Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
立命館アジア太平洋大学
A private university in Beppu where nearly half of students are international and degrees can be completed in English or Japanese.
- Students
- 6,699
- 6,335 undergraduates
- International
- 49%
- of students
- Tuition
- ¥1.5M
- From · 2027 enrollment
- Founded
- 2000
About APU
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) opened in April 2000 in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, through a partnership between Oita Prefecture, Beppu City and the Ritsumeikan Trust. It is a private university and part of the Ritsumeikan Academy. Its three undergraduate colleges are Asia Pacific Studies, International Management and Sustainability and Tourism.
As of May 2026 it had 6,699 students, of whom 3,274 were international students from 121 countries and regions, a share of 48.9 percent. It has 213 full-time faculty, about 48 percent of them foreign nationals. The university says its courses are offered in both English and Japanese, so you can complete a degree in either language. APU's College and Graduate School of International Management hold AACSB and AMBA accreditation.
APU is unusual among Japanese universities because it can be reached without the national entrance exams: applications are judged on transcripts, a language test, standardized test scores if you have them, and a recorded interview, and you never need to travel to Japan for admission. All international students spend their first year in on-campus housing, and the university offers tuition reduction scholarships of up to 100 percent to international applicants. It suits students who want a multicultural, bilingual campus and are open to a small city.
Freedom, Peace and Humanity; International Mutual Understanding; Creating the Future Shape of the Asia Pacific Region
University motto
Why students choose APU
About half the student body is international: 3,274 of 6,699 students from 121 countries and regions, as of May 2026.
English-basis and Japanese-basis degrees: applicants choose to study mainly in English or in Japanese, and the university says courses are offered in both languages.
APU Tuition Reduction Scholarships of 30, 50, 65, 80 or 100 percent are open to international applicants and run for the standard period of study.
The application needs no travel or national entrance exam: it is online, with a recorded 30-minute interview.
Admissions
April 2027 and September 2027 enrollment (2027 application handbook for international applicants)
Selectivity
APU does not publish an admission rate. Applications are evaluated on all submitted documents and the recorded interview; no national entrance exam and no visit to Japan is required.
Typical entry requirements
| 12-year school education | Completed, or will complete before 1 April 2027 (April enrollment) or 21 September 2027 (September enrollment), a 12-year standard education, or hold IB Diploma, Abitur, Baccalaureate, European Baccalaureate, International A-level or GCE A-level results |
|---|---|
| English-basis applicants | IELTS 6.0 (at least 5.5 per section), TOEFL iBT 75 (tests before 21 January 2026) or 4.0 (new scale), TOEIC 1540, Duolingo 110, PTE Academic 60, or an exemption |
| Japanese-basis applicants | JLPT N1 (100) or N2 (120), or EJU Japanese as a Foreign Language (250 in reading and listening, 30 in writing), or an exemption |
| English language | IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 75 IELTS needs at least 5.5 in each section. The TOEFL iBT threshold is 75 for tests taken before 21 January 2026 and 4.0 on the new scale from 21 January 2026. Duolingo 110, PTE Academic 60, TOEIC 1540 (L&R plus 2.5 times S&W) and Cambridge/Linguaskill 169 are also accepted. Home edition TOEFL, TOEFL ITP and IELTS General Training are not accepted. Applicants educated in English for three years or holding an English-medium IB Diploma may be exempt. |
Deadlines
- April 2027 enrollment, Period 4 (applicants outside Japan; code GSP4) Non-binding Next deadline · In 12 days14 October 2026
Results 1 December 2026. Periods 1-3 (deadlines 15 July, 19 August and 16 September 2026) have closed. Applicants residing in Korea and Thailand, and in Japan, follow country-specific schedules.
- September 2027 enrollment, Period 2 (other countries; code GFA2) Non-binding In 26 days28 October 2026
Applications from 3 September 2026; results 15 December 2026.
- September 2027 enrollment, Period 3 (code GFA3) Non-binding In ~2 months9 December 2026
Results 2 February 2027.
- September 2027 enrollment, Period 4 (code GFA4) Non-binding In ~4 months20 January 2027
Results 9 March 2027.
- September 2027 enrollment, Period 5 (code GFA5) Non-binding In ~5 months3 March 2027
Results 20 April 2027. Later periods have a shorter enrollment procedure deadline.
Dates are for applicants residing outside Japan in countries other than China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam, which have their own schedules, from the 2027 application handbook. Applicants residing in Japan have separate periods, and additional application periods for September 2027 may be announced by early April 2027. Deadlines are not extended.
How to apply
Create an account on the APU Online Application System (admissions.apu.ac.jp/apply_online), enter your details, upload transcripts, graduation certificate, language score and standardized scores, pay the application fee by credit card, and submit the recorded interview by 23:59 Japan time on the deadline. Essays and a recommendation letter are required only if you want to be considered for the APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship.
What admissions looks for
- Academic ability shown through transcripts and any standardized test results.
- Reasons for applying, motivation, critical thinking and communication, judged in the recorded interview.
