#64 in the world · QS 2027

Kyoto University

京都大学

Japan's second imperial university, built on a tradition of academic freedom, with 11 Nobel laureates in its award-winning research.

Kyoto, Sakyo, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan Public (national) research university Founded 1897 Official website

See my chances at KyotoU Admissions office

Photo: nakashi · CC BY-SA 2.0

Students: 22,300; 12,700 undergraduates
International: 14%; of students
Student–faculty: 9:1; ratio
Tuition: ¥535.8K; 2026-27 (rates quoted in the October 2027 iUP guidelines)
Founded: 1897

About KyotoU

Kyoto University was founded in 1897 as Japan's second imperial university, and its guiding phrase, freedom of academic culture, still shapes how it runs. It has 10 faculties, 18 graduate schools and 12 research institutes across three Kyoto campuses: Yoshida, the main campus in the city's northeast, Uji and Katsura. About 22,300 students are enrolled, including roughly 12,700 undergraduates and 3,000 international students.

The university's reputation rests on basic science. It counts 11 Nobel laureates and two Fields Medalists in its award-winning research, and institutes such as the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences carry that tradition on. In QS 2027 it placed joint 64th overall and 21st in the world for academic reputation.

Most degree teaching is in Japanese. The main route for international school-leavers is Kyoto iUP, a 4.5-year program that starts with six months of intensive Japanese and foundation subjects, then places you in a regular faculty such as Engineering, Science, Economics or Law. By the third year you study alongside Japanese students in Japanese. It suits independent, curious students who are willing to commit seriously to learning Japanese, and who want a campus where students are trusted to organise their own studies.

自由の学風

“Freedom of academic culture” — university motto

Why students choose KyotoU

Kyoto iUP needs no Japanese at application and gives every admitted student full admission-fee waivers, full or partial tuition waivers for 4.5 years and up to JPY 120,000 a month during the preparatory course.

iUP students earn exactly the same bachelor's degree as Japanese students, in faculties from Engineering and Science to Law and Economics.

Research strength in physics, chemistry and mathematics, reflected in 11 Nobel laureates, two Fields Medalists and a joint-64th QS 2027 ranking.

Tuition is set at the national-university level of JPY 535,800 a year.

Admissions

Kyoto iUP, entry October 2027 (degree studies from April 2028)

Selectivity

Kyoto University publishes no overall admit rate for international students. For Kyoto iUP, 37 applicants passed the final screening in 2026, when 1,174 applicants named a faculty as their first choice. Engineering alone drew 524 first-choice applicants, of whom 18 passed. The October 2027 intake is 40 students.

Testing Kyoto iUP: at least one standardized test or qualification is required (such as SAT, ACT, EJU, A-levels or IB), with no minimum scores. Faculties of Science, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Engineering and Agriculture need maths and two sciences; Integrated Human Studies and Economics need maths.

Typical entry requirements

SAT	Accepted for Kyoto iUP (tests on or before November 7, 2026); no minimum score
ACT	Accepted (tests on or before October 24, 2026); science-track applicants must submit Mathematics and Science sections; superscores accepted
EJU	Accepted in English or Japanese (tests on or before November 8, 2026); science-track applicants need Mathematics Course 2
A-levels / International A-levels	Results or official predicted grades; higher-level mathematics (Further Mathematics) highly recommended for science-track faculties
IB, Abitur, French or European Baccalaureate	Accepted as eligibility qualifications; no published minimum
English language	Kyoto iUP sets no minimum, but typical successful candidates have TOEFL iBT 90 (4.5 on the new 1-6 scale) or IELTS 6.5, from tests taken after November 1, 2024. Native speakers or students educated in English may submit a school-completed English Proficiency Evaluation Form instead.

Deadlines

Kyoto iUP (October 2027 enrollment) Next deadline · In 58 days

December 3, 2026, 5:00 pm JST

Application period November 2 to December 3, 2026. First-screening results February 5, 2027; online interviews March 1-16, 2027; results April 6, 2027; confirm intent to enroll by May 7, 2027; preparatory course starts October 1, 2027. Applicants needing eligibility screening must submit documents July 1 to October 19, 2026.

Kyoto iUP admits once a year, with the preparatory course starting in October. The separate Japanese-taught selection for privately financed international students has its own schedule; check the university's undergraduate admissions page for current dates.

How to apply

Kyoto iUP: online application with standardized test scores, English test or Form C, school documents and a JPY 9,800 application fee. Stage one is document review; shortlisted applicants have an online interview in English, where faculty preferences (up to three) are discussed. Japanese-taught degrees: a separate special selection for privately financed international students, run by the Faculty of Engineering, requires a high level of Japanese.

What admissions looks for

A strong motivation to learn Japanese well enough to take specialized classes taught in Japanese from the third year.
A solid command of mathematics, and of science for science and engineering faculties, because the preparatory course has academic standards you must meet.
A comprehensive evaluation of all submitted documents; there are no cut-off scores, but the program says it has become increasingly competitive.
Clear academic interests: you name up to three faculties or departments, and they are discussed in the interview.

Tips for applying to KyotoU

1 Engineering applicants must include both physics and chemistry (or equivalents) in their test results; check Appendix 1 of the guidelines before you book tests.
2 Tick 'Yes' for the scholarship question in the online application: fee waivers and the preparatory-course allowance need no separate application.
3 Look beyond Engineering and Science: in 2026 Law, Education and Letters had far fewer first-choice applicants than Engineering's 524.
4 If you want a degree entirely in English, look at the Undergraduate International Course Program of Civil Engineering instead; Kyoto iUP moves into Japanese-taught classes.

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 (rates quoted in the October 2027 iUP guidelines) · figures in JPY

Undergraduates (all nationalities) Tuition ¥535,800

Financial aid

Every Kyoto iUP student receives full admission-fee waivers and full or partial tuition waivers for 4.5 years, plus up to JPY 120,000 a month during the six-month preparatory course. Merit-based monthly allowances from companies and foundations are available later, and iUP has some MEXT (university recommendation) scholarship places. Kyoto University offers no scholarships of its own for international undergraduates outside iUP.

JPY 282,000 (waived for iUP)
Undergraduate admission fee: JPY 296,000 for 6 months (waiver available)
Preparatory course tuition: Up to JPY 120,000 per month
iUP preparatory-course allowance: JPY 9,800
iUP application fee

Academics

Academic calendar: Two semesters (April-September and October-March)

Kyoto iUP (International Undergraduate Program)

Six months of intensive Japanese, then a regular degree in one of nine faculties, fully funded by fee waivers.

Faculty of Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering

The most popular iUP choice in 2026, with 194 first-choice applicants.

Faculty of Science

The faculty behind much of Kyoto's physics and chemistry Nobel record; iUP places cover mathematics, physics and astrophysics, chemistry, earth sciences and biology.

Undergraduate International Course Program of Civil Engineering

The one Kyoto undergraduate degree you can complete entirely in English.

Research

Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), dedicated to induced pluripotent stem cell research and its medical use.
Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences.
12 research institutes and 44 off-campus research and education facilities across Japan.

Schools & faculties

Faculty of Integrated Human Studies
Faculty of Letters
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Economics
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Agriculture

Student life

Student life is centred on the Yoshida campus in northeast Kyoto, and the university's long emphasis on academic freedom extends to how students organise their studies and activities. Clubs span 48 sports, and the baseball team plays in the Kansai Big Six league. iUP students start with a year in a Kyoto University International House, which puts them in a mixed community of international students before they find their own housing.

Clock Tower Centennial Hall, the brick landmark of the Yoshida campus
Competes in 48 sports; member of the Kansai Big Six Baseball League
Guaranteed International House room for the first 12 months for iUP students
Tutoring and career support for all iUP students

Housing. Each Kyoto iUP student gets a room in a Kyoto University International House for the first 12 months, extendable by up to six months; after that most students rent privately.

Location

Kyoto was Japan's capital for more than a thousand years and is full of temples, shrines and gardens. It is smaller and calmer than Tokyo, and the Yoshida campus sits in a residential and university district in the northeast of the city. Osaka, Japan's second business hub, is a short train ride away for internships and bigger-city life.

Nearest airport: Kansai International Airport (KIX); Osaka Itami (ITM) for domestic flights

Notable alumni

HY
Hideki Yukawa

Physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics 1949
ST
Shinichiro Tomonaga

Physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics 1965
KF
Kenichi Fukui

Chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1981
ST
Susumu Tonegawa

Immunologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1987
TH
Tasuku Honjo

Immunologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2018 for cancer immunotherapy
AY
Akira Yoshino

Chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019 for the lithium-ion battery
HH
Heisuke Hironaka

Mathematician, Fields Medal
HI
Hayato Ikeda

Prime Minister of Japan

Frequently asked questions

Can I study at Kyoto University without speaking Japanese?

Yes, you can apply to Kyoto iUP with no Japanese; the program teaches you Japanese for six months and then gradually moves you into Japanese-taught classes by the third year. Only the Civil Engineering international course lets you graduate entirely in English.

Is Kyoto iUP free?

All iUP students receive full admission-fee waivers and full or partial tuition waivers for 4.5 years, plus up to JPY 120,000 a month during the preparatory course. The standard tuition it waives is JPY 535,800 a year.

What SAT or TOEFL score do I need for Kyoto iUP?

There are no minimum scores. Typical successful candidates have TOEFL iBT 90 or IELTS 6.5, and the program advises aiming as high as possible because competition has increased.

How hard is it to get into Kyoto iUP?

Very hard: in 2026, 1,174 applicants named a first-choice faculty and 37 passed the final screening. The October 2027 intake is 40 students.

When is the Kyoto iUP deadline for 2027?

Apply online between November 2 and December 3, 2026 (5 pm JST). Interviews are March 1-16, 2027, and results come out April 6, 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.