How to get into the University of Tokyo from abroad in 2027

If you finish school abroad and want to start at the University of Tokyo in 2027, the two routes to look at are the UTokyo College of Design, taught entirely in English, which opens in September 2027, and the Special Selection for graduates of foreign schools, Type 1, for April 2027 entry. PEAK, the English-taught programme that older guides describe, has stopped recruiting students.

Todai (東大) is the Japanese short form of the University of Tokyo's name: UTokyo writes 東大 on its own pages. UTokyo is the English short name the university uses for itself, as in UTokyo College of Design. The University of Tokyo reaches its 150th anniversary in April 2027. It is a national university, formally National University Corporation, the University of Tokyo, with 10 faculties, 15 graduate schools and three main campuses in Hongo, Komaba and Kashiwa.

Faculty of Medicine Building 2, the University of Tokyo

In the existing faculties, all first- and second-year undergraduates study liberal arts at the College of Arts and Sciences in Komaba. The College of Design is a separate 5-year programme with its own selection.

Which routes are still open

Special Selection Type 1 takes applications from 1 December to 7 December 2026. When you write to the UTokyo Admissions Office about the Special Selection, read the guidelines and the Q&A first, and name the type (Type 1 or Type 2) and the exam year: UTokyo calls the exam for April 2027 entry the 2027 exam (2027年度入試).

Three rules that catch international applicants out

• April, not autumn. The Special Selection is for April 2027 entry. The English-taught route with an autumn start is the College of Design, due to open in September 2027.
• Foreign-school graduates only. The Special Selection is for applicants who graduated from a school outside Japan. Type 1 is for privately financed international students and Type 2 for returnee students. Type 1 asks you to have completed a 12-year school course abroad, or to be about to complete it.
• The window is short and the tests come first. Type 1 applicants have 1 December to 7 December 2026 to apply, with documents arriving by 5 pm Japan time on the last day. Before then you need an EJU sitting in June 2026 or November 2026 and a TOEFL iBT or IELTS score from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2026.

For Type 1, the essay (小論文) is common to Type 1 and Type 2, with past papers for the last 3 years posted online, and both essay questions are answered in Japanese. The exams fall on 25 February and 4 March 2027. The admissions tests chapter has the EJU subjects and the English test.

What it costs

The UTokyo tuition page says the University provides full support for students, including scholarships and tuition exemptions; the fee amounts are in the Special Selection guidelines, which give planned tuition of 642,960 yen a year for April 2027 entry. The President's office lists a statement dated 10 June 2024 on press reports about a tuition increase, so check the current amount on the UTokyo Admission Fee and Tuition page before you rely on any older figure.

The University of Tokyo has 10 Faculties, 15 Graduate Schools, 11 affiliated research institutes and over 40 Collaborative Research Organizations, and it reaches its 150th anniversary in April 2027, the year you would enrol. Its reputation also rests on alumni, and the Nobel laureates below are the ones UTokyo names itself.

What the reputation rests on

Tokyo Imperial University is a former name of the University of Tokyo. UTokyo marks its 150th anniversary in April 2027, and has grown by merging with schools such as the Imperial College of Engineering. It has 10 Faculties, 15 Graduate Schools, 11 affiliated research institutes and over 40 Collaborative Research Organizations.

Alumni: Nobel laureates and prime ministers

The table below lists Nobel laureates whose link to the University of Tokyo is stated in UTokyo's own messages from the President; it is not a full list.

For entry in 2027, a student finishing school abroad has two main routes into the University of Tokyo: UTokyo College of Design (UT/D), a 5-year bachelor's and master's programme taught entirely in English that opens in September 2027, and Special Selection Type 1, the route for privately financed international students, with entry in April 2027. PEAK, the English-taught route most older guides describe, is no longer recruiting.

The University of Tokyo runs UT/D and Special Selection Type 1 as separate admissions, each with its own guidelines, start month and exam language. They are alternatives, not a back-up pair: a UT/D applicant cannot apply to other UTokyo programmes for April 2027 enrolment.

A UT/D applicant cannot apply to other UTokyo programmes for April 2027 enrolment, so choose between the English-taught college and the Japanese-examined Special Selection before the first date. For the Special Selection, read the guidelines and the Q&A before you send a question.

The English-taught route: College of Design and PEAK

UTokyo College of Design is the English-taught route from school for 2027: a 5-year programme that joins a bachelor's and a master's, every class in English, opening in September 2027. The University of Tokyo published the UT/D 2027 admissions guidelines on 14 September 2026. Applicants are initially screened on the submitted documents and materials, then follow Route A or Route B (see the admissions tests chapter).

