The University of Osaka
大阪大学
A large national research university in north Osaka, strongest in immunology, engineering and languages.
- Students
- 23,234
- 15,111 undergraduates
- International
- 9%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 10.4:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- ¥535.8K
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1931
About UOsaka
The University of Osaka (known in Japan as Handai) became Osaka Imperial University in 1931, but it traces its intellectual roots to two Edo-period Osaka academies: the Kaitokudo merchant school (1724) and Ogata Koan's Tekijuku (1838), where Western medicine was studied in Dutch. In April 2025 it changed its official English name from Osaka University to The University of Osaka, abbreviated UOsaka.
Today it is one of Japan's largest national universities, with 11 undergraduate schools spread over three main campuses in the northern suburbs of Osaka: Suita (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, human sciences), Toyonaka (letters, law, economics, science, engineering science) and Minoh, home to the School of Foreign Studies, which joined the university in the 2007 merger with Osaka University of Foreign Studies. It is especially strong in immunology, where the Immunology Frontier Research Center is based, and runs major national facilities for nuclear physics and laser science.
Most undergraduate teaching is in Japanese. International students who want to study in English can enter the four-year Human Sciences International Undergraduate Degree Program, while science applicants with some Japanese can take the International Undergraduate Program in Science. Osaka suits students who want lab-heavy research training in a big national university, in a city that is cheaper and more relaxed than Tokyo.
地域に生き世界に伸びる
“Live Locally, Grow Globally” — university motto
Why students choose UOsaka
The Human Sciences International Undergraduate Degree Program is a four-year English-taught Bachelor of Human Sciences, with concentrations in Diversity and Inclusion Studies, Japan Studies, or Political and Global Studies.
The International Undergraduate Program in Science (IUPS) starts with six months of preparatory study and then leads into Osaka's regular chemistry, physics, mathematics or biological sciences departments.
Immunology research is a major strength: the Immunology Frontier Research Center is home to Shimon Sakaguchi, who shared the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on regulatory T cells.
As a national university it charges the standard national fee of 535,800 yen a year, and every student can apply for partial or full tuition exemption each semester.
Admissions
Entry in April 2027 (general and privately-financed international exams) and October 2027 (Human Sciences English program)
Selectivity
The university does not publish an overall admit rate. For April 2025 undergraduate entry, 8,406 people applied for 3,313 places across the 11 schools and 3,384 enrolled. Japanese applicants are selected mainly through the national Common Test and the university's own second-stage exams. International applicants go through separate routes with their own exams.
Typical entry requirements
| Human Sciences International Undergraduate Degree Program (English) | Document-based review: secondary school transcripts, standardized test copy (SAT/ACT/AP/IB/A-level), language test certificate, personal statement, two recommendation letters; interview only if needed |
|---|---|
| International Undergraduate Program in Science (IUPS) | Entrance exam in English (English and Japanese for some departments); basic Japanese of JLPT N3 (N2 for Biological Sciences and Mathematics); April entry |
| Privately-financed international student special admission (Japanese-taught programs) | Written and interview exams taken in Japan, set by each school; the 2027 application guidelines are due for publication in late September 2026 |
| English language | The Human Sciences program requires a language proficiency certificate but publishes no minimum score on its admissions page; check the current application guidelines. |
Deadlines
- Human Sciences International Undergraduate Degree Program (October 2027 entry): online registration and fee Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 monthsJanuary 5, 2027 (23:59 JST)
Online registration opens 10:00 JST, December 1, 2026. Paper documents must arrive by post by January 8, 2027. Results by late March 2027; the offer reply is due May 7, 2027.
- Human Sciences program: application documents must arrive Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 8, 2027
Dates for the IUPS (April 2027 entry) are in the April 2027 application guidelines on the School of Science site. The university planned to publish the 2027 guidelines for privately financed international students in late September 2026; check its admissions page for the dates.
How to apply
Human Sciences English program: register online, pay the fee, then post the paper documents (transcripts, standardized test copy, language certificate, personal statement, two recommendation letters). IUPS and the privately-financed international student exam follow each school's published application guidelines.
What admissions looks for
- Strong secondary school results, supported by an externally set academic test such as SAT, ACT, AP, IB or A-levels (Human Sciences program).
- The ability to study fully in English, plus a genuine willingness to learn Japanese through the program's curricular and extracurricular opportunities.
- Motivation that fits the program's aim of combining disciplinary knowledge with practical skills, shown in the personal statement and two recommendation letters.
- For IUPS, preparation in the chosen science and at least basic Japanese (JLPT N3, or N2 for Biological Sciences and Mathematics).
Tips for applying to UOsaka
- 1 For the October 2027 Human Sciences intake, register online between December 1, 2026 and January 5, 2027. Post your documents early, because they must arrive in Japan by January 8.
- 2 Start requesting your two recommendation letters and a certified copy of your standardized test results in autumn 2026, since international mail and school offices can be slow.
- 3 If you want science but are not yet fluent in Japanese, look at IUPS: it builds in six months of preparatory study before you join the regular department.
- 4 Undergraduate MEXT scholarships through university recommendation are only possible after you pass the HUS or IUPS entrance exam. The embassy-recommendation route instead includes a year of Japanese study before the university's exam.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in JPY
All students can apply for partial or full tuition exemption each semester (spring applications late March to early April, fall late September to early October). Students in the English-taught programs can receive the University of Osaka Scholarship (80,000 yen a month), and Human Sciences students are eligible for the JASSO Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship (48,000 yen a month). Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarships are available through embassy or university recommendation.
