Nagoya University
名古屋大学
Japan's last imperial university, in Toyota country, with English-taught degrees from car engineering to Japan studies.
- Students
- 15,959
- 9,524 undergraduates
- International
- 13%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 13.3:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- ¥535.8K
- 2027-28
- Founded
- 1939
About Meidai
Nagoya University traces its roots to a temporary medical school and public hospital opened in 1871 to spread Western medicine, but it became a university in 1939 as Nagoya Imperial University, the last of Japan's imperial universities. Renamed Nagoya University in 1947, it grew into a comprehensive national university on the Higashiyama Campus in Nagoya, with nine undergraduate schools and 13 graduate schools. It had 9,524 undergraduates and 6,435 graduate students in April 2025.
The university is best known for physics and chemistry. It says six Nobel Prizes have gone to scholars associated with it, including physicists Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa (2008) and Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano (2014, blue LED), and chemist Ryoji Noyori (2001). Nagoya sits at the centre of Japan's car, machine-tool and aerospace industries, and that industrial link shapes its engineering teaching and career options.
For international students the main door is the Global 30 (G30) International Programs, launched in October 2011: fully English-taught four-year degrees in automotive engineering, physics, chemistry, biological science, law, economics and Japan-in-Asia Cultural Studies, with Japanese language study built in from year one. Nagoya suits students who want a research-heavy science or engineering degree at a national-university fee, in a big but affordable city.
勇気ある知識人
“Courageous intellectuals” — university motto
Why students choose Meidai
The G30 Automotive Engineering program describes itself as the only automotive engineering degree in Japan taught exclusively in English, with lectures from experts at leading car companies.
Tuition is the national standard of 535,800 yen a year for all students, and the G30 Undergraduate Scholarship can cover tuition for four years plus a 500,000 yen stipend.
Admissions for the G30 programs are fully online, with no written entrance exam: paper screening followed by an interview or oral exam by video call.
In 2024, 97% of fourth-year undergraduates had a job offer or a graduate school place before graduation, according to the G30 careers page.
Admissions
G30 International Programs, October 2027 entry; Japanese-taught programs, April 2027 entry
Selectivity
Nagoya does not publish one overall admit rate. For the G30 English-taught programs it publishes rates by program: for 2025 entry they ranged from 4% (both Automotive Engineering tracks) to 25% (Social Sciences, School of Law), with Physics at 8%, Economics at 10% and Japan-in-Asia Cultural Studies at 10%.
Typical entry requirements
| G30 International Programs (English-taught, October entry) | 12 years of schooling completed by 30 September 2027, or IB, Abitur, Baccalaureat, A-levels, Cambridge International A Levels or European Baccalaureate, or a 12-year curriculum at a WASC, ACSI, CIS, NEASC, Cognia or COBIS accredited school; document screening then interview or oral exam |
|---|---|
| Privately-financed international student exam (Japanese-taught, April 2027 entry) | Minimum EJU scores by school, e.g. Japanese 330 and science plus Mathematics Course 2 310 for the School of Science, Japanese 420 and 380 for Medicine; plus TOEFL iBT (61 to 90 depending on school) or IELTS; then essay and/or interview in Nagoya in late January 2027. AY2027 is the last year of this exam category. |
| English language | IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 80 G30 minimums: IELTS Academic 6.0 overall, TOEFL iBT 80 (paper-delivered 60), Duolingo 110, or CEFR C1 on an official transcript. Applicants with three or more consecutive years of English-medium secondary education, including the final year, are exempt with a school letter. |
Deadlines
- G30 First Round (all programs) Non-binding Next deadline · In 44 daysNovember 19, 2026, 12:00 noon JST
Applications open November 2, 2026. Interviews February to March; final decision March 15, 2027.
- Privately-financed international student exam (April 2027 entry) Non-binding In 59 daysDecember 4, 2026, 15:00 JST (documents by post)
Online registration and fee payment November 24 to December 3, 2026. Exams in Nagoya from January 28, 2027.
- G30 Second Round (Automotive Engineering, Physics, Chemistry in the School of Engineering only) Non-binding In ~4 monthsJanuary 21, 2027, 12:00 noon JST
Applications open January 5, 2027. Interviews in April; final decision April 26, 2027. No second round for Chemistry (Science), Biological Science, Social Sciences or Japan-in-Asia Cultural Studies.
Dates come from the AY2027 G30 undergraduate admission requirements and the AY2027 privately-financed international student guidelines. Applicants can apply to only one G30 program per year. The AY2027 admission requirements PDF sets the G30 application fee at 10,000 yen; an older G30 web page still quotes 5,000 yen, so follow the PDF.
How to apply
G30: apply through the Nagoya University Online Admissions System, pay the 10,000 yen application fee, and upload a school certificate, transcripts, national exam or standardized test scores, English test proof, two essays (motivation and program-specific), at least one teacher reference (two recommended) and a passport copy. Short-listed applicants send originals and sit an online interview; science and engineering interviews include an oral exam in maths and science.
What admissions looks for
- Strong high school results, supported by national exam and standardized test scores where available.
- Outstanding performance in the chosen field, including special projects, talents, achievements and awards.
- Two strong essays and teacher references, plus non-academic activities such as extracurriculars and volunteering.
- For science and engineering, solid high-school maths and science shown in the oral exam.
Tips for applying to Meidai
- 1 Apply in the first round: several G30 programs, including Biological Science, Social Sciences and Japan-in-Asia Cultural Studies, have no second round.
- 2 If you apply to science or engineering, practise pen-and-paper maths without a calculator: the oral exam uses high-school maths and program-specific questions.
- 3 Upload the scholarship form and a translated income statement with your application to be considered for the G30 scholarship automatically.
- 4 Write your essays yourself: Nagoya bans generative AI in application documents and checks essays with AI-detection software.
- 5 Physics applicants need Referee A to complete the confidential Physics Learning Checklist.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in JPY
All G30 applicants who submit the scholarship form are automatically considered for the Nagoya University Global 30 Undergraduate Scholarship, which covers tuition for four years and pays 500,000 yen in total; the university says roughly 10 to 15% of students receive a full scholarship. Students can also apply for a 50% to 100% registration and tuition fee waiver, the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for self-financed international students, or the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship via an embassy (117,000 yen a month for undergraduates).
- Full tuition for 4 years plus 500,000 yen in total
- G30 Undergraduate Scholarship
- Roughly 10-15%
- Students receiving a full scholarship
- 117,000 yen a month
- MEXT Scholarship (undergraduate)
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters; G30 programs start in October, Japanese-taught programs in April
Automotive Engineering (G30, B.Eng.)
Two English-taught tracks (Mechanical, and Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering) built around connected, autonomous and electric vehicles; 4% admission rate in 2025.
Physics (G30, School of Science)
Four of the six Nobel laureates Nagoya counts are physicists, and the G30 program is small and highly selective (8% admission rate in 2025).
Chemistry (G30, Science or Engineering)
The department of Nobel laureate Ryoji Noyori (asymmetric catalysis, 2001) and where alumnus Osamu Shimomura did his early research; offered through either the School of Science or Engineering.
Biological Science (G30, Science or Agricultural Sciences)
Two English-taught routes into biology and applied bioscience, in the university where Okazaki fragments were discovered.
Social Sciences (G30, Law or Economics)
English-taught law and economics degrees in Japan's manufacturing heartland.
Japan-in-Asia Cultural Studies (G30, B.A.)
Small-class program on modern Japanese culture, cinema, literature and history in its East Asian context.
Research
- Scholars associated with Nagoya have won six Nobel Prizes, including 2014 Physics laureate Hiroshi Amano, who is still a professor of engineering there.
- The Sakata model and the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata (PMNS) neutrino mixing matrix came out of Nagoya's Sakata School of physics.