PEAK, the undergraduate English-course special selection (学部英語コース特別選考), was an English-taught entry for school leavers. The College of Arts and Sciences at Komaba has posted a notice that PEAK student recruitment has stopped. Treat UT/D as the English-taught route for 2027.

The Japanese-taught route: Special Selection, EJU and Japanese

Special Selection for graduates of foreign schools has two types at the University of Tokyo: Type 1 for privately financed international students and Type 2 for returnee students. If you are an international applicant funding your own studies, you apply under Type 1. The 2027 Special Selection guidelines, updated 10 July 2026, cover entry in April 2027. Both types write an essay, and Type 1 answers it in Japanese.

Type 1 applicants must have sat the EJU (日本留学試験) in June 2026 or November 2026, in all the subjects set for their stream, and must hold a TOEFL iBT or IELTS score taken within 2 years before the application start. See the Japanese chapter for the EJU subjects and the English chapter for the score window.

The General Selection (一般選抜) is a third route; its eligibility includes having completed a 12-year school course abroad. The 2027 selection outline appeared in July 2026, but the detailed General Selection guidelines on the admissions page on 9 October 2026 were still the 2026 edition, updated November 2025, so wait for the 2027 edition before you plan around its dates.

No acceptance rate is given here for any 2027 route. What UTokyo's guidelines state instead are the terms of each route, and those are the better guide to your chances: UT/D screens the submitted documents first, and its score expectations are not cut-off scores/grades. For a bachelor's degree you can plan around two routes: the UTokyo College of Design, taught entirely in English and opening in September 2027, and Special Selection Type 1 for privately financed international students, for entry in April 2027.

University of Tokyo routes for 2027 entry and what is published

UTokyo College of Design is the route to look at first if you are applying from abroad for autumn 2027. UTokyo describes UT/D as a 5-year programme joining a bachelor's and a master's degree, with all classes in English. UT/D opens in September 2027, so no class has been admitted yet and there is no admissions history to compute a rate from.

PEAK and the Special Selection Type 1

The College of Arts and Sciences at Komaba has posted a notice on stopping PEAK student recruitment. Read that notice before you plan around PEAK; PEAK does not count as a route for 2027 entry.

Special Selection Type 1 is UTokyo's selection for privately financed international students who finished school abroad. Type 1 applicants answer the essay in Japanese, sit the EJU and need a TOEFL iBT or IELTS score.

International students at the University of Tokyo

In a 2022 entrance address the President put the University of Tokyo at 14,000 undergraduates and 15,000 graduate students.

With only 32 undergraduates in that UTokyo autumn intake, most of its 675 international students entered graduate schools.

What this means for your chances

Your chances depend on the route and on meeting its stated terms, not on a percentage. For autumn 2027, UT/D has no admissions history, so its guidelines of September 2026 are your rulebook: its expectations are not cut-off scores/grades, and on Route B an offer based on predicted scores is conditional. For April 2027, Special Selection Type 1 is the route built for privately financed international students.

For April 2027 entry, the University of Tokyo selects self-funded international students from schools abroad through Special Selection Type 1, under guidelines updated on 10 July 2026: you hold a qualification that meets the eligibility rules, sit an essay exam (小論文) answered in Japanese and meet the EJU and English-test requirements; the full rules are in the 2027 募集要項. PEAK has posted a notice that it has stopped recruiting, and the UTokyo College of Design, the route here with an autumn start, opens in September 2027 with its own guidelines.

What Type 1 asks you to send and sit

UTokyo posts a recommendation form for the special selection, in a handwritten or a PC-input version. The PC-input recommendation form was replaced on 7 September 2026 after a fault in the input form on its second page, so download it again if your copy is older. UTokyo recommends downloading the PDF before typing into PC-entry forms, and the guideline pages you need can be printed at A4, full size.

Prepare for the essay with UTokyo's own material: its past-exam page carries the last 3 years of essay questions, and both essay questions are answered in Japanese. Type 1 exams fall on 25 February and 4 March 2027.

Read the 2027 募集要項 PDF for the full rules; UTokyo asks you to read the guidelines and the Q&A before you send a question.

PEAK: a notice that recruitment has stopped

For PEAK, the undergraduate English-course special selection (学部英語コース特別選考), the College of Arts and Sciences (教養学部) has posted a notice that student recruitment has stopped: PEAKの学生募集停止に関する教養学部からのお知らせ. Read that notice before you plan on PEAK.

UTokyo College of Design: the first intake

The UTokyo College of Design (UT/D) opens in September 2027 with a 5-year bachelor's and master's programme taught entirely in English, led by dean designate Miles Pennington. UTokyo announced the 2027 UT/D selection guidelines on 14 September 2026. Selection starts with a first screening of the documents and materials you submit, including essays in English; the admissions tests chapter has the dates.

Conditional offers and applying to one route only

A UT/D applicant who applies on Route B with predicted scores or grades receives an offer that is conditional. UT/D applicants cannot apply to other UTokyo programmes for April 2027 enrolment, and admission decisions for Route A and Route B, including conditional offers, are due on 20 February 2027.

For April 2027 entry, Special Selection Type 1 combines an essay (小論文) that is common to Type 1 and Type 2, with past papers for the last 3 years, EJU subjects and a TOEFL iBT or IELTS score. UT/D, for September 2027, screens documents first and then holds Route A in-person screening or a Route B online interview. This chapter sets out each.

UTokyo's Special Selection for graduates of foreign schools (外国学校卒業学生特別選考) is an admissions route for people who finished school outside Japan, in 2 types. Type 1 is the selection for privately funded international students (私費留学生); Type 2 is the selection for returnee students (帰国生徒). If you are an international student paying your own way, Type 1 is the type to read.

UTokyo's 2027 Special Selection guidelines are written for April 2027 entry. Download the PDF and print the pages you need at A4, full size. If you want to start in autumn 2027, the Special Selection does not fit that date: the UTokyo College of Design is the route that opens in September 2027.

Type 1 applicants must have sat the EJU in June 2026 or November 2026 and hold a TOEFL iBT or IELTS (Academic module) score taken within 2 years before the application start. A SAT or AP score report or an ACT report is optional. UTokyo asks you to read the guidelines and the Q&A first; in your email, name your type (Type 1 or Type 2) and your entry year as UTokyo writes it: for April 2027 entry, that is 2027年度入試.

The essay exam

The essay (小論文) is the one UTokyo exam that the Special Selection page lists for both types. UTokyo posts past papers for the last 3 years on its page of published exam questions and answers (これまでの試験問題及び解答等の公表), so you can see the format before you write a practice essay. Both essay questions are answered in Japanese, and Type 1 exams fall on 25 February and 4 March 2027.

The EJU: subjects and sittings

Type 1 applicants must have sat the Japan student exam (日本留学試験, EJU) in June 2026 or November 2026, in all the subjects set for their stream. The humanities streams (文科各類) take Japanese, Comprehensive Subjects and Mathematics Course 1; the science streams (理科各類) take Japanese and two science subjects from physics, chemistry and biology plus Mathematics Course 2.

SAT, ACT and AP: Type 1 and the College of Design

For Type 1, UTokyo accepts national exam certificates as optional supporting evidence: the College Board's SAT and AP score reports and the ACT Assessment College Report.

For the UTokyo College of Design, a 5-year integrated bachelor's and master's programme with every class in English, Route B lists a SAT score of 1480 or above, an ACT composite of 33 or above or an IB Diploma with 38 points out of 42 among its expectations, which are not cut-off scores/grades. Test and qualification results obtained within five years are accepted, and other tests, such as EJU, will not be accepted on Route B. Route A instead requires the Common Test for University Admissions (大学入学共通テスト) in January 2027, where applicants are expected to score approximately 80% or higher.

UT/D screening: documents, Route A and Route B

UT/D applicants are initially screened on the submitted documents and materials, which include essays in English and a video assignment. After that, Route A is an in-person screening conducted in English and Japanese and Route B is an online interview conducted in English. A UT/D applicant cannot apply to other UTokyo programmes for April 2027 enrolment.

If you apply to the University of Tokyo from abroad for 2027, the dates that matter most are these: Special Selection Type 1 for April 2027 entry takes applications from 1 December to 7 December 2026 and holds its exams on 25 February and 4 March 2027; UT/D, which opens in September 2027, announces its admission decisions on 20 February 2027. PEAK is not one of them: the College of Arts and Sciences has posted a notice that PEAK student recruitment has stopped.

Special Selection Type 1 and UT/D run on separate calendars, and a UT/D applicant cannot apply to other UTokyo programmes for April 2027 enrolment, so choose one route before the first date.

UTokyo College of Design: the route that opens in September 2027

UTokyo College of Design (UT/D) is a new 5-year integrated bachelor's and master's programme with every class taught in English, opening in September 2027. At the autumn 2026 entrance ceremony the President said that UTokyo plans to establish UT/D in 2027. If you want to start as a first-year student in autumn 2027, UT/D is the University of Tokyo route to look at first.

The UT/D admissions guidelines for 2027 came out on 14 September 2026. The dates above come from them; check them for the application deadline itself.

