1001-1200 in the world · QS 2027

Niigata University

新潟大学

A national comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan with ten faculties and a tuition fee of about 536,000 yen a year.

Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan National (public) comprehensive university Founded 1949 Official website

See my chances at NU Admissions office

Photo: 恩田透 · Public domain

Students: 12,299; 10,062 undergraduates
International: 4%; of students
Tuition: ¥535.8K; 2026-27
Founded: 1949

About NU

Niigata University is a national university in Niigata City, on the Sea of Japan coast, with origins reaching back about 150 years. It was inaugurated under the new university system in 1949 by merging seven colleges, among them Niigata Medical College and Niigata Higher School. Its own description is of a large comprehensive university with ten faculties and five graduate schools across the humanities, education, law, economics, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, health sciences and dentistry.

As of 1 May 2026 it had 12,299 students (10,062 undergraduates, 1,418 master's students, 819 doctoral students and 47 school nurse-teacher course students) and 433 international students with student residence status, from 45 countries and regions. It has 3,299 staff, including 325 professors, and two campuses: Ikarashi for most faculties and Asahimachi for medicine, dentistry and the university hospital. Its philosophy is 'Autonomy and Creativity', and its research institutes include the Brain Research Institute and the Research Institute for Natural Hazards and Disaster Recovery.

Most undergraduate teaching and exams are in Japanese, so international applicants need sufficient Japanese. The main route for a privately funded international student is a special entrance exam that waives the Common Test and uses the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU), a Niigata University academic exam and interview, and, for five faculties, a TOEFL score. It suits students who are ready to study in Japanese in a low-cost regional city.

Autonomy and Creativity

“自律と創生 (the university's stated philosophy)” — university motto

Why students choose NU

Tuition follows the national university standard rate of JPY 535,800 a year, with a tuition-reduction system for eligible international students.

Ten faculties in one university, from Law and Economic Sciences to Medicine, Dentistry and Agriculture, plus the College of Creative Studies.

The university states that average monthly expenses for a Niigata student, including rent, are JPY 110,320, lower than the Tokyo area figure of JPY 134,900.

Residence Hall rooms (Rikka Hall) cost JPY 13,000 a month, and Co-op leased apartments supported by the university are available before arrival.

Admissions

April 2027 entry (special entrance exam for privately financed international students); 2027 details not yet published

Selectivity

Niigata University publishes no acceptance rate for this route; each faculty recruits 'a small number' (jakkan-nin) of privately funded international students. Selection combines EJU scores, the university's own academic exam, interview or essay, and TOEFL for five faculties.

Testing The Common Test for University Admissions is waived. Applicants must have taken the EJU (for 2026 entry: sessions 1 or 2 of 2024 or 2025); a Niigata academic exam and interview (in Japanese) are added, with a Japanese essay for Humanities, Law and Health Sciences. Applicants to Humanities, Economic Sciences, Science, Engineering and Agriculture must also submit an original TOEFL iBT score report (tests taken from April 2023).

Typical entry requirements

12 years of schooling abroad	Completion of a 12-year school programme abroad, or equivalent approved by MEXT; applicants must not hold Japanese nationality
International qualifications	International Baccalaureate, Abitur, French Baccalauréat, GCE A-level, International A-level or European Baccalaureate (eligibility check required)
EJU	Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (JASSO), Japanese language plus subject sessions required by each faculty
English language	TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition) score is considered for Humanities, Economic Sciences, Science, Engineering and Agriculture; the pages checked publish no minimum score. IELTS is not accepted on this route. Teaching and exams are mostly in Japanese.

Deadlines

Special Entrance Exam for Privately Funded International Students (previous cycle, April 2026 entry) Non-binding Passed

Web registration 19 to 29 January 2026; documents postmarked to arrive 26 to 29 January 2026

Exams 25 to 27 February 2026 (27 February for Medicine only); results 8 March 2026; enrolment procedures 26 to 27 March 2026; entrance ceremony 3 April 2026.

The university states that Reiwa 9 (April 2027 entry) information will be published as soon as it is confirmed. The dates above are from the Reiwa 8 (April 2026 entry) guidelines and are shown as the previous cycle.

How to apply

Register on the university's web system and post the application documents (mail only, no in-person submission) during the application period; download the admission ticket and exam guide from the web system, then sit the academic exam and interview in Niigata. Read the Entrance Exam Application Guidelines (Japanese) before applying.

What admissions looks for

Students with solid academic foundations who take on new challenges with initiative.
People who value humanity, think broadly and want to be useful in local and global society.
Enough Japanese to follow classes and take examinations, shown through EJU results.
The basic ability and strong motivation needed for the faculty's educational goals.

Tips for applying to NU

1 Check the faculty's EJU subject combination before you register for the EJU, since the Science, Medicine, Dentistry, Engineering and Agriculture faculties each specify different subjects.
2 Send the eligibility check form early if you hold IB, Abitur, A-levels or completed fewer than 12 years of schooling.
3 For Science, choose between the three routes (mathematics and science emphasis, science emphasis, or field science orientation), which use different subjects and interview styles.
4 Application by post only: allow for international mail so documents arrive by the deadline.
5 Contact the Admissions Division on +81-25-262-6079 for questions about the guidelines.

