10 Japanese universities to offer 1,000 scholarships to international students in 2027

Japan is rapidly expanding its international scholarship offerings for 2027, aiming to attract global talent across all degree levels. According to a recent report, leading universities are actively recruiting high-achieving students by bundling MEXT government scholarships, tuition waivers, and rich internal awards into their admissions programs. English-taught bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs are now widely available in fields like engineering, AI, business, and sustainability. In practice, many top unis automatically consider scholarship candidates at admission: for example, University of Tokyo and Kyoto University integrate full tuition waivers and stipends right into their application process. In short, Japan’s 2027 admission cycle offers a one-stop pathway: apply to a program and request scholarship support in a single process, with potential tuition coverage from 30–100% plus living stipends.

Each row above is synthesized from that universities’ own scholarship schemes as reported in our source and related official pages. (For example, Kyoto’s iUP program explicitly waives all fees and grants a ¥120,000/month stipend, while Ritsumeikan’s international admissions page details its multi-tier tuition waiver chart.)

University Scholarship Programs in Detail

University of Tokyo (UTokyo)

UTokyo offers multiple scholarship routes for international students. All admitted international students can apply for the MEXT Japanese Government Scholarship (covering full tuition, housing and ¥117,000/month) as part of UTokyo’s special admission track. Separately, the University of Tokyo Special Scholarship (often called the UTokyo Fellowship) is an internal award: it provides a ¥200,000/month research stipend to exceptional graduate students (up to 5 years for PhD, 1 year for research students). In 2024 there were 31 new UTokyo Fellowship recipients, bringing the total alumni to 908 since its inception. These fellowships are highly competitive and applicants typically need faculty recommendation. In short, UTokyo guarantees that top-ranked students will have tuition and living costs covered either by MEXT or by its own fellowship program. (See UTokyo’s official scholarship page for details.)

Kyoto University (Kyoto iUP)

Kyoto University’s International Undergraduate Program (iUP) is effectively a full scholarship track. Kyoto iUP admits roughly 10–20 international students each year (about 94 since 2018) in science and medical fields. All iUP students receive 100% fee waivers: the entrance fee and all tuition are exempt. In addition, iUP awards merit-based stipends up to ¥120,000 per month for each student. Notably, iUP requires no Japanese at entry (intensive Japanese courses are provided). For graduate study, Kyoto offers various scholarships (e.g. the Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program for master’s students), and Kyoto Univ. regularly supports MEXT scholarships. The key takeaway is: every Kyoto iUP student effectively studies for free with living support.

Osaka University

Osaka University provides a mix of government and internal awards. It accepts MEXT scholars for undergrad and grad programs (via embassy or university recommendation). For its English-taught undergrad programs (through the Global 30 initiative), Osaka offers an OU Scholarship: about ¥80,000 per month for students with outstanding grades. Additionally, all international students at Osaka U are eligible to apply for tuition fee exemptions: each spring and fall semester the university approves requests to waive 50% or 100% of tuition based on need/merit. For example, in 2023 Osaka’s policy allowed every student to apply for a half or full tuition waiver. Private scholarships (e.g. JASSO’s Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship) are also common for Osaka students. In summary, Osaka’s financial aid includes partial/full tuition waivers for nearly all, plus a monthly stipend scholarship for its top undergraduates.

Tohoku University

Tohoku University’s standout program is the President Fellowship for international undergraduates (notably in its Advanced Molecular Chemistry course). Roughly 10 top AMC students per year are granted this fellowship, which completely covers the entrance fee and all tuition for up to four years. (Some of these students may also receive a small living stipend.) Outside the AMC, Tohoku invites MEXT applicants for graduate study; the university recommends a limited number of master’s and PhD candidates each year for Japan’s full-ride scholarship. Thus, excellent students entering Tohoku can expect free tuition, either via the President’s Fellowship (for select undergrads) or through MEXT at graduate level.

Hokkaido University (Integrated Science Program)

Hokkaido’s Integrated Science Program (ISP) for science majors is heavily funded. For the Oct 2026 cohort (entering 2027), Hokkaido waives 100% of the enrollment fee and one semester of tuition for every ISP freshman. In subsequent years, the university selects outstanding students each year to continue receiving full or half tuition waivers. (The full fee waiver in year 1 is universal for ISP entrants.) The Ministry of Education has also designated ISP for MEXT support: about 4 of the October 2026 ISP students will be selected for the “University Recommendation” MEXT scholarship (¥117,000/mo, 4 years). In short, ISP students pay nothing up front and may have their entire remaining tuition covered by university aid or the MEXT scheme. Non-ISP international students can likewise apply for Hokkaido’s standard tuition waivers if needed.

Nagoya University (Global 30)

Nagoya University’s Global 30 English programs offer fully-funded scholarships. All applicants to these programs are automatically considered for the G30 Undergraduate Scholarship: winners get four years of completely free tuition, plus a ¥500,000 total stipend spread over those years. (Students still pay the small entrance fee, which is reimbursed later.) The university also nominates top international applicants for MEXT’s University Recommendation scholarship; such MEXT awardees receive full fees and a ¥117,000 monthly stipend. Thus, a few Nagoya G30 admits will study entirely without fees, and many others will at least receive government scholarships covering tuition and living costs.

Waseda University

Waseda offers merit-based scholarships for incoming international students. Before enrollment, high-achieving students can win scholarships that waive tuition or pay a lump sum. For example, the Global Leader Scholarship grants ¥1,000,000 to a first-year student (renewable yearly), and the Howard Hagiya Scholarship awards ¥1,000,000 per year for 4 years to Taiwanese students. Another notable award (the Reserved Scholarship) gives ¥500,000/year for 2 years to top freshmen. Waseda also runs a partial tuition-waiver scholarship that covers one semester’s tuition for selected applicants. In addition, Waseda participates in programs like the Asian Future Leaders Scholarship (AFLSP) for Asia-bound students. In sum, Waseda’s international freshmen often receive cash stipends or partial fee waivers, supplementing any MEXT fellowship they obtain.

Keio University

Keio has one of Japan’s largest scholarship endowments (around ¥24 billion) dedicated to students. It offers a wide variety of awards to privately-financed international students. For example, the Keio Top-Down Scholarship is awarded (via competitive review) to ~300+ students, giving either ¥500,000 or ¥250,000 per year. The Yamaoka Kenichi Memorial Scholarship for new Asian freshmen provides ¥700,000 (social sciences) or ¥900,000 (other faculties) for one year. Other Top-Down and donor scholarships (from alumni funds) give ¥500,000 annually to selected high-achievers. Keio also expects students to apply for MEXT if eligible, and it provides need-based aid (e.g. tuition exemptions) through internal channels. Overall, Keio’s undergraduates and graduates can tap dozens of merit awards or get recommended for the full-ride MEXT scholarship by applying through Keio.

Sophia University

Sophia offers a “New Student Scholarship” scheme at admission. Qualified entrants (based on exam scores) can receive a scholarship covering 1/3, 1/2, or 100% of first-year tuition. These are awarded at admission time, so successful international applicants often start with one of these tuition waivers. Beyond that, Sophia provides various smaller grants (e.g. Adachi Scholarships) for freshmen and some partial tuition support for upper-year students. (Sophia also participates in AFLSP and accepts MEXT scholars.) In practice, many Sophia international freshmen graduate debt-free thanks to these initial waivers.

Ritsumeikan University & Ritsumeikan APU

Ritsumeikan University (and its affiliated Asia Pacific University – APU) use tiered tuition reduction schemes and MEXT recommendations. Ritsumeikan’s standard plan awards a 100% tuition waiver (full scholarship) to roughly the top 10% of admitted international students, a 50% waiver to the next 10%, and a 20% waiver to others. Meanwhile, a select few grad applicants are admitted through the MEXT University Recommendation track; these awardees receive a full scholarship (tuition, fees, stipend) from the Japanese government. APU adds its own fund: incoming international undergrads can win 100%, 80%, 65%, 50% or 30% tuition reduction scholarships (assessed by academic merit). In short, top candidates at Ritsumeikan/APU either have all tuition covered (by the tier-one waiver or MEXT) or receive a large partial reduction.

Who Should Apply?

According to the source report, ideal candidates are (1) academically excellent students aiming for Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD abroad, (2) those in STEM, AI, engineering, business, or policy, and (3) students seeking fully-funded or low-tuition opportunities in Asia. In practice, these programs target international students of high academic merit (often from Asia but also worldwide) who can thrive in English-taught curricula. Many scholarship admissions also favor candidates who can fill Japan’s talent needs—especially in tech and sustainability fields. Importantly, applicants must plan ahead: all ten universities noted that early preparation (reviewing eligibility, getting test scores, preparing research proposals, etc.) is crucial. Most of these scholarships are merit-based and competitive, so candidates with strong grades, solid application essays, and (for graduate study) research plans will stand out.

Application Process and Timeline

Applications for these 2027 scholarships generally open in late 2026. According to admissions guidelines, universities release updated entry rules by May–August 2026. At that time, prospective students should finalize their shortlist and begin assembling documents (transcripts, recommenations, language scores).

• Sep–Dec 2026: Most undergraduate programs (and many graduate schools) open their fall 2027 applications. This is the busiest period. Submitting your application at the start of this window maximizes scholarship consideration. For example, UTokyo and Kyoto University expect intakes in Sept/Oct 2027, with application periods roughly in Nov–Dec 2026.

• Jan–Feb 2027: Applications for remaining programs (e.g. certain master’s courses at Waseda, Keio, etc.) open. Deadlines vary, but many close by Feb–Apr 2027.

• Mar–May 2027: Final rounds of graduate admissions and scholarship decisions. Some universities interview or do entrance exams in this phase. Applicants who applied early often receive offers by late Spring.

Application tips: Candidates should apply via each university’s international admissions portal. Consult the official sites (e.g. UTokyo, Kyoto iUP, Osaka Global 30, etc.) for exact forms and schedules. Importantly, when applying, indicate your interest in the scholarship – often a separate checkbox or form is provided. Since many of these awards are tied directly to admission, there is typically no extra application beyond the standard admission process. In all cases, be mindful of deadlines: as noted above, scholarship-linked admissions generally follow the universities’ standard deadlines one year in advance of matriculation