Kobe University
神戸大学
A national university on the slopes of Mount Rokko that grew out of the Kobe Higher Commercial School of 1902.
- Students
- 16,214
- 11,543 undergraduates
- International
- 8%
- of students
- Tuition
- ¥535.8K
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1902
About Shindai
Kobe University traces its roots to the Kobe Higher Commercial School, founded in 1902, which became Kobe University of Commerce in 1929 and Kobe University of Economics in 1944. In 1949 it merged with several normal and technical schools to form today's national university. It now has 11 undergraduate faculties and 14 graduate schools, and about 16,200 students, 11,543 of them undergraduates (May 2025).
The commercial-school heritage still shows: economics, business administration and law are among its best-known faculties, and the university is one of only two in Japan with an undergraduate faculty of oceanography, the Faculty of Ocean Science and Technology. It also covers medicine, engineering, system informatics, agriculture, science, letters and the Faculty of Global Human Sciences.
Bachelor's degrees are taught in Japanese, and the university's English-taught degree programmes are at master's and doctoral level. International undergraduates apply through a special examination for privately financed international students run by each faculty, which combines EJU scores, faculty tests and interviews. Only 90 of the university's 1,340 international students were undergraduates in 2025, so it best suits applicants who are already strong in Japanese and want a large national university in a port city.
真摯・自由・協同
“Integrity, Freedom, Cooperation” — university motto
Why students choose Shindai
Kobe is a national university, so tuition is the standard ¥535,800 a year for every undergraduate, Japanese or international.
Its Faculty of Economics and School of Business Administration continue the tradition of the 1902 Kobe Higher Commercial School, alma mater of Toyota's first president Rizaburo Toyoda and Idemitsu founder Sazo Idemitsu.
The Faculty of Ocean Science and Technology is one of only two undergraduate oceanography faculties in Japan.
The Rokkodai campus looks out over Kobe and Osaka Bay, with university housing for international students at Port Island, Sumiyoshi and Fukae.
Admissions
April 2027 entry (special examination for privately financed international students)
Selectivity
Kobe does not publish an overall admit rate. In its international-student admissions summary for AY2025, the faculties together reported 57 applicants and 12 successful candidates for the special examination for privately financed international students, with most programmes admitting only a few each.
Typical entry requirements
| EJU (in Japanese) | Faculty-specific subjects. Example: Economics required at least 360/450 in Japanese as a Foreign Language, 130/200 in Mathematics and 140/200 in Japan and the World or two sciences (2025 EJU) |
|---|---|
| Faculty entrance examination | Written tests set by each faculty (for example Japanese, Mathematics, a foreign language or sciences), an interview and document screening; most require sitting the exam in Japan |
| Japanese language | Ability sufficient to understand lectures and related documents |
| English language | No single English minimum. Most faculties test English in their own entrance exam; the Faculty of Economics uses a TOEFL iBT score. Teaching is in Japanese. |
Deadlines
- Special examination for international students (most faculties) Non-bindingLate January to early February 2027 (faculty-specific)
Pattern from the AY2025 summary: applications open mid to late January, exams in late February, results in early March, entry in April.
- Faculty of Economics international student admission Non-bindingEarly January 2027
Pattern from the AY2025 summary: applications from late December, exam in early February, results in mid-February. No trip to Japan needed.
Kobe had not published exact dates for April 2027 entry when checked. The timings shown follow its international undergraduate admissions summary (August 2025, AY2025 data); confirm exact dates in each faculty's application guidelines.
How to apply
Apply directly to the faculty through its special examination for privately financed international students: obtain the faculty's application guidelines, sit the EJU in Japanese, submit documents, then take the faculty's written exam and interview in Kobe. MEXT scholarship candidates apply through a Japanese embassy or consulate instead.
What admissions looks for
- Japanese ability good enough to follow lectures and read course material.
- EJU scores in the subjects each faculty requests, with minimum scores set by some faculties such as Economics.
- Performance in the faculty's own written exams and interview.
- Document screening of school records and application materials.
Tips for applying to Shindai
- 1 Check each faculty's own application guidelines early: forms are released between August and December and several are in Japanese only.
- 2 Sit the EJU in June or November of the year before entry, because faculties use the scores from the current exam cycle.
- 3 Plan to travel to Japan for the entrance exam: most faculties require it, Economics being an exception.
- 4 If you want an English-taught degree at Kobe, look at its master's programmes (KIMAP, Kobe LL.M. and others); bachelor's programmes are taught in Japanese.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in JPY
Kobe runs admission-fee exemption and deferral and tuition-fee exemption programmes for students who have difficulty paying. International students can apply for the Japanese Government (MEXT) Undergraduate Scholarship through a Japanese embassy before enrolment, and privately financed students can apply for private scholarships such as the JEES Ishibashi Foundation and Ichikawa International Scholarships through the university.
- ¥18,000-21,000 per month plus ¥10,800 common-area charge
- International Residence single room
- Undergraduate, Research, Japanese Studies and Teacher Training students
- MEXT scholarship programmes accepted at Kobe
Academics
Academic calendar: Academic year April to March, divided into two semesters and four quarters
Economics
Descends from the 1902 Kobe Higher Commercial School and runs its own international admission with published EJU cut-offs and no exam trip to Japan.
Business Administration
Offers Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Commercial Science degrees; Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is a Kobe business graduate.
Ocean Science and Technology
One of only two undergraduate oceanography faculties in Japan, building on the university's maritime sciences tradition.
Medicine
Kobe's School of Medicine trained Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka, and the university runs a hospital in Kobe.
Global Human Sciences
Courses in global cultures, human development and environment, and child education, with a special route for international students.
Research
- Kobe runs research centres in membrane and film technology, biomedical engineering, manufacturing biotechnology and health and longevity.
- Alumnus Masato Sagawa, inventor of the neodymium magnet, received the 2022 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.
- Biochemist Yasutomi Nishizuka, a Kobe professor, received the Lasker Award in 1989.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Letters
- Faculty of Global Human Sciences
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Economics
- School of Business Administration
- Faculty of Science
- School of Medicine
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of System Informatics
- Faculty of Agriculture
- Faculty of Ocean Science and Technology
Student life
Most undergraduates study on the Rokkodai campus, spread across the hillside above central Kobe with views over the city and Osaka Bay. Clubs and circles are run by students; the official list includes a men's glee club, two mixed choirs, a Noh drama club, a tea ceremony and flower arrangement club, a mandolin club and an English Studying Society, alongside sports teams in the Kansai Collegiate American Football League. International students can live in university residences on Port Island and in the Sumiyoshi and Fukae areas.
- Officially recognised clubs range from Noh drama and shogi to an expedition club and an astronomy society.
- The university's American football team plays in the Kansai Collegiate American Football League.
- The Kobe University International Residence on Port Island has 109 single rooms with private bath and mini kitchen.
- Several historic campus buildings, including pre-war structures at Rokkodai, are registered tangible cultural properties.
Housing. International students can apply for university residences such as the International Residence on Port Island (single rooms from ¥18,000 a month plus a common-area charge), usually for a maximum of one year in a single room.
Location
Kobe is a major port city in the Kansai region, squeezed between the Rokko mountains and Osaka Bay, with Osaka and Kyoto within train range. The main Rokkodai campus sits on the hillside in Nada Ward, looking down over the city and the bay, while some faculties and university residences are elsewhere in the city, including on Port Island. It is a smaller, calmer base than Osaka or Tokyo.
Nearest airport: Kobe Airport (UKB); Kansai International Airport (KIX) for most international flights
Notable alumni
- ST Sanae Takaichi104th Prime Minister of Japan; business administration graduate
- SU Sosuke Uno75th Prime Minister of Japan; enrolled at Kobe University of Commerce in 1943 but left after two months when conscripted
- SY Shinya YamanakaStem cell researcher, 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; Kobe medical graduate
- MS Masato SagawaInventor of the neodymium magnet, 2022 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering; Kobe electrical engineering bachelor's and master's
- RT Rizaburo ToyodaFirst president of Toyota
- SI Sazo IdemitsuFounder of the oil company Idemitsu Kosan
- SN Shirin NezammafiIranian-born novelist writing in Japanese
- KT Kumi TaniokaVideo game composer and musician
Frequently asked questions
Can I study for a bachelor's degree in English at Kobe University?
Not as a full degree: Kobe's English-taught degree programmes are at master's and doctoral level, and undergraduate faculties require Japanese good enough to follow lectures.
How much is tuition at Kobe University for international students?
Undergraduate tuition is ¥535,800 a year for all students, plus a one-time ¥282,000 admission fee and a ¥17,000 examination fee.
Do I need the EJU to apply to Kobe University?
Yes. Privately financed international applicants need EJU scores in the subjects their faculty requests, and then sit the faculty's own exam and interview.
How hard is it to get into Kobe University as an international student?
Places are very limited: across the faculties, 57 people applied through the international student examination for AY2025 and 12 were successful.
Can I get a MEXT scholarship to study at Kobe University?
Yes. Kobe accepts Japanese Government (MEXT) Undergraduate Scholarship students, who apply through a Japanese embassy or consulate in their home country.
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.
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