- Initiative and the capacity to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds, as set out in APU's admission criteria.
- Fit with APU's mission of freedom, peace, humanity and international mutual understanding and its 2030 Vision.
Tips for applying to APU
- 1 Apply early: the university says you may have a greater chance of the APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship if you apply in an earlier period.
- 2 Prepare for the recorded interview on a computer with a camera and microphone; the handbook advises reading the APU 2030 Vision first.
- 3 Choose English-basis or Japanese-basis carefully, because you cannot apply as both in the same period.
- 4 Check which application category applies to your country of residence, as applications in the wrong category are not accepted.
Costs & financial aid
2027 enrollment · figures in JPY
International applicants can apply for the APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship (30, 50, 65, 80 or 100 percent of tuition, renewed each semester for the standard period of study up to the eighth semester, subject to academic performance). Applicants submit essays and a recommendation letter with the admission application, and recipients must hold a Student residence status.
- 30%, 50%, 65%, 80% or 100% tuition reduction
- Scholarship levels
- 200,000 yen
- Admission fee (one-off)
- 243,600 yen, including moving-in fee, deposit and two months' rent
- AP House entrance fee (one-off)
- 5,500 yen
- Application fee (applicants outside Japan, by credit card)
- 727,500 yen
- First-semester tuition at 0% reduction (first-year students)
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters; entry in April or September
International Management (APM)
Four areas of study including marketing, accounting and finance, and entrepreneurship; the college holds AACSB and AMBA accreditation.
Asia Pacific Studies (APS)
Three areas of study: culture, society and media; global economy; and international relations.
Sustainability and Tourism (ST)
Nine concentrations on sustainable development and tourism, with problem-based learning in real-world settings.
Language Education
Degree students take Japanese or English language courses, and the university says courses are offered in both English and Japanese.
Off-campus study
Overseas exchange study, internships and field studies are part of the APS curriculum.
Research
- The university has research centres, a Research Office and an annual Asia Pacific Conference.
- It administers the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) and JICA training programmes.
- It runs a Confucius Institute and community partnerships with Beppu City and Oita Prefecture.
Schools & faculties
- College of Asia Pacific Studies (APS)
- College of International Management (APM)
- College of Sustainability and Tourism (ST)
- Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies
- Graduate School of Management
- Center for Language Education
Student life
APU guarantees on-campus housing to all international students in their first year: AP House, a ten-minute walk from the centre of campus, where international students share or have single rooms and are paired with Japanese-basis roommates. From the second year, students move off campus into downtown Beppu, where rent is about half that of similar apartments in Tokyo or Osaka. The campus hosts Multicultural Weeks, the Tenku Campus Festival and student clubs, and students come from 121 countries and regions.
- AP House guarantees first-year on-campus housing: 378 shared rooms and 932 single rooms at 54,800 yen a month including utilities.
- Multicultural Weeks and the Tenku Campus Festival.
- Resident Assistants from the second to fourth year help new students in AP House.
- Clubs and regional exchange with Beppu City.
Housing. First-year international students live in AP House on campus (54,800 yen per month in AP House 1 and 2, 56,800 yen in AP House 5), and then move into downtown Beppu.
Location
APU is in Beppu, a city in Oita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, at 1-1 Jumonjibaru. The university says living costs in Beppu are low while the city offers the conveniences of a big city; rent is about half that of similar apartments in Tokyo or Osaka, and most students buy a one-year bus pass to commute to campus from downtown.
Notable alumni
- ED Emil DardakIndonesian politician, Vice Governor of East Java since February 2019; Wikipedia says he graduated with a doctorate from APU
- KE Kosuke EnomotoKyotanabe City councillor since April 2019; listed as an APU alumnus by Wikipedia
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the EJU or an entrance exam to apply to APU?
No. APU evaluates your transcripts, language score, standardized test scores and a recorded interview online. EJU Japanese and other EJU subjects can be submitted as language or academic evidence but are not mandatory.
How much does APU cost?
Undergraduate tuition is 1,455,000 yen in the first year and 1,655,000 yen in years 2-4 before any scholarship. One-off costs include a 200,000 yen admission fee and an AP House entrance fee of 243,600 yen. APU Tuition Reduction Scholarships cover 30 to 100 percent of tuition.
What English score do I need for APU?
IELTS 6.0 with at least 5.5 in each section, or TOEFL iBT 75 for tests before 21 January 2026 (4.0 on the new scale), Duolingo 110, PTE Academic 60 or TOEIC 1540. Some applicants educated in English are exempt.
What are the APU application deadlines for 2027 entry?
For April 2027 entry from outside Japan, the last period closes on 14 October 2026. For September 2027 entry, deadlines are 28 October 2026, 9 December 2026, 20 January 2027 and 3 March 2027 for most countries. Some countries have their own schedules.
Can I study in English only at APU?
Yes. APU offers English-basis and Japanese-basis degrees, and the university says courses are offered in both languages. Degree students also take Japanese or English language courses.
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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