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
What studying at a Japanese university costs, which scholarships are available, and the rules that come with the Student status of residence. National universities start from a government standard fee, but some set a different rate for international students, so we list the actual figures we could confirm.
The standard tuition at national universities is JPY 535,800 a year (unchanged since 2005) and the admission fee is JPY 282,000 (unchanged since 2002); both were still the same for 2025 entry. Since 2004 these have been standard amounts set by the government.[1]
Public (local government) universities averaged JPY 536,520 in tuition for 2025 entrants. Their admission fee averaged JPY 382,806 for students from outside the area and JPY 224,369 for local students.[1]
The standard fee is a baseline, and some national universities set a separate rate for international students.
| University and programme | International student tuition | Admission fee | Tuition for other students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tohoku Gateway College | JPY 900,000 | JPY 282,000 | JPY 535,800 (Japanese students and others)[7] |
| Institute of Science Tokyo GSEP | JPY 635,400 | JPY 282,000 | —[8] |
| Tsukuba TILES | JPY 608,800 | JPY 282,000 | JPY 535,800[9] |
| Nagoya G30 | JPY 535,800 | JPY 282,000 | — (same rate across all programmes)[10] |
| Kyoto iUP | JPY 535,800 (waivers for all students) | JPY 282,000 (fully waived for all) | —[11] |
| Hokkaido MJSP (April 2028 entry) | JPY 535,800 (waived for 2028) | JPY 282,000 (waived) | —[12] |
A dash means the figure could not be confirmed. All amounts may change. Hokkaido's waivers apply to international students other than MEXT scholars.
| University and programme | Admission fee | Tuition and fees | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waseda SILS | JPY 200,000 | Year 1 JPY 1,490,000; years 2–4 JPY 1,690,000 | AY2027[13] |
| Waseda Political Science and Economics | JPY 200,000 | Year 1 JPY 1,081,000; years 2–4 JPY 1,281,000 | AY2027[13] |
| Keio PEARL | JPY 200,000 | Annual academic fees JPY 1,308,350 | AY2026[14] |
| Keio GIGA | JPY 200,000 | Annual academic fees JPY 1,581,350 | April 2026 entrants[15] |
| Sophia SPSF | JPY 200,000 | Tuition JPY 586,000 plus JPY 105,000 enhancement per semester | AY2026[16] |
| APU | JPY 200,000 | Year 1 JPY 1,455,000; years 2–4 JPY 1,655,000 | 2027 entry[17] |
| Akita International University (public) | JPY 423,000 (Akita residents JPY 282,000) | Tuition JPY 896,000; dormitory JPY 622,900 | AY2026 basis[18][19] |
Fees may change. Keio sets fees for September 2027 entrants in late November 2026, and Akita International University has announced a tuition revision for students enrolling from April 2027.
In JASSO's FY2023 survey, privately financed international students spent JPY 170,000 a month on average, and regular undergraduates JPY 185,000. These figures include study costs such as tuition.[3]
| Group | Average per month |
|---|---|
| Private university students | JPY 188,000[3] |
| National university students | JPY 151,000[3] |
| Public university students | JPY 139,000[3] |
| Kanto region (Tokyo only) | JPY 193,000 (JPY 199,000)[3] |
| Tohoku and Shikoku regions | JPY 133,000[3] |
By item (averaged over students who spend on that item), study costs were JPY 61,000 including JPY 60,000 of tuition, housing JPY 44,000 and food JPY 34,000. Regional housing costs averaged JPY 41,000 nationally and JPY 51,000 in Kanto.[3]
Some universities provide housing. All international students at APU live in the on-campus AP House in their first year (JPY 54,800 or 56,800 a month including utilities and internet), and Kyoto iUP students live in a Kyoto University International House for their first 12 months.[17][11]
Undergraduate scholars receive about JPY 117,000 a month, have their examination, admission and tuition fees waived, and get a return air ticket. The Embassy of Japan in Malaysia's deadline for the 2027 undergraduate intake was 8 April 2026.[20]
In the FY2023 survey, 34.4% of privately financed students who answered the income questions received some kind of scholarship.[3]
Foreign students at Japanese universities and language schools normally hold the Student (ryugaku) status of residence under the Immigration Control Act. Official statistics define international students as those enrolled under this status.[25]
University guidelines also refer to it. Kyoto iUP is for applicants who will obtain Student status on enrolment, and Akita International University requires non-Japanese applicants to obtain Student status and enter Japan by 31 August 2027.[11][18]
In the FY2023 survey, 65.2% of privately financed students had a part-time job. The most common weekly load was 20 to under 25 hours (37.0%), and food service was the most common type of work (39.2%).[3]
Before you travel
On 1 May 2025, Japan had 408,069 international students across higher education and Japanese language institutions, up 71,361 (21.2%) on the year before. The largest groups came from China (131,097), Nepal (100,239), Vietnam (43,366), Myanmar (29,413) and Sri Lanka (17,626).[25]
| Country | Students |
|---|---|
| Malaysia | 2,599 (2,681 a year earlier; 0.6% of total)[6] |
| Indonesia | 7,032[6] |
| Thailand | 3,538[6] |
| Philippines | 2,492[6] |
| Singapore | 533[6] |
Totals include higher education and Japanese language institutions. Of the students from Malaysia, 2,381 were in higher education (2,451 a year earlier).
No. JPY 535,800 is the government standard, and some universities set a separate rate for international students. Planned 2027-entry figures are JPY 900,000 at Tohoku's Gateway College, JPY 635,400 at the Institute of Science Tokyo's GSEP and JPY 608,800 at Tsukuba.
In JASSO's FY2023 survey, privately financed students spent JPY 170,000 a month on average, including tuition. The figure was JPY 199,000 in Tokyo and JPY 133,000 in the Tohoku and Shikoku regions.
JASSO's Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship pays undergraduates JPY 48,000 a month and is applied for through your school, with reservation schemes for high EJU scorers and others before arrival. Many programmes also offer their own scholarships or tuition waivers.
Yes, with blanket permission for activities outside your status: up to 28 hours a week, or up to 8 hours a day during school long vacations.
There were 2,599 on 1 May 2025, of whom 2,381 were in higher education.
Planning to apply to Japanese universities? Talk to Nansu Juku.
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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.