Special Selection Type 1: the route for April 2027

Special Selection Type 1 (外国学校卒業学生特別選考 第1種) is the University of Tokyo selection for privately financed international students among applicants who graduated from a school outside Japan, with entry in April 2027. Download the PDF and print the pages you need at A4, full size.

Type 1 applications run 1 December to 7 December 2026. The step catches applicants abroad: 必着 means the documents must arrive at the University of Tokyo by 5 pm Japan time on 7 December 2026, not just be posted, so do not leave anything to the last day.

Type 1 applicants sit an essay (小論文) common to Type 1 and Type 2, with past papers for the last 3 years on the University of Tokyo past exam page; both essay questions are answered in Japanese.

Forms, documents and fees for the Special Selection

• Recommendation form: the PC-input version was replaced on 7 September 2026 after a fault in the input form on its second page; use only the corrected file.
• PC-entry forms: UTokyo recommends downloading the PDF first and typing into the saved file.
• Qualification evidence: IB Diploma holders submit the certificate and the final 6-subject transcript.
• Optional certificates: SAT and AP score reports or the ACT Assessment College Report.

Questions about the Special Selection: UTokyo asks you to read the guidelines and the Q&A first and to name your type and your exam year, written as 2027年度入試 for April 2027 entry.

PEAK: student recruitment has stopped

The University of Tokyo College of Arts and Sciences (教養学部) carries a notice titled "PEAKの学生募集停止に関する教養学部からのお知らせ", on stopping PEAK student recruitment. Read the notice itself before you trust an older PEAK page.

For 2027 entry, the two routes handle English differently. Special Selection Type 1 requires a TOEFL iBT or IELTS (Academic module) score taken within 2 years before the application start. The UTokyo College of Design lists IELTS Academic, Cambridge English, Duolingo and EIKEN scores among its expectations, and only scores from tests taken on and after January 1, 2025 are accepted.

PEAK, the English-taught special selection at Komaba, is not taking new students: the College of Arts and Sciences has posted a notice that PEAK student recruitment has stopped.

UTokyo College of Design: taught entirely in English

The UTokyo College of Design (UT/D) is due to open in September 2027 as a five-year programme that combines a bachelor's and a master's degree. The President of the University of Tokyo told new students in autumn 2026: "In the college, students will learn entirely in English."

UT/D published its 2027 admissions guideline on 14 September 2026. Its English expectations are IELTS Academic, including IELTS online, greater than 6.0, Cambridge English (B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency) greater than 169, Duolingo English Test greater than 110 and EIKEN Grade Pre-1 or Grade 1 greater than 2,400. These expectations are not cut-off scores/grades. Only scores from tests taken on and after January 1, 2025 will be accepted.

Special Selection Type 1: TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic

The University of Tokyo Special Selection for graduates of foreign schools has two types: Type 1 for privately funded international students and Type 2 for returnees. Its 2027 round is for April 2027 entry, not autumn.

Type 1 applicants must have taken TOEFL iBT or IELTS (Academic module) within 2 years before the application start, which puts the score window at 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2026. The requirement is stated as having taken the test within that window. TOEFL Home Edition is also valid, and for IELTS One Skill Retake scores are not used.

Score age and test versions

How old a score may be differs by route: for Type 1, the test must fall in the 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2026 window; for UT/D, only tests taken on and after January 1, 2025 count. At-home versions are covered as follows: TOEFL Home Edition counts for Type 1, and UT/D accepts IELTS Academic, including IELTS online.

If a point is open, UTokyo asks you to read the guidelines and the Q&A before you send a question.

For Special Selection Type 1 (April 2027 entry), Japanese is built into the exams: you answer both essay questions in Japanese and sit EJU subjects that include Japanese. The UTokyo College of Design, opening in September 2027, teaches all classes in English, although its Route A in-person screening is conducted in English and Japanese.

The Japanese test that Type 1 names is the EJU. What you need depends on your route:

Special Selection Type 1: Japanese, the EJU and the essay

The University of Tokyo Special Selection for graduates of foreign schools has Type 1, the selection for privately funded international students. Its essay is answered in Japanese, and the EJU subjects are set by stream: Japanese, Comprehensive Subjects and Mathematics Course 1 for the humanities streams, Japanese and two science subjects plus Mathematics Course 2 for the science streams.

You must have sat the EJU (日本留学試験) in June 2026 or November 2026, in all the subjects set for your stream.

The Special Selection essay (小論文) is common to Type 1 and Type 2, and the University of Tokyo posts past papers for the last 3 years. Read the past papers before you plan your Japanese study.

UTokyo College of Design and PEAK: the English-taught routes

The UTokyo College of Design (UT/D) is a 5-year bachelor's and master's programme with all classes in English. The President of the University of Tokyo told students entering in autumn 2026: "In the college, students will learn entirely in English."

PEAK, the University of Tokyo's undergraduate English-course special selection, has stopped recruiting, according to a College of Arts and Sciences notice on stopping PEAK student recruitment.

Japanese for daily life

The President of the University of Tokyo told autumn 2026 entrants: "Some of you may find yourselves using three languages in Japan: English for your academic work, Japanese for everyday life", plus the language you grew up with. It is UTokyo's own statement on Japanese for daily life, and it sets no level.

For September 2027 entry the UTokyo College of Design (UT/D) accepts applicants who have fulfilled, by 31 August 2027, one of a list of educational requirements, and states score expectations that are not cut-off scores/grades. Special Selection Type 1 for April 2027 entry asks for a 12-year school course completed or expected abroad. PEAK, the English-taught route that older guides tied to A-level and IB grades, is the subject of a College of Arts and Sciences notice on stopping PEAK student recruitment.

Both routes state their qualification rules in their 2027 guidelines, summarised here with the intake each belongs to.

IB, A-levels and grades for the College of Design

UTokyo College of Design (UT/D) is the route to check if you want to study in English and start in autumn 2027. UT/D is a 5-year programme that joins a bachelor's and a master's, with every class in English, and it opens in September 2027. On Route B, an offer based on predicted scores or grades is conditional; on Route A, the Common Test expectation is approximately 80% or higher.

UT/D states its expectations qualification by qualification. They apply to Route B, and each is an expectation, not a cut-off:

Special Selection Type 1: who may apply

The University of Tokyo Special Selection (外国学校卒業学生特別選考) is an admission for people who graduated from a school outside Japan, in 2 types. Type 1 is the selection for privately funded international students. For April 2027 entry, Type 1 asks for completing, or being about to complete, a 12-year school course abroad, with at least 1 year of study in the final school while resident abroad. IB Diploma holders submit the certificate and the final 6-subject transcript. Applicants from international and American schools are accepted only from schools accredited by WASC, CIS, ACSI, NEASC or Cognia. The basic qualification must be first obtained between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2027.

Subject prerequisites

Type 1 sets EJU subjects by stream rather than school subjects: Japanese, Comprehensive Subjects and Mathematics Course 1 for the humanities streams, Japanese and two science subjects from physics, chemistry and biology plus Mathematics Course 2 for the science streams. UT/D does not accept EJU on Route B.

If you want to study at the University of Tokyo in English from day one, the programme to look at is UTokyo College of Design (UT/D): a 5-year integrated bachelor's and master's, taught entirely in English, opening in September 2027. PEAK, the English-taught programme in older guides, has stopped recruiting; the other undergraduate side is UTokyo's 10 Faculties, which school leavers from abroad reach through Special Selection Type 1.

In the existing faculties, all first- and second-year UTokyo undergraduates take the liberal arts education of the College of Arts and Sciences at Komaba.

Bunkyou Koishikawa Botanical Japanese Garden 1

UTokyo's Special Selection recruits for April 2027 entry, while UTokyo College of Design starts in September 2027. This is where each English-taught undergraduate programme stands for 2027 entry:

UTokyo College of Design (UT/D)

UTokyo College of Design is a 5-year programme that joins a bachelor's and a master's, in which students will learn entirely in English. On 1 October 2026 the President said that UTokyo plans to establish UT/D in 2027, with the motto "See the World Through Design. Then Change It."

Professor Miles Pennington is the planned dean. The 2027 UT/D admissions guidelines (募集要項) came out on 14 September 2026; the admissions tests chapter sets out the selection.

PEAK

The College of Arts and Sciences at Komaba carries a notice titled "PEAKの学生募集停止に関する教養学部からのお知らせ", on stopping PEAK student recruitment. Read the notice before you plan on it.

The Japanese-taught faculties

The University of Tokyo has grown by merging with schools such as the Imperial College of Engineering. It has 10 Faculties, and its 2027 school-recommendation page lists them.

For the general entrance selection, the 2027 entrance selection guidelines (入学者選抜要項), published 10 July 2026 are the document to read. From a school abroad, paying your own way, you reach the faculties through Special Selection Type 1 for April 2027 entry; see the admission routes chapter.

Physics: Hyper-Kamiokande

UTokyo's President reports that the underground cavern of Hyper-Kamiokande, the next-generation particle observatory under construction in Hida, Gifu, has been excavated, with observation due to start in 2028.

Study abroad and exchange: Go Global

The University of Tokyo home page lists Go Global Gateway among its initiatives. In an entrance address, the President named the FLY Program, a one-year special leave taken straight after entry for volunteering, work or international exchange.

At the University of Tokyo, all first- and second-year undergraduates take the liberal arts education of the College of Arts and Sciences at Komaba. After that you join one of the 10 Faculties.

The College of Arts and Sciences describes its liberal arts education as the one all first- and second-year UTokyo undergraduates take.

2000年 東京大学 The University of Tokyo - panoramio

After Komaba you join one of the University of Tokyo's 10 Faculties. UTokyo has three main campuses in Hongo, Komaba and Kashiwa; take your faculty's campus from its own page.

The academic year: April and autumn entry

The Special Selection for graduates of schools abroad recruits for April 2027 entry. UTokyo also has an autumn intake, which it calls the Autumn Semester; its 2026 ceremony was on 1 October 2026. At undergraduate level the English-taught autumn start for 2027 is the UTokyo College of Design, opening in September 2027, because PEAK student recruitment has stopped.

In autumn 2022, autumn entry at the University of Tokyo was mainly graduate entry, by the President's count.

PEAK and the College of Design

PEAK, the undergraduate English-course special selection, is not taking new students: the College of Arts and Sciences has posted a notice that PEAK student recruitment has stopped.

The UTokyo College of Design is a 5-year integrated bachelor's and master's programme with all classes in English, opening in September 2027. If you want to start in autumn 2027 and study in English, read about the College of Design first.

For graduates who want to start a company, UTokyo's UTokyo Compass progress report, signed in December 2025, says UTokyo set up the UTokyo-Mitsubishi Corporation Tech Incubation Palette in March, funded by Mitsubishi Corporation, to support UTokyo startups.

CAMPUS PLAZA, Komaba Campus, University of Tokyo

Startups and the alumni network

Read this scheme as a sign of where UTokyo puts its effort, not as a measure of what graduates do.

For April 2027 entry, the Special Selection guidelines give a planned admission fee of 282,000 yen and planned tuition of 642,960 yen a year. The University of Tokyo's tuition page says the University provides full support for students, including scholarships and tuition exemptions. The President's office lists a statement dated 10 June 2024 on media reports about a tuition increase, so do not rely on the tuition figure in older guides.

Tuition, admission fee and examination fee for 2027 entry

The guidelines for the Special Selection for graduates of foreign schools list the admission fee as 282,000 yen (予定額, a planned amount) and tuition as 642,960 yen a year (予定額). The UTokyo Tuition and Scholarships page sends you to a separate Admission Fee and Tuition page; check the final amounts there before you pay. UTokyo published its 2027 entrance selection guidelines on 10 July 2026; check the examination fee for your route in the guidelines.

UTokyo describes Type 1 of its Special Selection for foreign-school graduates as a selection for privately financed international students, for entry in April 2027. On that route, plan to pay the UTokyo fees yourself.

UTokyo College of Design fees

UTokyo College of Design (UT/D) is the route that starts in autumn: it opens in September 2027 as a five-year programme that combines a bachelor's and a master's degree, taught entirely in English. UTokyo published the UT/D 2027 admissions guidelines on 14 September 2026; check the UT/D fee and its payment schedule there, or ask UTokyo, before you commit.

Living costs in Tokyo

UTokyo's Website for International Students says even a small one-room apartment for a single person typically costs around 80,000 to 100,000 yen per month in Tokyo and that for food many international students spend around 50,000 to 60,000 yen per month. A Japanese-language scholarship page of the Graduate School of Science and Faculty of Science notes that the average monthly living cost of international students is said to be 毎月約13～14万円 (約 means about, 万円 means units of ten thousand yen). For undergraduates, UTokyo's AY2023 survey of its international students (part of the Surveys on Student Life Conditions) reports average monthly expenses of 134,319 yen in total; students who entered zero for an item are left out of that item's average. UTokyo also lists Student Discounts (Commuting, Travel and Selected Museums) among its support pages.

At the Mitaka International Hall of Residence, which takes students currently enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences (international students can also apply), rent is 4,700 yen a month under the charges dated 2021.4, which are subject to change, the total monthly basic expenditure is 8,850 yen, and a room reparation fee of 60,000 yen is collected after move-in. Its 2026 selection results listed admission routes that include the foreign-school special selection alongside school recommendation and general selection. UT/D did not exist in that round; ask UTokyo whether UT/D students can apply.

