Kyoto University
京都大学
Former Imperial UniversitiesⓘSeven national universities that grew out of the imperial universities Japan founded before 1945. They are still grouped as Japan's leading research universities. Not an official ranking set by the government.Designated National UniversityⓘNational universities designated by the Minister of Education for world-class education and research (system started in 2017).University of International Research ExcellenceⓘUniversities the government recognized as aiming for the world's top level of research, with long-term support from a 10-trillion-yen university fund (recognized one by one since 2024).Top Global University (Type A · Top)ⓘOf the 37 universities MEXT has supported since 2014 to take more international students and expand English-taught classes and exchange, these 13 aim for the world's top 100.Tokyo IkkaⓘA name grouping the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Hitotsubashi University and Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Tech), often used for the very top national universities. Not an official ranking.
29 days leftApply by 12/3 → exam on 3/1 · Kyoto iUP (Kyoto University International Undergraduate Program)
- Exam location
- Campus in Japan · some online ›
- Japanese requirement
- Take the EJU (no minimum score) ›
- First-year fees
- from ¥817,800 ›
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoshida Campus | 13 | ¥46,000 | ¥66,000 |
About the school
A national university founded in 1897. It has 22,666 students, including 2,367 international students (undergraduate 226 · graduate 2,141). There are 3,597 faculty members.
History · 4
- 1897
- Kyoto Imperial University was founded
- 1947
- Kyoto Imperial University was renamed Kyoto University
- 1949
- Established the new-system Kyoto University and merged the Third Higher School
- 2004
- Kyoto University was established as a National University Corporation
University Portraits · school history · Wikidata
Admission requirements and dates
Kyoto University admits international students through 4 routes.Pick your situation below to see only the routes that fit · 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
Apply with EJU scores · Faculty of Engineering
Official name: 工学部 私費外国人留学生特別選考
This is the only route into a faculty taught in Japanese that is specifically for international students. You first take the preliminary eligibility review, then an oral examination at the Yoshida Campus.
Accepting applications now · until 12/17
- Apply 12/15~12/17opens in 41 days
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- Exam 1/30
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- Results 2/5
Selection for graduates of foreign schools · Law and Economics
Official name: 外国学校出身者のための選考
Open to people of any nationality who graduated from a high school outside Japan recently (April 2025 to March 2027), or are expected to graduate. Instead of the EJU, Japanese proficiency is judged by Kyoto University's own Japanese exam and an interview in Japanese.
Accepting applications now · until 1/7
Faculty of Law
- Apply 1/4~1/8opens in 61 days
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- Exam 1 2/25
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- Exam 2 2/26
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- Results 3/10
Faculty of Economics · Stage 1 TOEFL and documents
- Apply 1/4~1/7opens in 61 days
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- Exam 1 2/25
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- Exam 2 2/26
- →
- Results 3/10
Apply online · in English (Global Engineering)
Official name: 工学部地球工学科 国際コース（国際入試）
This is the International Course of the Department of Global Engineering, where all classes are in English. After the preliminary eligibility review, you are screened by documents and an online interview. You do not need to come to Japan.
Applications for this year have closed — below are the remaining dates for those who applied
- Apply 9/4~9/11
- →
- Results 11/106 days left
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- Enroll ~12/4
Apply online · in English (iUP)
Official name: Kyoto iUP（京都大学国際学部プログラム）
No Japanese is needed when you apply. In October you enter a 6-month preparatory program to learn Japanese, and you enter the faculty the following April.