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 · figures in JPY

Japanese and international undergraduates pay the same standard national-university tuition of JPY 535,800 per year (2026 fee schedule); plus a one-time admission fee of JPY 282,000 and an examination fee of JPY 17,000 Tuition ¥535,800

+ annual, calculated as the university's stated average monthly expenses for a niigata university student including rent (jpy 110,320, approx. usd 748) times 12 = jpy 1,323,840 (a genuine annual total, not a monthly figure). monthly rent ranges from jpy 13,000 (rikka hall) to about jpy 25,000 to 55,000 (co-op apartments). ¥1,323,840 ≈ ¥1,859,640 per year

Tuition Annual, calculated as the university's stated average monthly expenses for a Niigata University student including rent (JPY 110,320, approx. USD 748) times 12 = JPY 1,323,840 (a genuine annual total, not a monthly figure). Monthly rent ranges from JPY 13,000 (Rikka Hall) to about JPY 25,000 to 55,000 (Co-op apartments).

Financial aid

Eligible international students can apply for the tuition fee reduction system, under which tuition may be fully or partially waived, as well as Japanese government (MEXT) scholarships and Niigata University's own scholarships. Some scholarships are applied for before acceptance, others after acceptance with a university recommendation or as an individual application.

Full or partial waiver
Tuition fee reduction (eligible international students): JPY 13,000
Residence Hall (Rikka Hall) monthly rent

Academics

Academic calendar: Two semesters starting in April (academic year April to March)

Faculty of Science (three selection routes)

Seven degree programmes (mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geosciences, natural environmental science, field science) with separate selection methods.

Dentistry

The university cites a QS 2026 Dentistry subject band of 51-150 and an ARWU Dentistry and Oral Sciences 2025 band of 76-100.

Medicine

Niigata Medical College is one of the university's founding institutions; the medicine exam is held on an extra day.

Agriculture

Open to privately funded international students through the EJU, a Niigata exam, an interview and the TOEFL.

Economic Sciences

Admission uses the EJU, a Japanese interview and, for this faculty, the TOEFL.

Law

Admits with an essay and interview in Japanese, without the TOEFL.

Research

Brain Research Institute and the Research Institute for Natural Hazards and Disaster Recovery.
A university hospital that provides advanced treatment for the region.
External research funds of about JPY 3.83 billion in academic year 2025, with 390 patents held.

Schools & faculties

Faculty of Humanities
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Economic Sciences
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Dentistry
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Agriculture
College of Creative Studies

The English pages report degrees awarded in academic year 2025 (618 master's and 158 doctoral degrees) but no undergraduate employment rate.

Student life

Most degree-seeking students live in Rikka Hall (JPY 13,000 a month, usually for the required study period or two years), in the Co-op leased apartments the university supports for newly enrolled international students, or in private housing. Niigata City is a port city of about 800,000 people with five consulates, where the university says living costs are lower than in Tokyo. The University hosts an International Commons and offers a Japanese Language Program, exchange programmes and a short-term programme.

Rikka Hall residence at JPY 13,000 a month.
Co-op leased apartments where the university pays part of the initial cost.
International Commons and Japanese language programmes for international students.
Port city of about 800,000 with five consulates.

Housing. Rikka Hall (JPY 13,000 a month), Co-op leased apartments supported by the university (about JPY 25,000 to 55,000 a month) and, for specific scholarship students, International House (JPY 22,000).

Location

Niigata City is a port city on the Sea of Japan coast with a population of about 800,000, a domestic and international transport hub, with bullet train links to Tokyo. The Ikarashi campus is in the western part of the city and the Asahimachi campus, home to Medicine, Dentistry and the hospital, is in the central district.

Nearest airport: Niigata Airport (KIJ)

Notable alumni

NC
Nishimura Chinami

Member of the House of Representatives (Constitutional Democratic Party); Vice Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare 2011-2012 and the party's second Secretary-General; studied law at Niigata University (graduated 1990, master's 1993)
MY
Mori Yuko

Member of the House of Councillors; Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 2011-2012; graduated in English literature from the Faculty of Humanities and Law (now Humanities)
KS
Kondo Shiro

Business executive; president and CEO of Ricoh from 2007 and chairman from 2013 to 2017; graduated from the Faculty of Engineering in 1973
IH
Igarashi Hiroshi

Business executive; president and group CEO of Dentsu Group from March 2023 until March 2026 (Executive Senior Advisor since then); graduated from the Faculty of Economics in 1984
AT
Aoyagi Takuo

Medical engineer who discovered the principle of pulse oximetry in 1972 at Nihon Kohden; Medal with Purple Ribbon 2002; graduated in electrical engineering in 1958
HJ
Hoshino Junko

Former freestyle moguls skier who competed at the Sochi 2014 Olympics; graduated from the Faculty of Humanities

Frequently asked questions

Can international students study at Niigata University in English?

For undergraduate degrees, most classes and exams are in Japanese, so you need sufficient Japanese. A TOEFL score is used in addition to the EJU for five faculties under the special exam for privately funded international students.

How do international students apply for undergraduate study?

Either through the general entrance exam (with the Common Test) or through the Special Entrance Exam for Privately Funded International Students, which waives the Common Test and uses the EJU, a Niigata academic exam and interview, and TOEFL for some faculties.

When is the application deadline for April 2027 entry?

Niigata University has not yet posted the 2027 guidelines. For April 2026 entry, web registration ran 19 to 29 January 2026 and documents had to arrive between 26 and 29 January by post, with exams from 25 to 27 February.

How much are tuition and living costs at Niigata University?

Undergraduate tuition is JPY 535,800 a year, with a one-time admission fee of JPY 282,000. The university puts average monthly student expenses, including rent, at JPY 110,320, or about JPY 1.32 million a year.

Is there a scholarship or tuition reduction for international students?

Yes. Eligible students can apply for a full or partial tuition waiver, and can apply for MEXT scholarships and Niigata University scholarships.

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.