Ways to lower the cost

• Fee exemptions: the UTokyo Tuition and Scholarships page lists Exemptions of Admission Fee & Tuition Fee next to scholarships.
• Scholarships: the same page names scholarships and tuition exemptions as the University's support; the scholarships chapter explains what is known.
• Student discounts: UTokyo lists Student Discounts (Commuting, Travel and Selected Museums) among its support pages.
• Emergency help: the University of Tokyo Foundation's Support Fund for International Students offers condolence money and emergency loans.

For entry to the University of Tokyo in April 2027, or to the UTokyo College of Design in September 2027, UTokyo's own tuition page lists exemptions of admission fee and tuition fee and scholarships, but no amount, eligibility rule or deadline for 2027, so plan your budget on full fees until you hold an award in writing.

The University of Tokyo's Tuition and Scholarships page says that the University provides full support for students, including scholarships and tuition exemptions. That sentence is the University of Tokyo's own description of its support, not a promise of full funding: the page lists each scheme as a heading and sends you to a separate page for the detail.

If you apply through Type 1 of the University of Tokyo Special Selection for graduates of foreign schools, you apply as a privately financed student: the University of Tokyo describes Type 1 as a selection for privately financed international students, for April 2027 entry.

MEXT scholarship: the Japanese government route

The Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship is a separate scheme from UTokyo's own exemptions and scholarships. Ask the Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country whether an undergraduate call is open, which year of entry it leads to, how many awards it offers and when its tests and interviews take place.

PEAK and the UTokyo College of Design

PEAK, the English-taught undergraduate programme at Komaba, is not taking new students: the College of Arts and Sciences has posted a notice that PEAK student recruitment has stopped. Funding for PEAK applicants is therefore not a question for 2027 entry.

The UTokyo College of Design (UT/D) is a five-year bachelor's and master's programme with all classes in English, due to open in September 2027. UT/D published its 2027 admissions guidelines on 14 September 2026. Look for funding terms in the UT/D guidelines before you apply.

Exemption from the admission fee and tuition

The University of Tokyo lists Exemptions of Admission Fee & Tuition Fee as a category of its own under Tuition and Scholarships. Check the exemption page itself for who qualifies and when to apply for 2027 entry.

Foundation support

The one foundation scheme on the University of Tokyo tuition page is The University of Tokyo Foundation's Support Fund for International Students (Condolence Money and Emergency Loans). The Support Fund pays condolence money and makes emergency loans. The Support Fund is a safety net for a crisis, not a scholarship, so leave it out of your budget.

Your national student funding authority may also run scholarships for study abroad that can be used in Japan; ask it what it covers and when it takes applications.

Postgraduate awards

If you plan a master's or a doctorate at the University of Tokyo later, check the funding pages of the graduate school you would join.

UTokyo lists the Mitaka International Student Dormitory, whose 2026 selection results were posted on 16 March 2026 for the school-recommendation, general selection and foreign-school Special Selection routes. Check the residence's own page and the guideline of your admission route before you plan a housing budget.

The College of Arts and Sciences at Komaba posts selection results for the Mitaka International Student Dormitory (三鷹国際学生宿舎).

University residence: Mitaka

The Mitaka International Student Dormitory posted its 2026 selection results under three admission routes: school-recommendation (学校推薦型), general selection (一般選抜) and the Special Selection for graduates of schools outside Japan (外国学校卒業学生特別選考). PEAK and UT/D are not named in that headline. The residence page calls it the Mitaka International Hall of Residence and opens it to students currently enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences (international students can also apply), where all first- and second-year UTokyo undergraduates of the existing faculties study. Rent is 4,700 yen a month under the charges dated 2021.4, which are subject to change, and the total monthly basic expenditure is 8,850 yen; a room reparation fee of 60,000 yen is collected after move-in.

First-year housing for UT/D students

UTokyo College of Design (UT/D) is the route to check if you want to start in autumn 2027: a 5-year bachelor's and master's programme with every class in English, opening in September 2027. UT/D did not exist in the 2026 Mitaka round, so ask UTokyo whether first-year UT/D students can apply for a dormitory place; the UT/D guidelines published on 14 September 2026 are the first document to check.

In the University of Tokyo's regular undergraduate degree, all first- and second-year undergraduates study at Komaba, one of three main campuses in Hongo, Komaba and Kashiwa, in a community the President put at 14,000 undergraduates and 15,000 graduate students in 2022.

The English-taught UTokyo College of Design opens in September 2027, and PEAK has a notice on stopping student recruitment.

Hongo, Komaba and Kashiwa: the three main campuses

At Komaba, the College of Arts and Sciences teaches all UTokyo undergraduates in years 1 and 2. Hongo's postal address is 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, and the campus has Yasuda Auditorium.

Earthquakes, safety and getting around Tokyo

On earthquakes, the President told autumn 2026 graduates that the Japanese archipelago is one of the most seismically active places in the world. In 2026 the College of Arts and Sciences posted a notice for students whose households were hit by Typhoon No. 18. For transport, UTokyo lists student discounts on commuting, travel and selected museums.

Support for international students

Welcoming autumn 2026 entrants, the President said some would use three languages in Japan: English for academic work, Japanese for everyday life and the language they grew up with, so plan to learn Japanese for life off campus. UTokyo shows this support:

• The University of Tokyo Foundation's Support Fund for International Students: condolence money and emergency loans.
• UTokyo's student discounts for commuting, travel and selected museums.

Your start month sets the timetable for visa and travel paperwork: April 2027 for Special Selection Type 1, the selection for privately financed international students, or September 2027, when UTokyo College of Design opens.

The dates your visa timetable has to fit

For Type 1, applications run 1 December to 7 December 2026 and exams fall on 25 February and 4 March 2027; for UT/D, admission decisions are due on 20 February 2027. Your visa documents and your flight all have to fit before the start month, so work backwards from those dates.

Ask the admissions office what support it offers for entry paperwork as soon as you hold an offer, and keep every offer letter and admission document in one folder.

For entry in 2027, the University of Tokyo suits two kinds of international applicant: one who wants the UTokyo College of Design (UT/D), a 5-year bachelor's and master's programme with all classes in English opening in September 2027, and one ready to answer exams in Japanese through Special Selection Type 1, for privately financed international students, starting in April 2027. PEAK, the English-taught route older guides recommend, is closed: the College of Arts and Sciences has posted a notice that PEAK student recruitment has stopped.

The University of Tokyo reaches its 150th anniversary in April 2027 and has 10 Faculties, 15 Graduate Schools, 11 affiliated research institutes.

Who the University of Tokyo suits

The University of Tokyo is a weaker fit if you cannot answer exam questions in Japanese and do not want UT/D, or if you need a confirmed fee before you apply. The Special Selection guidelines give tuition only as a planned amount (予定額) of 642,960 yen a year, and UTokyo's tuition page says the University offers scholarships and tuition exemptions; see the cost chapter.

Alternatives: Kyoto, Keio, Waseda, ETH Zurich and EPFL

For Kyoto University, Keio University, Waseda University, ETH Zurich and EPFL, take fees, rankings and admission rules from each university's own site.

Next steps and the dates to plan around

Both routes have published 2027 guidelines: the Special Selection guidelines were updated on 10 July 2026 and the UT/D guidelines were published on 14 September 2026. The dates to plan around:

The Special Selection window is short: Type 1 applications must arrive by 5 pm Japan time on 7 December 2026.

Official pages of University of Tokyo, UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.

東京大学 トップページ · President's autumn 2022 entrance message (b_message2022_10) · UTokyo Compass (president page, ja) · https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/content/400291798.pdf · https://design.adm.u-tokyo.ac.jp/admissions/admissions-overview-2027/ · 外国学校卒業学生特別選考 第1種：私費留学生・第2種：帰国生徒 · 東京大学 大学院総合文化研究科・教養学部 · History | The University of Tokyo · Tuition and Scholarships | The University of Tokyo · 総長室から メッセージ・発信 · List of University Presidents | The University of Tokyo · Statements from President Fujii · President's autumn entrance message (b_message2026_11) · https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/content/400243934.pdf · Admissions: undergraduate guidelines (大学案内・選抜要項・募集要項) · President's April 2022 entrance message (b_message2022_05) · 学校推薦型選抜 学生募集要項と出願に必要な提出書類様式 | 東京大学 · 令和5年度東京大学学部入学式　総長式辞 | 東京大学 · https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/adm/inbound/en/finance-living.html · https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ja/offices/ilo/scholarship.html · https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/content/400262270.pdf · https://www.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/eng_site/campuslife/housing/dormitory/mitaka/about/index.html · 総長航海日誌 | 東京大学 · 令和8年度 東京大学秋季学位記授与式・卒業式 総長告辞

Photos: Yasuda Auditorium - Tokyo University 3: photo Kakidai, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Faculty of Medicine Building 2, the University of Tokyo: photo Kakidai, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Bunkyou Koishikawa Botanical Japanese Garden 1: photo 京浜にけ, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons · 2000年 東京大学 The University of Tokyo - panoramio: photo wanghongliu, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons · CAMPUS PLAZA, Komaba Campus, University of Tokyo: photo Tokyo538, CC0, Wikimedia Commons