Accepting applications now · until 12/3
- Apply 11/2~12/329 days left
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- Exam 3/1
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- Results 4/6
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- Enroll ~5/7
Good to know before applying
- For the Faculty of Engineering special selection, applications are not accepted from those who did not apply for the preliminary eligibility review (Oct 14-16). You need at least 6 years of continuous school education abroad, including the final year
- Those who applied to the International Course of the Department of Global Engineering cannot apply to the Faculty of Engineering Special Selection for Privately Funded International Students, whether they pass or not
- If the uploaded documents differ from the originals mailed during enrollment procedures, admission is canceled
- Kyoto iUP: interview dates cannot be changed and enrollment cannot be postponed. Dual enrollment in a degree program at another university is prohibited, and you must withdraw before enrolling
- Kyoto iUP: you cannot proceed to a faculty unless you complete the preparatory program and pass the faculty qualification exam (you may retake the preparatory program the following year)
2027年度京都大学工学部 私費外国人留学生特別選考出願要項 · 京都大学 令和9年度 入学者選抜要項 · checked 2026-11-02
Fees
- First-year fees
- ¥817,800
- Application fee
- ¥17,000
Admission fee ¥282,000, tuition ¥535,800 per year (planned). Kyoto iUP has an application fee of ¥9,800, a full waiver of the admission fee, a full or partial tuition waiver, and up to ¥120,000 per month for everyone during the preparatory program
Places and fees by department 17
| Department | Places | Applied/Passed | First-year fees (¥) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty of Engineering | |||
| Department of Global Engineering | A few students | 817,800 | |
| Department of Architecture | A few students | 817,800 | |
| Department of Engineering Science | A few students | 817,800 | |
| Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering | A few students | 817,800 | |
| Department of Industrial Chemistry | A few students | 817,800 | |
| Department of Global Engineering, International Course (English) | 30 | 817,800 | |
| Faculty of Law | |||
| Faculty of Law (selection for graduates of foreign schools) | 10 | ||
| Faculty of Economics | |||
| Faculty of Economics (selection for graduates of foreign schools) | 10 | ||
| Faculty of Integrated Human Studies | |||
| Faculty of Integrated Human Studies (Kyoto iUP) | 56 / 1 | ||
| Faculty of Letters | |||
| Faculty of Letters, Philosophy and Ethics (Kyoto iUP) | 10 / 1 | ||
| Faculty of Education | |||
| Faculty of Education (Kyoto iUP) | 24 / 2 | ||
| Faculty of Law | |||
| Faculty of Law (Kyoto iUP) | 38 / 1 | ||
| Faculty of Economics | |||
| Faculty of Economics (Kyoto iUP) | 188 / 3 | ||
| Faculty of Science | |||
| Faculty of Science (Kyoto iUP) | 239 / 5 | ||
| Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences | |||
| Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Kyoto iUP) | 34 / 3 | ||
| Faculty of Engineering | |||
| Faculty of Engineering (Kyoto iUP) | 524 / 18 | ||
| Faculty of Agriculture | |||
| Faculty of Agriculture (Kyoto iUP) | 61 / 3 | ||
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
Faculty of Engineering special selection: passport, high school certificate of graduation and transcript, 2026 EJU score confirmation, TOEFL iBT or IELTS score (all uploaded in the web application; originals are mailed after you pass)
Graduate outcomes
- Graduates (2025 academic year)
- 6,217 · Includes graduate school completers
- Full-time employment
- 2,854 · 46%
- Went on to graduate school etc.
- 2,338 · 38%
No employment results for international students alone were found in official materials
University Portraits · figures for all students (not international students only)
Reviews from students
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Scholarships
- Kyoto iUP: for everyone, full waiver of the admission fee and full or partial waiver of tuition (4.5 years); during the preparatory program, up to ¥120,000 per month
- Kyoto iUP: after entering a faculty, monthly scholarships from supporting companies and organizations are available, depending on grades
Student life support
Kyoto iUP students are assigned a room at the Kyoto University International House for 12 months after enrollment (extendable by up to 6 months). The conditions for other admission routes could not be confirmed in the materials
Getting there
- Yoshida Campus
- · All faculties (oral examination venue for the Faculty of Engineering special selection)
京都府京都市左京区吉田本町
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: Soraie8288 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons