951-1000 in the world · QS 2027

Kanazawa University

金沢大学

A national university in Kanazawa with an English-friendly entry route for self-funded international applicants.

Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan National (public) research university Founded 1949 Official website

See my chances at Kanazawa U Admissions office

Photo: Rinkoku · CC BY-SA 4.0

Students: 11,015; 8,368 undergraduates
International: 10%; of students
Tuition: ¥535.8K; 2027-28
Founded: 1949

About Kanazawa U

Kanazawa University was formed in 1949 from several predecessor schools, including Kanazawa Medical College and the Fourth Higher School, and traces its roots to a smallpox vaccination centre set up by the Kaga domain in 1862. It moved from Kanazawa Castle to its Kakuma campus in stages, with the move completed in 1994.

As of 1 May 2026 it had 11,015 students, of whom 8,368 were undergraduates, and about 1,350 teaching and research staff. Undergraduate study is organised into four colleges: Transdisciplinary Sciences for Innovation, Human and Social Sciences, Science and Engineering, and Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, with 20 schools between them. Its Kakuma campus covers about two million square metres.

For international applicants the university has a Special Admission for Self-funded International Students that skips Japan's Common Test. Applicants take the Examination for Japanese University Admission (EJU), submit an English proficiency score, and sit an oral examination that can be taken online through the pre-arrival admission option. Some schools score the oral exam in English, which makes Kanazawa more approachable than many Japanese national universities, though it is still a place where Japanese matters for daily study.

Why students choose Kanazawa U

A dedicated admission for self-funded international students uses EJU results, an English proficiency score and an oral exam instead of the Common Test, and applicants living abroad can take the oral exam online.

Four undergraduate colleges with 20 schools cover humanities, law, economics, science, engineering, medicine, pharmacy and a new interdisciplinary college.

Annual tuition is planned at JPY 535,800, the standard national level, plus a one-time admission fee of JPY 282,000.

Sakigake and Hokumei shared-house dormitories mix international and Japanese students, and private foundation scholarships reach JPY 150,000 a month (Kobayashi Foundation).

Admissions

Special Admission for Self-funded International Students, April 2027 entry

Selectivity

Kanazawa does not publish an acceptance rate for this route. Selection combines EJU results, an English proficiency score and an oral examination; the weights differ by school, and passing the EJU minimums for your school is a condition of applying.

Testing EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission) taken in June or November 2025 or June 2026; plus English proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL iBT or Cambridge English) for most schools; oral exam at Kanazawa. Common Test exempt.

Typical entry requirements

12 years of overseas schooling, or an equivalent	Non-Japanese nationality (excluding permanent residents); 12-year school course completed or expected by March 2027, or IB Diploma, Abitur, French Baccalaureate, European Baccalaureate, or three GCE/International A-levels at grade E or better; schools accredited by WASC, ACSI or CIS also qualify
EJU	Designated EJU subjects taken in 2025 or 2026; Law and Economics require over 60 percent in each subject; some engineering schools set higher thresholds
GCE A-level (UK) applicants	At least three A-levels at grade E or better; Regional Development Studies must include two of economics, geography, politics, history, mathematics or biology
English language	An external English proficiency test (Cambridge English including Linguaskill, IELTS or TOEFL iBT) is scored for most schools; Law and Economics use TOEFL iBT. Minimums are set by school: for example IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL iBT over 50 percent for Mechanical Engineering, IELTS 5.0 for Frontier Engineering, and above 4.5 for Electrical, Information and Communication Engineering. Check the guidelines for your school.

Deadlines

Special Admission for Self-funded International Students Non-binding Next deadline · In 34 days

Application period 2 to 9 November 2026 (advance eligibility confirmation by 1 October 2026)

Exam 5 December 2026 (also 6 December if applications greatly exceed places); results 23 December 2026; admission procedures 10 to 17 February 2027; entry April 2027.

These dates are from the 2027 (Reiwa 9) application guidelines published in September 2026. Applicants with international-school or American-school records are advised to ask about eligibility early, before the 1 October 2026 deadline for advance confirmation.

How to apply

Apply through the internet application system, pay the examination fee, upload an ID photo, and mail the printed application documents by EMS or registered post so that they arrive within the application period. The application is not complete until the documents arrive. Applicants abroad can use pre-arrival admission with an online oral examination if they are applying to schools outside Teacher Education and the Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences college.

What admissions looks for

Motivation and aptitude for the specific school, judged through an oral examination.
Basic knowledge for university courses and communication skills in Japanese or English, depending on the school.
Solid EJU results in the designated subjects and an external English proficiency score.
For the College of Transdisciplinary Sciences for Innovation, a five-minute oral presentation on a set topic, given without digital devices or materials.

Tips for applying to Kanazawa U

1 Work out your school's EJU subjects and English test first: Law and Economics need TOEFL iBT, while Human and Social Sciences accept Cambridge, IELTS or TOEFL.
2 Ask about eligibility before 1 October 2026 if you come from an international or American school.
3 If you live abroad, request the online oral examination during the application period; Teacher Education and the Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences college are excluded.
4 Prepare a laptop before entry: Introduction to Data Science A and B are required for all students.