- Nagoya ranks 39th in the world for Physics and 51-75 (1st in Japan) for Aerospace Engineering in ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2025.
Schools & faculties
- School of Humanities
- School of Education
- School of Law
- School of Economics
- School of Informatics
- School of Science
- School of Medicine
- School of Engineering
- School of Agricultural Sciences
97% of fourth-year undergraduates had a job offer or graduate school place before graduation in 2024. Among G30 undergraduates, about 1 in 5 join a company straight after graduating, 31% go on to graduate school in Japan and 24% to graduate study abroad.
Student life
Most undergraduate life happens on the Higashiyama Campus in Nagoya's Chikusa ward, whose landmark is the Toyoda Auditorium, designed by Fumihiko Maki and completed in 1960. G30 students arrive in mid-September for two orientation weeks and live together in the Ishida Memorial International Residence Myoken for their first six months before moving to private apartments. Each G30 student has an assigned academic advisor. In June the student-run Meidaisai festival brings live music, open lectures and food stalls to campus, and there are more than 100 clubs and societies.
- Meidaisai, held every June, is billed as the biggest university festival in Central Japan, with more than 50,000 visitors.
- More than 100 student clubs and societies, including traditional Japanese sports.
- Two weeks of compulsory orientation for new G30 students in September, covering residence registration, insurance and bank accounts.
- The Toyoda Auditorium (1960) is the campus landmark.
Housing. G30 students live in the Ishida Memorial International Residence Myoken for their first six months, then usually rent off-campus rooms for 30,000 to 50,000 yen a month, with help from the university's housing advising office.
Location
Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture, is the centre of Japan's automotive, machine-tool, robotics and aerospace industries, and home to manufacturers such as Toyota. It sits on the Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Osaka and is noticeably cheaper than either. Students head to the Osu shopping streets, Sakae and Tokugawa Garden, and mountains and coast are within reach for weekends.
Nearest airport: Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO)
Notable alumni
- MK Makoto Kobayashi2008 Nobel Prize in Physics for the Kobayashi-Maskawa theory of CP violation; School of Science graduate and Nagoya DSc
- TM Toshihide Maskawa2008 Nobel Prize in Physics; Nagoya graduate (1962)
- HA Hiroshi Amano2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for the blue LED; School of Engineering graduate and professor
- OS Osamu Shimomura2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for green fluorescent protein; PhD in organic chemistry from Nagoya
- TO Tsuneko OkazakiMolecular biologist and co-discoverer of Okazaki fragments in DNA replication; studied biology at Nagoya
- KN Koji NakanishiBioorganic and natural products chemist, later at Columbia University; Nagoya BSc and PhD
- ST Shoichiro ToyodaFormer president and chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation; engineering graduate (1947)
- UN Uichiro NiwaFormer chairman of Itochu and Japan's ambassador to China; Nagoya graduate
Frequently asked questions
Can I study at Nagoya University in English?
Yes. The G30 International Programs offer four-year English-taught bachelor's degrees in automotive engineering, physics, chemistry, biological science, law, economics and Japan-in-Asia Cultural Studies, with no Japanese requirement at entry.
What is the acceptance rate for Nagoya's G30 programs?
Nagoya publishes rates by program: for 2025 entry they ranged from 4% for Automotive Engineering to 25% for Social Sciences in the School of Law.
How much is tuition at Nagoya University for international students?
535,800 yen a year, the same as for Japanese students, plus a one-time registration fee of 282,000 yen and a 10,000 yen application fee.
When is the G30 application deadline for 2027?
The first round runs November 2 to November 19, 2026 (12:00 noon JST). A second round from January 5 to January 21, 2027 is open only for some programs.
Do I need the SAT or EJU for Nagoya G30?
No test is compulsory, but Nagoya highly recommends SAT, ACT, EJU or similar scores and says applications with higher standardized test scores tend to be evaluated more highly.
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.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to Meidai in the QS World University Rankings 2027.