Sophia University
上智大学
Tokyo's Jesuit university, on one central campus in Yotsuya, with English-taught degrees in liberal arts, social sciences and engineering.
- Students
- 14,072
- 12,419 undergraduates
- International
- 13%
- of students
- Tuition
- ¥1.2M
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1913
About Sophia
Sophia University was founded in 1913 by three Jesuit priests and received university status in 1928 (Wikipedia calls it the first Catholic university in Japan); Sophia describes itself as Japan's oldest Jesuit university. Its Latin name, Universitas Sedis Sapientiae, and its Japanese name, Jochi ('highest wisdom'), both refer to wisdom. Almost all teaching takes place on the Yotsuya Campus in central Tokyo, a short walk from the Imperial Palace and the National Diet.
Sophia calls itself a small but comprehensive university. It has 12,419 undergraduates and 1,653 graduate students in 9 faculties and 29 departments, from theology, humanities and foreign studies to law, economics, global studies, liberal arts and science and technology. About 13% of students (1,861) and 17% of full-time faculty are foreign nationals, more than 70% of classes have 40 or fewer students, and 17% of courses are taught entirely in a foreign language.
International students can enter through English-taught programmes (the Faculty of Liberal Arts, the Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures and, from April 2027, the Department of Digital Green Technology) or through Sophia's Japanese-language entrance exam for international students, which uses the EJU. It suits students who want an international, language-rich education in the middle of Tokyo.
Why students choose Sophia
Three English-taught routes: the Faculty of Liberal Arts, the Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures (journalism, education, sociology, economics, management, international relations and area studies) and the new Department of Digital Green Technology.
A single campus in Yotsuya, central Tokyo, within walking distance of the Imperial Palace, the National Diet and the National Diet Library.
About 1 in 12 students studies abroad, through partnerships with 410 universities in 87 countries, and the quarter system makes a term abroad easier.
Sophia University New Student Scholarships can cover the full, half or a third of first-year tuition, and the Adachi Scholarship covers first-year tuition for students from Southeast Asia and Africa.
Admissions
April 2027 and September 2027 entry
Selectivity
Sophia does not publish a single university-wide admit rate for international applicants. For the English-taught Faculty of Liberal Arts, 448 of 1,573 applications, counting first-year and third-year transfer applications in both application periods, were admitted across the Spring and Autumn 2026 intakes (about 28%); the second application periods were more selective (e.g. 12 of 144 admitted for Spring 2026). FLA plans to admit 140 first-years a year (60 in spring, 80 in autumn).
Typical entry requirements
| 12 years of schooling | 12 or more years of formal education in or outside Japan, or the IB Diploma, Abitur, Baccalaureate, European Baccalaureate or GCE / International A-levels |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma / A-levels | Accepted in place of SAT or ACT for the English-taught programmes (three A-level subjects) |
| EJU (Japanese-taught programmes) | Japanese reading and listening score of at least 300 (Theology), 320 (e.g. Economics, Education, foreign languages) or 340 (e.g. Law, Philosophy, History, Nursing), with Japan and the World or Mathematics; Science and Technology departments need Mathematics Course 2 and two science subjects at set minimums. Valid sittings for April 2027 entry: June 2025, November 2025 and June 2026 |
| English tests for some Japanese-taught departments | e.g. TOEFL iBT 42 or IELTS 4.0 for Psychology, Sociology and most foreign-language departments; TOEFL iBT 72 or IELTS 5.5 for English Literature and English Studies |
| English language | English-taught programmes require a TOEFL or IELTS score but set no minimum. Some Japanese-taught departments set minimums, for example TOEFL iBT 72 / IELTS 5.5 for the English Studies and English Literature departments. |
Deadlines
- Entrance Examination for International Students (Japanese-taught), April 2027 entry Non-binding PassedJuly 29, 2026 (closed)
Web applications July 15-29, 2026 (extended by two days); exam September 20, 2026 and second-stage interviews September 26; results October 8, 2026; enrolment deadline October 22, 2026.
