Osaka Metropolitan University
大阪公立大学
Japan's largest public university, formed in 2022 from two Osaka institutions with roots reaching back about 140 years.
- Students
- 15,867
- 12,126 undergraduates
- International
- 3%
- of students
- Tuition
- ¥535.8K
- 2026
- Founded
- 2022
About OMU
Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) opened in April 2022 through the merger of Osaka City University and Osaka Prefecture University. Osaka City University began as the Osaka Commercial Training Institute and Osaka Prefecture University as a training school in veterinary science; the university says both histories go back around 140 years. OMU describes itself as the largest public university in Japan.
As of 1 May 2026 it had 12,126 undergraduates and 3,741 graduate students, taught by 1,370 full-time faculty. It offers eleven schools plus the College of Sustainable System Sciences, with a broad range: literature, law, economics, business, science, engineering, agriculture, veterinary science, medicine, nursing and human life and ecology. The Sugimoto campus holds most of the humanities, social science, science and engineering schools and a Morinomiya campus in central Osaka.
International undergraduates are a small group: 55 of the roughly 12,000 undergraduates were international students in May 2026. That matters because the entrance exams for international undergraduate applicants are all in Japanese, so this is a place for applicants who can already study at university level in Japanese and want a large, low-tuition public university in a major city.
Why students choose OMU
Annual tuition for degree students is JPY 535,800 (2026), the same for Japanese and international students, plus a one-time enrollment fee of JPY 282,000 for Osaka Prefecture residents or JPY 382,000 for others.
It has twelve undergraduate units under one roof, from Engineering with 12 departments to Veterinary Science, Medicine and Nursing.
The Special Admission for privately financed international students uses the Examination for Japanese University Admission (EJU) plus an individual exam and interview, with a separate October window for some schools.
High EJU scorers can use JASSO's reservation program for the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship, and private foundations offer scholarships of JPY 25,000 to 120,000 a month after enrollment.
Admissions
Special Admission for privately financed international students, 2027 academic year (entry April 2027)
Selectivity
OMU does not publish an acceptance rate for its international special admission. Entry is decided by the EJU, an individual academic exam, an oral test or interview and the application documents, weighted by school.
Typical entry requirements
| 12 years of school education abroad (or equivalent) | Applicants must not hold Japanese nationality (including dual nationals) and must complete 12 years of schooling or an equivalent qualification by 31 March 2027; qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate, Abitur and French Baccalaureate also qualify |
|---|---|
| EJU results | Take the EJU subjects the school requires and meet its minimum scores; Japanese as a Foreign Language (reading, listening and listening-reading, and writing), plus Science or Mathematics courses depending on school |
| English language | Some schools require a minimum TOEFL iBT (or IELTS band) score for the special admission, for example 45 for Knowledge and Information Systems and 61 for Environmental and Social Systems, Social Welfare and Education, and Psychology in the College of Sustainable System Sciences; Agriculture sets scores by department. Check the 2027 admission guidelines for your school. |
Deadlines
- October window (Veterinary Science; College of Sustainable System Sciences) Non-binding Next deadline · In 2 days5 to 8 October 2026
Selection day 21 November 2026; results 4 December 2026.
- December window (Literature, Law, Economics, Business, Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Nursing and other schools) Non-binding In ~3 months16 to 21 December 2026
Selection days 25 and/or 26 February 2027 depending on school (Law, Commerce and Nursing 25 Feb only; Agriculture 26 Feb only; Literature, Economics, Science, Engineering and Human Life Science 25 and 26 Feb); results 9 March 2027 for all. Where a two-stage selection is used, first-stage results are 22 January 2027 (Commerce) and 5 February 2027 (Literature).
Dates were checked against rendered page images of OMU's 2027 Special Admission outline for privately financed international students (Japanese PDF, based on the schedule set as of 1 May 2026); confirm your school's exact dates in the 2027 guidelines.
How to apply
Read the 2027 Special Admission guidelines for privately financed international students and apply online. Take the EJU (through JASSO) first and submit results and application documents for your school. The application fee is JPY 30,000. Some schools add a small essay, oral test or interview.
What admissions looks for
- Strong EJU scores in the subjects your school specifies, with the school's minimum scores met.
- Japanese ability sufficient for university lectures and exams, since all undergraduate exams are in Japanese.
- For some schools, a TOEFL iBT or IELTS score above a stated minimum.
- A performance in the individual exam and interview that fits the school's admission policy.
Tips for applying to OMU
- 1 Plan the EJU early: the October window for Veterinary Science and the College of Sustainable System Sciences needs results submitted by the start of October 2026.
- 2 Check your school's required EJU subjects and TOEFL minimum on the 2027 outline before choosing an EJU course.
- 3 If you score highly on the EJU, look at JASSO's reservation program for the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship before you enrol.
- 4 Ask about international student dormitories early: rooms are limited and a screening procedure may be used if applications exceed places.
Costs & financial aid
2026 · figures in JPY
Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship students and exchange students under university agreements are exempt from tuition. Privately financed students can use JASSO's reservation program for the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship (based on a high EJU score) before enrolling, and can be recommended after enrolment for private foundation scholarships such as Rotary Yoneyama, Heiwa Nakajima and Fujii International, paying JPY 25,000 to 120,000 a month for undergraduates.
