The University of Tokyo Admission Requirements 2027 for International Students

Requirements

Bachelor's (College of Design)

Applicants need to have completed, or be on track to complete, 12 years of school education recognised as equivalent to Japanese upper secondary school, through a recognised national curriculum or an international qualification such as the IB Diploma, Abitur or A-Levels. Route B applicants additionally need at least three of their final four years of secondary schooling taught in English.

Master's and PhD

Each graduate school sets its own academic requirements; a relevant Bachelor's degree (or Master's degree for doctoral applicants) recognised as equivalent to a Japanese degree is the general baseline, and most English-taught programmes also expect a defined research interest and, for research degrees, a supervisor's agreement to accept the applicant before a formal application is submitted.

Documents

For the College of Design: secondary school transcripts and certificates, an essay and short video assignments, standardised test results (English proficiency, and for some applicants SAT, ACT or equivalent), and references, submitted through the online application system. For graduate applications: degree certificates and transcripts, a research plan or statement of purpose, a language test result, and, for research degrees, written confirmation that a supervisor has agreed to accept the applicant, with exact requirements set by the individual graduate school.

How to apply

1. Decide whether you are applying to the College of Design as an incoming undergraduate, or to a specific graduate school's English-taught master's or doctoral programme, since the two follow entirely different calendars.
2. For the College of Design: choose Route A (in-person, written screening in Japan) or Route B (online, for applicants schooled mainly in English), and apply within the published window, from 15 October to 5 November 2026 for the first, September 2027 intake.
3. For a graduate programme: contact a prospective supervisor where the programme expects this, then apply directly to that graduate school by its own deadline.
4. Attend any required interview, written test or video assignment.
5. If accepted, ask UTokyo's international student office to begin your Certificate of Eligibility application, then apply for a student visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate before travelling.
6. Enrol and complete health insurance and residence registration on arrival in Japan.

English test waiver

The College of Design accepts IELTS Academic 6.0, TOEFL iBT 80 (or 4 or higher on the scale used from 21 January 2026), Cambridge English 169, Duolingo English Test 110, or EIKEN Grade Pre-1/1 with a CSE score of 2,400 or higher. Applicants who completed at least three of their final four years of secondary education in English (Route B) may submit proof of that instead of a test score. Other UTokyo faculties and graduate schools that teach in English set their own English test requirement rather than following one university-wide figure.