- 80,000 yen per month
- University of Osaka Scholarship (English programs)
- 48,000 yen per month
- JASSO Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship (Human Sciences program)
- 568 of 2,719 international students (1 May 2025)
- Government-sponsored (MEXT) international students
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (April and October starts)
Human Sciences International Undergraduate Degree Program
Four-year English-taught Bachelor of Human Sciences with concentrations in Diversity and Inclusion Studies, Japan Studies, or Political and Global Studies.
International Undergraduate Program in Science (IUPS)
A 4.5-year route into chemistry, physics, mathematics or biological sciences that starts mainly in English and moves into Japanese.
School of Foreign Studies
Inherited from the 2007 merger with Osaka University of Foreign Studies and based on the Minoh campus, it has 580 places a year, the second-largest intake after Engineering.
School of Engineering
The largest undergraduate school, with 853 places a year and about 3,600 students, backed by the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Institute of Laser Science and the Joining and Welding Research Institute.
School of Medicine
Linked to the Immunology Frontier Research Center and the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, the core of Osaka's immunology strength.
Research
- Immunology Frontier Research Center, where Nobel laureate Shimon Sakaguchi (2025, Physiology or Medicine) works on regulatory T cells.
- Research Center for Nuclear Physics and the Institute of Laser Science, which carry out accelerator and high-power laser research.
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases and Institute for Protein Research, long-standing centers for infectious disease and structural biology.
- Nobel Prize-winning physics connected to the university includes Hideki Yukawa's meson theory, developed while he was at Osaka Imperial University.
Schools & faculties
- School of Letters
- School of Human Sciences
- School of Foreign Studies
- School of Law
- School of Economics
- School of Science
- School of Medicine
- School of Dentistry
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- School of Engineering
- School of Engineering Science
Student life
Life is split across three suburban campuses in northern Osaka Prefecture. Toyonaka, on the wooded slopes of Mount Machikane, is where most first-year general education happens. Suita is a large science and medical campus. Minoh hosts the School of Foreign Studies in a new building. International students get support from the university's International College and a campus life support office, and many live in university residence halls such as the Minoh international student hall. Clubs and circles run across campuses, and the university mascot is a crocodile character called Dr. Wani.
- Three main campuses (Suita, Toyonaka, Minoh) plus the Nakanoshima Center in central Osaka
- University mascot Dr. Wani
- International College supports students in the English-taught degree programs
- School of Foreign Studies brings language learners from across Japan to Minoh
Housing. The university runs dormitories and international residence halls, including one on the Minoh campus, but places are limited and many students rent private apartments nearby.
Location
The campuses sit in the northern suburbs of Osaka, Japan's third-largest city and the commercial center of the Kansai region. Central Osaka's Umeda district is a short train or monorail ride away, and Kyoto and Kobe are within about an hour. Rent and daily costs are generally lower than in Tokyo, and the city is known for its food culture and direct, friendly people.
Nearest airport: Osaka International Airport (Itami), close to the Toyonaka campus. Kansai International Airport (KIX) handles most international flights.
Notable alumni
- AM Akio MoritaCo-founder of Sony
- OT Osamu TezukaManga artist and animator, creator of Astro Boy; studied medicine at Osaka
- TK Toru KumonMathematics educator who developed the Kumon method
- RS Ryotaro ShibaHistorical novelist; attended the Osaka School of Foreign Studies, now part of the university
- KN Kunio NakamuraFormer president of Panasonic
- YN Yusuke NakamuraGeneticist and cancer researcher
- PS Pratiwi SudarmonoIndonesian microbiologist, selected as an astronaut payload specialist
- TI Tetsuro ItodaniProfessional shogi player and former Ryuo title holder
Frequently asked questions
Can I study at the University of Osaka entirely in English?
Yes, through the four-year Human Sciences International Undergraduate Degree Program, which starts in October. The International Undergraduate Program in Science begins mainly in English but moves into Japanese from the second year and asks for basic Japanese at application.
How much is tuition at the University of Osaka for international students?
Undergraduate tuition is the standard national university fee of 535,800 yen a year (267,900 yen per semester), plus a 282,000 yen enrollment fee. International students pay the same as Japanese students.
When is the application deadline for the Human Sciences English program?
For October 2027 entry, online registration runs from December 1, 2026 to January 5, 2027 (JST), and paper documents must arrive by January 8, 2027. Results come out by late March.
Is Osaka University the same as the University of Osaka?
Yes. The official English name changed from Osaka University to The University of Osaka in April 2025, and the short form is now UOsaka. The Japanese name, 大阪大学, did not change.
What scholarships are available for international undergraduates?
Options include MEXT scholarships through embassy or university recommendation, the University of Osaka Scholarship (80,000 yen a month) and the JASSO Honors Scholarship (48,000 yen a month) for Human Sciences students. Every student can also apply for tuition exemption.
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.
- ReseEd: QS World University Rankings 2027 Japan results (18 June 2026)
- THE World University Rankings 2026: The University of Osaka
- ShanghaiRanking ARWU: Osaka University
- Announcement: official English name changed to The University of Osaka
- The University of Osaka Profile 2025 (index page)
- Profile 2025 p.21: student numbers (1 May 2025)
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to UOsaka in the QS World University Rankings 2027.