Costs & financial aid

2027-28 · figures in JPY

Annual tuition, planned: JPY 267,900 for each of two semesters (the standard national level). A one-time admission fee of JPY 282,000 (planned) is charged on entry; international students are not eligible for the national financial support system. Tuition ¥535,800

Financial aid

New students can apply for admission and tuition fee deferral or the university's own reduction program for international students. After admission, the university recommends candidates for the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students (JPY 48,000 a month) and the Kobayashi Foundation (JPY 150,000 a month). Students who pass through pre-arrival admission can use a reservation system for the JASSO grant, and about four self-funded international students in the Innovative and Co-creative Education Program get full admission and tuition fee exemption.

JPY 17,000 plus JPY 880 online service charge
Examination fee: JPY 282,000
Admission fee (planned): JPY 48,000 a month (university recommendation)
Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship: JPY 150,000 a month (university recommendation)
Kobayashi Foundation scholarship

Academics

Academic calendar: Two semesters, each split into two quarters; entry in April

School of Entrepreneurial and Innovation Studies

Part of the newest college; selects with a five-minute presentation, English score and EJU.

School of Tourism Sciences and Design

Trains students to design new tourism value and promote tourism digital transformation.

School of Law and School of Economics

Selected with EJU, TOEFL iBT and an oral exam in Japanese or English.

School of International Studies

Offers programs in international politics, international economics, English-speaking studies, and Asian and Japanese studies, with English-taught (E) versions.

Engineering schools

Mechanical Engineering, Frontier Engineering, and Electrical, Information and Communication Engineering each set their own EJU and English requirements.

Research

About 13,759 academic papers and 228,962 citations from January 2016 to February 2026, according to the university's Outline 2026.
External funding in FY2025: JPY 2,382 million in grants-in-aid (957 projects) and 362 joint research projects worth JPY 1,073 million.
Clarivate ESI ranks the university 22nd in Japan for research overall and 14th in Pharmacology and Toxicology, according to its own outline.

Schools & faculties

College of Transdisciplinary Sciences for Innovation
College of Human and Social Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
College of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences

About 37.0 percent of bachelor's graduates go on to graduate school (Outline of Kanazawa University 2026). The university does not give a single employment figure on the pages used.

Student life

The Kakuma campus is Kanazawa University's main campus, and international students can live in the Sakigake and Hokumei shared-house dormitories, where international and Japanese students share a unit separated by gender; rooms are given only when there are vacancies. Wireless LAN covers almost the whole campus, and students use the Acanthus Portal to register for courses and submit reports. About 43.6 percent of new undergraduates come from the three Hokuriku prefectures, so many classmates come from the region.

Sakigake and Hokumei shared-house dormitories mix international and Japanese residents.
About 43.6 percent of new undergraduates come from Ishikawa, Toyama and Fukui prefectures.
Wireless LAN (KAINS-WiFi) across almost the whole campus.
Introduction to Data Science A/B is a required course for all students.

Housing. The university runs Sakigake and Hokumei shared-house dormitories for international and Japanese students, which accept residents only when there are vacancies.

Location

Kanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture. The main Kakuma campus is at Kakuma-machi and is reached from Kanazawa Station by Hokuriku Railroad bus; the medical campus is at Takaramachi. From Tokyo, the Hokuriku Shinkansen takes 2 hours 29 minutes to Kanazawa, and there are about ten flights a day from Haneda to Komatsu Airport with a connecting bus to Kanazawa Station. The university's arts and social science schools once sat inside Kanazawa Castle before moving to Kakuma between 1989 and 1994.

Nearest airport: Komatsu Airport (KMQ)

Notable alumni

YK
Yoshio Koide

Theoretical particle physicist known for the Koide formula; BSc and MSc from Kanazawa University
BS
Bunji Sakita

Theoretical physicist (1930 to 2002); bachelor's degree from Kanazawa University in 1953
HY
Honobu Yonezawa

Mystery writer (Classic Literature Club series); studied literature at Kanazawa University
TE
Tatsuma Ejiri

Manga artist and former assistant to Eiichiro Oda; graduate of Kanazawa University
YO
Yoshihisa Okumura

Electrical engineer (1926 to 2023); studied at Kanazawa Technical College, a predecessor of the university's engineering faculty

Frequently asked questions

Is there an English route into Kanazawa University for international undergraduates?

The Special Admission for Self-funded International Students uses the EJU, an English proficiency score and an oral exam that can be in English at some schools, and many patterns let you take EJU in English. Study afterward still assumes you can manage in Japanese.

What is the Kanazawa University application deadline for April 2027 entry?

Applications for the self-funded international student admission are accepted from 2 to 9 November 2026, with the exam on 5 December 2026 and results on 23 December 2026.

How much are Kanazawa University's tuition fees?

Planned tuition is JPY 267,900 per semester, JPY 535,800 a year, plus a planned one-time admission fee of JPY 282,000.

Can I take the Kanazawa oral exam online?

Yes, through pre-arrival admission, if you live abroad and apply to a school other than Teacher Education or the Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences college. You also take the EJU outside Japan.

Are there scholarships for international undergraduates at Kanazawa?

After admission you can be recommended for the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship (JPY 48,000 a month) or the Kobayashi Foundation (JPY 150,000 a month). The university also offers fee deferral and its own reduction program.

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.