- FLA / DGTech, April 2027 entry, 2nd application (first-years, applicants resident in Japan only) Non-binding Next deadline · In 59 daysDecember 4, 2026
Applications November 11 - December 4, 2026; results January 29, 2027; matriculation deadline March 5, 2027. The 1st application for April 2027 ran September 1-9, 2026 (results October 23, 2026).
- FLA / SPSF / DGTech, September 2027 entry, 1st application (first-years) Non-binding In 59 daysDecember 4, 2026
Applications November 11 - December 4, 2026; results February 5, 2027; matriculation deadline April 9, 2027.
- FLA / SPSF / DGTech, September 2027 entry, 2nd application Non-binding In ~6 monthsMarch 31, 2027
Applications March 10-31, 2027; results June 4, 2027; matriculation deadline July 9, 2027. Transfer applicants accepted in this period for FLA and some SPSF departments.
Dates for the English-taught programmes are from Sophia's 2027 Intake Admissions Information quick guide. The Japanese-taught international students' exam for April 2027 has already closed; Sophia has announced that some special admissions, including their eligible departments, requirements and schedules, change from April 2028 entry.
How to apply
English-taught programmes: apply online in the application period with transcripts, SAT/ACT (or IB/A-levels), TOEFL or IELTS, two recommendation letters and essays (two essays for FLA; a 500-word essay for SPSF and DGTech); selection is by document screening. Japanese-taught programmes: web application with the application fee (JPY 35,000 plus a JPY 1,100 system fee), EJU score report, diploma, transcripts and a statement of purpose of about 800 characters, then a subject exam and/or interview in Tokyo.
What admissions looks for
- A strong academic record over the last years of secondary school, shown in transcripts and SAT/ACT or IB/A-level results.
- English ability shown by TOEFL or IELTS for the English-taught programmes, or EJU Japanese at the level your department sets.
- Clear, thoughtful essays and two recommendation letters (English-taught programmes).
- For Japanese-taught departments, performance in the subject exam and interview.
Tips for applying to Sophia
- 1 For September 2027 entry to FLA, SPSF or DGTech, the first round closes December 4, 2026; apply then rather than in the smaller spring round, where FLA admitted 12 of 144 applicants for Spring 2026.
- 2 Sophia's New Student Scholarship and Adachi Scholarship must be applied for at the time of your admission application.
- 3 For the Japanese-taught route, only one EJU sitting can be submitted, and you cannot change it after applying.
- 4 If you are from Vietnam, Indonesia or the Philippines, check the Fast Retailing Foundation Scholarship listed for FLA applicants.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in JPY
Applicants can apply at the time of admission for the Sophia University New Student Scholarship, covering the full, half or one-third of first-year tuition, and the Sophia University Benefactors' (Adachi) Scholarship for students from Southeast Asia and Africa, covering full tuition and the education enhancement fee for the first year. After enrolment, students can apply for the Sophia University Tuition Support Scholarship, benefactors' scholarships and outside awards, and MEXT scholarships are available through Japanese embassies.
- JPY 35,000 plus JPY 1,100 web system fee
- Japanese-taught international exam fee
- JPY 51,000 a month (60 minutes from campus)
- Sophia Soshigaya International House
- JPY 95,000 a month (10 minutes from campus)
- Sophia-Arrupe International Residence
- Up to 28 hours a week with permission from immigration
- Part-time work
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (spring from April, autumn from September), each divided into two quarters
BA in Liberal Arts (Faculty of Liberal Arts)
English-taught, with majors in Comparative Culture, Social Studies, and International Business and Economics; intakes in April and September.
Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures (SPSF)
English-taught BAs in Journalism, Education, Sociology, Economics, Management, International Relations and Area Studies, focused on sustainability, with September entry.
Digital Green Technology (DGTech)
A new English-taught engineering department launching in April 2027, with clusters in applied chemistry and life sciences, mechanical and electrical engineering and physics, and digital technologies.
Faculty of Foreign Studies
Japanese-taught departments of English, German, French, Spanish (Hispanic), Russian and Portuguese studies.
Journalism (Faculty of Humanities)
Available in Japanese and, through SPSF, in English.
Research
- Research institutes include the Iberoamerican Institute, the Institute of Medieval Thought, the Kirishitan Bunko Library and the journal Monumenta Nipponica.
- Newer centres include the Semiconductor Research Institute, the Sophia Institute for Human Security and the Water-Scarce Society Research Center.
- Sophia hosts United Nations Weeks and Africa Weeks and visits by global intellectuals as part of its global engagement.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Human Sciences
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Economics
- Faculty of Foreign Studies
- Faculty of Global Studies
- Faculty of Liberal Arts
- Faculty of Science and Technology
Sophia offers year-round career support with more than 100 career events a year, individual consultations in Japanese or English, and internships with global companies, international organisations and financial institutions.
Student life
Life centres on the compact Yotsuya Campus in Chiyoda, beside St. Ignatius Church and the Sanadabori sports ground, with most faculties in one place. International students can live in Sophia dormitories such as the Sophia-Arrupe International Residence ten minutes away, or in designated dormitories across Tokyo. Hundreds of clubs and circles cover sport, music, volunteering and culture, and about one in eight students is a foreign national, so daily life mixes Japanese and English.
- About 1,861 international students (roughly 13%) on a single central Tokyo campus.
- 1,223 students studying abroad (as of March 2024) through 410 partner universities in 87 countries.
- More than 70% of classes have 40 or fewer students.
- Hundreds of clubs and circles, from sports to music and volunteering.
Housing. Sophia runs its own dormitories (JPY 51,000-95,000 a month) and designated dormitories (from about JPY 49,800 a month), 10 to 60 minutes from campus; rents are subject to change.
Location
Sophia's Yotsuya Campus is in Chiyoda, in the heart of Tokyo. The university notes that the Imperial Palace, the National Diet, the State Guesthouse and the National Diet Library, along with many international offices, are within walking distance. Sophia's own dormitories range from JPY 51,000 a month in Setagaya, an hour away, to JPY 95,000 at the Sophia-Arrupe residence ten minutes from campus.
Nearest airport: Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND); Narita International Airport (NRT)
Notable alumni
- MH Morihiro Hosokawa79th Prime Minister of Japan; Sophia graduate (1961)
- KG Koichiro GenbaFormer Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan; Sophia graduate
- AN Adolfo NicolásFormer Superior General of the Society of Jesus; studied theology at Sophia from 1964
- AS Anna SawaiActress, singer and dancer; studied at Sophia
- TF Tadatoshi FujimakiManga artist, creator of Kuroko's Basketball; studied at Sophia
- JA Jake AdelsteinJournalist and author of Tokyo Vice; studied Japanese literature at Sophia
- CA Carrie Ann InabaDancer, choreographer and television personality; attended Sophia before graduating from UCLA (non-degree study)
Frequently asked questions
Does Sophia University offer degrees in English?
Yes: the Faculty of Liberal Arts, the Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures (seven BAs in the social sciences) and, from April 2027, the Department of Digital Green Technology are taught in English.
Do I need the EJU to apply to Sophia?
Only for Japanese-taught degrees through the Entrance Examination for International Students, which sets EJU Japanese minimums of 300-340 by department. The English-taught programmes use SAT/ACT (or IB/A-levels) and TOEFL or IELTS instead.
What is the deadline for Sophia's English-taught programmes for 2027?
For September 2027 entry the first round runs November 11 - December 4, 2026 and the second March 10-31, 2027; the April 2027 second round (Japan residents only) also closes December 4, 2026.
How much does Sophia University cost?
About JPY 1.67 million in the first year and JPY 1.44 million a year afterwards for the Faculty of Liberal Arts (2027 estimate), and from about JPY 1.21 million a year for Japanese-taught humanities and social science departments.
Is it hard to get into Sophia's Faculty of Liberal Arts?
Moderately: FLA admitted 448 of 1,573 applications (first-year and transfer, both periods) across its 2026 intakes (about 28%), with far lower rates in the second application periods.
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.
- QS World University Rankings 2027 (topuniversities.com)
- THE World University Rankings 2026 (ranking table)
- ShanghaiRanking ARWU 2026
- Sophia University: Facts & Figures
- Sophia University Admissions (English-taught programmes)
- Sophia: 2027 Intake Admissions Information, a quick guide (PDF, updated with DGTech)
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