Kobe Design University
神戸芸術工科大学
5 days leftApply by 11/9 → exam on 11/21 · International Student Selection, Round II (bring-your-work type)
Fees and conditions can change over time. Always check the school's guidelines before you apply.
Fees and conditions can change over time.
Homes near campus within 3 km · SALLAE building data
| Campus | Station | Homes | Lowest / month | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kobe Design University Campus | Gakuentoshi Station, Kobe Municipal Subway Seishin-Yamate Line, 6 min walk | 1 | ¥57,000 | ¥57,000 |
About the school
A private university founded in 1989. It has 1,801 students, including 479 international students (undergraduate 417 · graduate 62). There are 89 faculty members, 4 of them from outside Japan.
History · 5
- 1928
- The Tanioka Gakuen school corporation (the founding body of Kobe Design University) was founded.
- 1989
- Kobe Design University opened.
- 1993
- The Graduate School of Kobe Design University opened.
- 2015
- The Faculty of Advanced Arts and the Faculty of Design were reorganized into the Faculty of Art and Design.
- 2024
- The Faculty of Art and Design was reorganized, and the Departments of Architecture and Environmental Design, Product and Craft Design, Visual Design and Media Arts were established.
University Portraits · school history · Wikidata
Admission requirements and dates
Kobe Design University admits international students through 2 routes.Based on the guidelines for April 2027 entry
EJUThe exam Japanese universities use for international student admission · June and November · also held outside Japan = Examination for Japanese University Admission · JLPTJapanese-Language Proficiency Test · N1 is the highest, then N2 = Japanese-Language Proficiency Test
International Student Selection (bring-your-work type)
Official name: 留学生選抜＜作品持参型＞
You bring the work you have made to the Kobe campus and take an interview along with your statement of purpose. There is no practical exam. You can send your documents from outside Japan, but you take the interview on campus.
Accepting applications now · until 11/9
Round 1 · October
- Apply 9/18~10/1
- →
- Exam 10/10
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- Results 11/1
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- Enroll ~11/2016 days left
Round 2 · November
- Apply 11/1~11/95 days left
- →
- Exam 1 11/21
- →
- Exam 2 11/22
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- Results 12/1
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- Enroll ~12/11
Round 4 · February · only for those living in Japan
- Apply 1/4~1/14opens in 61 days
- →
- Exam 1 2/27
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- Exam 2 2/28
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- Results 3/5
- →
- Enroll ~3/12
International Student Selection, Round III (subject-choice type)
Official name: 留学生選抜Ⅲ期＜科目選択型＞
In February you come to campus and do either a pencil drawing or image expression (color), and write a short essay. You do not need to bring your own work separately.
Accepting applications now · until 1/14
- Apply 1/4~1/14opens in 61 days
- →
- Exam 2/6
- →
- Results 2/12
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- Enroll ~2/19
Good to know before applying
- If you apply from outside Japan, documents must arrive by the mailing deadline (a postmark on the deadline is not enough).
- Round IV is limited to people who hold a valid medium- or long-term status of residence at the time of application and live in Japan.
- Send the originals of the certificate of graduation (or expected graduation) and academic transcript, not the diploma. Copies and printouts of electronic certificates are not accepted. Documents in languages other than Japanese or English need a translation certified by a public body.
- You cannot apply to more than one department. The application fee received is not refunded in principle.
- If you cannot obtain a status of residence because of your past residence record or similar reasons, or if the university judges that managing your enrollment would be difficult, your admission is canceled (the ¥200,000 admission fee is not refunded).
神戸芸術工科大学 入試要項＆ガイド2027 · checked 2026-11-03
Fees
- First-year fees
- ¥1,800,000
- Paid at enrollment
- from ¥1,000,000
- Application fee
- ¥35,000
Admission fee ¥200,000 + tuition ¥1,050,000 + education enhancement fee ¥550,000 (the same for all departments). In addition, a total of ¥70,000 for the education support association fee, student forum fee and alumni association entry fee, plus teaching materials and practical training fees.
Places and fees by department 4
| Department | Places | Applied/Passed | First-year fees (¥) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty of Art and Design | |||
| Department of Architecture and Environmental Design | 38 / 2 | 1,800,000 | |
| Department of Product and Craft Design | 107 / 22 | 1,800,000 | |
| Department of Visual Design | 173 / 33 | 1,800,000 | |
| Department of Media Arts | 347 / 39 | 1,800,000 | |
Places are the total across all international student admissions. Applied/passed figures are for the 2026 academic year. Fees are for 2027 entry.
For 2027 entry · from the school's guidelines
Documents to prepare
Online application form; résumé (prescribed two-page form); certificate of graduation (or expected graduation) and academic transcript from your high school (originals); copy of passport (for those living in Japan, both sides of the residence card too); JLPT or EJU score (copy accepted). For the bring-your-work type, also a statement of purpose and a work production certificate (prescribed forms).
Graduate outcomes
- Graduates (2025 academic year)
- 380 · Includes graduates of graduate programs. Employed people are regular employees and self-employed people, etc.
- Full-time employment
- 246 · 65%
- Went on to graduate school etc.
- 20 · 5%
We could not find career outcomes for international students only in the school's official materials.
University Portraits · figures for all students (not international students only)
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Scholarships
- Kobe Design University Scholarship for Privately Funded International Students: ¥250,000 per year for undergraduates (selected from applicants; for that year only).
Student life support
There is no mention of student dormitories. Referrals for off-campus housing are handled by the Student Information Center (Nasic) Sannomiya branch (one-room units roughly ¥35,000 to ¥60,000 per month).
Getting there
- Kobe Design University Campus
- Gakuentoshi Station, Kobe Municipal Subway Seishin-Yamate Line, 6 min walk · All departments (exam venue)
兵庫県神戸市西区学園西町8-1-1
SALLAE compiled this from the school's admission guidelines and official sources (such as University Portraits). Dates and amounts can change, so always check the school's guidelines before you apply.
Photo: Hasec · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons