Hitotsubashi University
一橋大学
Japan's first business school, now a small national university devoted entirely to the social sciences.
- Students
- 6,189
- 4,363 undergraduates
- International
- 10%
- of students
- Tuition
- ¥643K
- 2027-28
- Founded
- 1875
About Hitotsubashi
Hitotsubashi University traces its roots to 1875, when it was founded as Japan's first business school to train the 'Captains of Industry' the modernising country needed. It became the Tokyo University of Commerce in 1920, moved to leafy Kunitachi in western Tokyo after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, and took its present name in 1949, chosen by a ballot of students, faculty, staff and alumni. In 2019 it was named a Designated National University, the only one specialising in the social sciences.
It is small by Japanese standards, with about 4,360 undergraduates and 1,830 graduate students in May 2026. Undergraduates study in five faculties: Commerce and Management, Economics, Law, Social Sciences, and Social Data Science, the newest, opened in 2023. Graduate study adds a business school (HUB), a law school, the School of International and Public Policy and the Graduate School of Language and Society.
Hitotsubashi's signature is the seminar: every student joins a small group led by a professor, often forming lifelong ties. Teaching is mainly in Japanese, and the university says it offers no English-only undergraduate programme, so it suits international students who already read and write Japanese well and want a rigorous, close-knit social-science education near Tokyo.
Captains of Industry
University motto
Why students choose Hitotsubashi
Small-group seminars are compulsory for every undergraduate, so you work closely with a professor and a handful of classmates.
The Global Leaders Program selects 10 to 15 top students per faculty at the end of first year for extra English-based courses, overseas field study and long-term exchange.
Integrated bachelor's and master's tracks make it possible to earn a master's degree in as little as five years.
Membership of the Union of Four Universities in Tokyo lets students take credits or degrees at partner universities alongside their Hitotsubashi degree.
Admissions
April 2027 entry (Entrance Examination for Privately Financed International Students)
Selectivity
Hitotsubashi does not publish an admit rate for this exam. The 2027 guidelines list only 'a small number' of places for privately financed international students in each of the Faculties of Commerce and Management, Economics, Law and Social Sciences.
Typical entry requirements
| 12 years of schooling abroad | Completion of 12 years of school education outside Japan by 31 March 2027, qualifying you for university entrance in that country; applicants must not hold Japanese nationality or permanent residency |
|---|---|
| IB, Abitur, French Baccalauréat, European Baccalaureate | Awarded by 31 March 2027 |
| A-levels | Three A-levels, or two A-levels plus two AS levels, at grade E or above |
| Scoring | EJU 1,000 points (Japanese 300, Japan and the World 400, Mathematics 300), TOEFL iBT 420 points and Hitotsubashi's Japanese exam 580 points, out of 2,000 |
| English language | TOEFL iBT 48 TOEFL iBT is the only English test accepted for this route and counts for 420 of 2,000 points, so a higher score helps. Scores must be sent directly by ETS (DI Code 0436); Home Edition is accepted, MyBest scores are not. IELTS is not accepted. |
Deadlines
- Privately Financed International Students (April 2027 entry) Non-binding Next deadline · In 43 days18 November 2026
Applications 9 to 18 November 2026 by post only; documents must arrive by 18 November (late arrivals accepted only if postmarked by 16 November). Japanese exam 1 February 2027; results from 10:00 on 1 March 2027.
Dates are from the official 2027 (Reiwa 9) guidelines for privately financed international students. The Faculty of Social Data Science has no separate international exam; applicants apply through the same routes as Japanese students.
How to apply
Register on the web application site, upload a photo, pay the ¥17,000 exam fee, then post the printed application form with your school leaving certificate and transcripts, a CV on the university's form, your EJU score report and proof of residence status. Arrange for ETS to send your TOEFL score at least a week before applications open. The written Japanese exam (essay-style reading and writing on society and culture) is held only at the Kunitachi campus. Documents are in Japanese.
What admissions looks for
- Strong Japanese: EJU Japanese counts for 300 points and the university's own essay-based Japanese exam for 580 of the 2,000 points.
- Broad social-science knowledge, tested by the EJU Japan and the World section (400 points).
- Mathematical ability at EJU Mathematics Course 1 level (300 points).
- English skills, measured by TOEFL iBT and worth 420 points.
Tips for applying to Hitotsubashi
- 1 Plan your EJU dates early: only scores from the first 2025 session to the first 2026 session count for 2027 entry, and you need at least 680 combined.
- 2 Order your TOEFL score to Hitotsubashi (DI Code 0436) at least a week before 9 November 2026; MyBest scores are not accepted.
- 3 Prepare for the Japanese essay exam: it is worth more than any other single component and tests reading and writing on social and cultural topics.
- 4 You must sit the 1 February 2027 exam in person in Kunitachi, and Hitotsubashi does not issue conditional acceptance letters.
- 5 Apply for a residence hall early: the application period closes before admission results are announced.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in JPY
International students pay the same fees as Japanese students. Tuition and admission-fee exemptions or deferrals are available on application in specified circumstances, such as the death of the person paying for your studies or a natural disaster. The Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship is a separate admissions route that starts at a Japanese embassy or consulate.
- ¥282,000
- Admission fee (one-off)
- ¥17,000
- Entrance exam fee
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (spring-summer and autumn-winter), academic year from April
Commerce and Management
The heir to the 1875 business school; students apply undivided and choose Management or Commerce in third year.
Economics
Backed by the Institute of Economic Research and its statistics centre; its Global Leaders Class adds English-based study.
Social Data Science
The newest faculty, established in 2023, combining data science with the social sciences; it admits international applicants through the same routes as Japanese students.
Law
Offers a law course, an international relations course and a legal professions course, alongside the university's own law school.
Shibusawa Scholar Program
The Commerce and Management faculty's selective global leaders programme with overseas study.
Research
- The Institute of Economic Research, with its Research Centre for Information and Statistics of Social Science.
- The Center for Historical Social Science Literature holds more than 76,400 rare volumes, including the Carl Menger and Otto von Gierke collections.
- The Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study runs centres on health policy, global economic systems and evidence-based policy making.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Commerce and Management
- Faculty of Economics
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Social Data Science
- Hitotsubashi University Business School (HUB)
- Graduate School of Language and Society
- School of International and Public Policy
- Institute of Economic Research
Student life
Life revolves around the Kunitachi campus, whose Romanesque brick buildings, such as the Kanematsu Auditorium and the library clock tower, sit among thick woods. Seminars are the social as well as academic core: students stay with one professor's group for years. There are more than 100 sports and cultural clubs, and the Kodaira International Campus nearby has residence halls for Japanese and international students plus the main sports facilities. The alumni association, Josuikai, is famously tight-knit.
- More than 100 sports and cultural clubs.
- Compulsory small-group seminars that often shape friendships and careers.
- Residence halls for Japanese and international students on the Kodaira International Campus.
- The Josuikai alumni association, with its hall in central Tokyo.
Housing. The university runs residence halls, mainly on the Kodaira International Campus, and international students should apply before admission results are out.
Location
Kunitachi is a quiet, tree-lined city in western Tokyo that the university describes as modelled on the academic cities of Europe, and it is home to many other schools. The campus itself has a forest-like setting with Romanesque architecture, and central Tokyo is reachable by train, so students get suburban calm with the capital close at hand.
Nearest airport: Haneda Airport (HND)
Notable alumni
- MŌ Masayoshi ŌhiraPrime Minister of Japan (1978-1980); studied economics at the Tokyo University of Commerce
- HM Hiroshi MikitaniFounder and CEO of Rakuten; commerce graduate (1988)
- RT Rizaburo ToyodaFirst president of Toyota Motor; graduate of the Tokyo Higher Commercial School
- SI Shintarō IshiharaNovelist and Governor of Tokyo; graduated 1956
- MM Mami MizutoriDiplomat, appointed UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction in 2018; Hitotsubashi law graduate
- YT Yasuo TanakaNovelist (Nantonaku, Kurisutaru) and former Governor of Nagano; entered the Faculty of Law in 1976
Frequently asked questions
Does Hitotsubashi University offer undergraduate degrees in English?
No. The university says it has some classes in English but no English-only undergraduate programme, and the international entrance exam and documents are in Japanese.
What EJU score do I need for Hitotsubashi?
You need at least 680 combined in EJU Japanese (excluding writing), Japan and the World, and Mathematics Course 1 just to apply. Scores are then weighted to 1,000 of the 2,000 total points.
Does Hitotsubashi require TOEFL?
Yes. International applicants need TOEFL iBT 48 or above (band 3 for tests from 21 January 2026), sent directly by ETS, and the score counts for 420 of 2,000 points.
How much is tuition at Hitotsubashi University?
Undergraduate tuition for 2027 entrants is ¥321,480 per semester (¥642,960 a year), the same for Japanese and international students, plus a one-off ¥282,000 admission fee.
When is the application deadline for international students?
For April 2027 entry, applications run from 9 to 18 November 2026, the Japanese exam is on 1 February 2027, and results are released on 1 March 2027.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- Hitotsubashi: Undergraduate Program (Privately Financed Students)
- Hitotsubashi: 2027 guidelines for privately financed international students (Japanese)
- Hitotsubashi: Undergraduate admissions FAQs for international students
- Hitotsubashi: Tuition and Fees (2026 academic year)
- Hitotsubashi: University Profile (Hitotsubashi at a Glance)
- Hitotsubashi: Numbers of faculty members and students (1 May 2026)
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