the end of upper secondary. Check the full conditions in Tsukuba's guidelines before applying.
For the same year, Tsukuba has also published guidelines for an International Baccalaureate special admission (July round, April entry).[13]
In Malaysia, the Embassy of Japan is the application channel for the MEXT Scholarship for undergraduate studies. Scholars receive about JPY 117,000 a month, have their university examination, admission and tuition fees waived, and are given a return air ticket.[3]
Some university programmes also have MEXT scholar places. The Institute of Science Tokyo's GSEP admits up to 8 MEXT scholars and 10 privately funded students, and about four first-call admits to Hokkaido University's MJSP are selected as MEXT scholars.[11][14]
Check the conditions with the embassy
If your country's school system has fewer than 12 years, you become eligible for Japanese universities by completing the upper-secondary stage at home and then a MEXT-designated preparatory course.[1]
Japanese language institutions in Japan had 140,174 international students on 1 May 2025. Their students can also receive JASSO's Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship, at JPY 30,000 a month.[16][17]
The baseline rule is completing 12 years of school education outside Japan. This means completing the 12th year of that country's formal school system, not simply adding up years.[1]
| Qualification or background | Status |
|---|---|
| 12 years of school education abroad | Eligible (12th year of that country's formal system)[1] |
| IB Diploma | Eligible regardless of years of schooling[1] |
| IB Career-related Programme | Completion alone does not qualify[1] |
| GCE A Level or International A Level | Eligible regardless of years of schooling[1] |
| AS Level only | Not eligible[1] |
| 12 years at a WASC, ACSI, CIS, NEASC or Cognia school | Eligible[1] |
| Under 12 years plus a designated preparatory course | Eligible[1] |
| University's individual eligibility screening | Eligible for that university only, if aged 18+[1] |
International A Levels from Oxford AQA, Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel or LRN all count (as of June 2024). Some universities add their own conditions on top of these rules.
A foreign country's 12-year programme taken online from another country still counts if it is that country's formal 12-year course. For an international school abroad, first check whether it counts as formal schooling in the host country; if not, eligibility has to come from the IB or A-Levels, 12 years at an accredited school, or individual screening.[1]
Whether SPM, STPM, UEC or Matriculation meets the 12-year requirement is not stated in MEXT's guidance. MEXT advises against judging foreign school systems from online information and asks applicants to confirm with that country's embassy in Japan.[1]
MEXT gives Malaysia's IGCSE O Level as an example of an equivalency examination, but again asks applicants to confirm with the embassy whether it applies.[1]
Separately, some universities accept STPM or UEC results as academic evidence. Kyoto iUP accepts UEC (Senior Middle Three only), STPM and PSPM; the University of Osaka's Human Sciences programme lists STPM; and the UTokyo College of Design gives benchmarks for STPM and UEC. That is about how results are assessed, not a ruling on the 12-year rule.[8][18][19]
Using a Malaysian qualification? Contact the university early
| Subject | Time | Score range |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese as a Foreign Language | 125 min | Reading and listening 0–400; writing 0–50[2] |
| Science (two of physics, chemistry, biology) | 80 min | 0–200[2] |
| Japan and the World | 80 min | 0–200[2] |
| Mathematics (Course 1 or Course 2) | 80 min | 0–200[2] |
Except for the writing section, results are scaled scores that even out differences in difficulty between sessions, not raw scores.
16 February – 12 March 2026
Applications for the first session[2]
21 June 2026
First session[2]
6 – 30 July 2026
Applications for the second session[2]
28 July 2026
First-session results (planned)
Registered universities can look up scores from the same day.[2]
8 November 2026
Second session[2]
15 December 2026
Second-session results (planned)[2]
English-taught programmes may use the EJU too. For October 2027 entry, Tohoku University's Gateway College lists a combined score of 300 or more on the 2026 EJU academic subjects, taken in English, as one of its recommended levels.[21]
Japanese-taught admissions express the Japanese level they need either through the JLPT or through the EJU Japanese test. Examples for 2027 entry:[22][23][5][6]
| University and admission | Japanese requirement |
|---|---|
| APU, Japanese-basis admission | JLPT N1 100 or N2 120, or EJU 250 plus writing 30[22] |
| Kinjo Gakuin University, international student admission | JLPT N1 or N2 pass, or EJU Japanese 200+, among others[23] |
| Doshisha University, international student admission | EJU taken in Japanese, not JLPT[5] |
| Sophia University, foreign student admission | Department EJU minimum scores, not JLPT[6] |
EJU figures are the combined reading, listening and listening-reading score (APU also needs the writing score). Kinjo Gakuin also accepts a language school principal's certification of N2-level ability.
Some English-taught programmes give a Japanese benchmark too. Hokkaido University's MJSP lets students at JLPT N2 level or above apply for exemption from its intensive Japanese course, and Tohoku's Gateway College expects Humanities and Social Sciences applicants to have Japanese at CEFR B1 or above.[14][21]
The EJU is the common test, and the university and faculty decide the subjects and test language. Doshisha University (2027 entry) requires faculty-specified EJU subjects taken in Japanese, while Kinjo Gakuin University asks for a JLPT N1 or N2 pass, among other options.
No. GCE A Levels and International A Levels make you eligible for Japanese universities, but AS Levels alone do not.
The 2026 sessions are on 21 June and 8 November, and in Malaysia the test is held in Kuala Lumpur. The fee in Malaysia is MYR 90.
Science, Japan and the World and Mathematics can be taken in Japanese or English; Japanese as a Foreign Language is in Japanese only. Choose the language your target university specifies when you apply.
The Embassy of Japan in Malaysia's deadline for the 2027 undergraduate intake was 8 April 2026. Check the embassy's announcements for the timing and conditions for your intake year.
Some universities accept STPM or UEC results, including Kyoto iUP. However, MEXT's guidance does not state whether they meet the 12-year eligibility rule, so confirm with your chosen university before applying.
Planning to apply to Japanese universities? Talk to Nansu Juku.
Tell us your year group, your subjects and grades, and where you want to study. We help you plan the scores, subjects and application steps. Consultations for families considering our courses are free.
Checked against each source on 2026-09-17. Entry requirements, deadlines and fees change every year, so always confirm with the official pages for the year you apply.