- JPY 30,000
- Application fee
- JPY 282,000 (Osaka Prefecture residents) or JPY 382,000 (others)
- Enrollment and registration fee (one-time)
- JPY 100,000 a month, up to 2 years
- Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation (undergraduate)
- JPY 120,000 a month, 1 year
- Heiwa Nakajima Foundation (undergraduate)
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters; tuition is debited for the first semester in May and the second in October
Engineering (12 departments)
Covers aerospace, marine systems, mechanical, architecture, urban design, physics and electronics, information science, chemistry and materials engineering.
Veterinary Science
Grows out of Osaka Prefecture University's origin as a veterinary science training school; entry is via the October application window.
College of Sustainable System Sciences
Departments of Knowledge and Information Systems, Environmental and Social Systems, Social Welfare and Education, and Psychology.
Agriculture
Three departments (Agricultural Biology, Applied Biological Chemistry, Environmental Sciences and Technology) focused on biological resources and urban environment.
Business
Departments of Business and Public Management, positioned around the integration of theory and practice.
Research
- The Sugimoto campus houses the Nambu Yoichiro Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics and the Advanced Mathematical Institute.
- OMU has an office at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) in Kaiserslautern, opened in December 2024, and offices in Shanghai and Hanoi.
- OMU says it hosts 15 graduate schools, including science, engineering, medicine and social sciences.
Schools & faculties
- College of Sustainable System Sciences
- School of Literature and Human Sciences
- School of Law
- School of Economics
- School of Business
- School of Science
- School of Engineering
- School of Agriculture
- School of Veterinary Science
- School of Medicine
- School of Nursing
- School of Human Life and Ecology
OMU publishes completion-rate and career-path data in Japanese on its education information pages; no single graduate employment figure was verified for this profile.
Student life
OMU is spread across several Osaka-area campuses. Law, economics, business, literature, science, engineering and human life science are based at Sugimoto, which has a guest house and student halls on site. Nakamozu campus in Sakai hosts I-wing Nakamozu, an international house with 80 student rooms where international students, Japanese students and visiting researchers live together. The Morinomiya campus in central Osaka is about ten minutes on foot from JR and Osaka Metro stations. International students are supported through the International Support Center and dormitories managed by OMU and other organisations.
- I-wing Nakamozu has 80 student rooms and an exchange area where international and Japanese students live together.
- Morinomiya campus is about a ten-minute walk from Morinomiya Station on the JR Loop Line and the Osaka Metro Chuo Line.
- International dormitories are managed mainly by OMU and other organisations, with screening if applications exceed rooms.
- OMU runs overseas offices in Shanghai, Hanoi and Kaiserslautern.
Housing. International student dormitories are mostly run by OMU or support foundations; if there are more applicants than rooms, a screening procedure may be used.
Location
OMU is in Osaka, one of Japan's major cities. Sugimoto campus is a five-minute walk from Sugimoto-cho Station on the JR Hanwa Line in Sumiyoshi ward, Nakamozu campus is in Sakai city to the south, and Morinomiya campus in Joto ward is a short walk from a JR Loop Line and Osaka Metro station. From Kansai International Airport, the Kansai-Airport Rapid Service reaches Sugimoto-cho with one change at Sakai.
Nearest airport: Kansai International Airport (KIX)
Notable alumni
- SY Shinya YamanakaNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012 (iPS cells); earned his PhD at Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine in 1993 (predecessor institution)
- TK Takeshi KaikōWriter; enrolled in the Law Department of Osaka City University in 1948 (predecessor institution)
- TI Takafumi IsomuraMayor of Osaka 1995 to 2003; graduated from Osaka City University (predecessor institution)
- KH Keigo HigashinoMystery novelist (1958 to 2026); studied electrical engineering at Osaka Prefecture University (predecessor institution)
- TS Tomoka ShibasakiAkutagawa Prize-winning writer; graduated from Osaka Prefecture University (predecessor institution)
- TK Taeko KonoWriter (1926 to 2015); finished an economics degree at what is now Osaka Prefecture University, graduating in 1947 (predecessor institution)
Frequently asked questions
Can I study at Osaka Metropolitan University in English as an undergraduate?
OMU says all its undergraduate entrance exams for international applicants are in Japanese, so undergraduate study requires strong Japanese. English-language graduate options are described on its graduate admissions pages.
How much is undergraduate tuition at OMU?
Annual tuition for 2026 is JPY 535,800 for all undergraduates, plus a one-time enrollment and registration fee of JPY 382,000 (JPY 282,000 for Osaka Prefecture residents and their children). Veterinary Science adds JPY 92,500.
What exams do international applicants take?
The Special Admission for privately financed international students uses the EJU plus an individual academic exam, oral test or interview, and documents; some schools also require a TOEFL iBT minimum.
When do I apply for 2027 entry?
5 to 8 October 2026 for Veterinary Science and the College of Sustainable System Sciences, and 16 to 21 December 2026 for most other schools.
Are there scholarships for international undergraduates?
Yes. High EJU scorers can use the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship reservation program, and after enrolment students can be recommended for private foundation scholarships paying JPY 25,000 to 120,000 a month.
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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