Kyoto University

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 7 November 2026.

About Kyoto University

Kyoto University was founded in June 1897. Its main campus is in the historic city of Kyoto, a centre of traditional Japanese culture.^[1] Teaching and research are centred on three campuses around the Kyoto basin: Yoshida, the core of the university since its founding; Uji, which hosts research institutes in the natural sciences and energy fields; and Katsura, opened in 2003, which houses the graduate schools of engineering and informatics.^[1]

As of May 2025 the university had 10 faculties, 18 graduate schools, 12 research institutes and 26 centres and other establishments. About 3,000 of its 23,000 students come from overseas, from some 120 countries and territories.^[1]

How is Kyoto University ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, Kyoto University is 64th in the world with an overall score of 78.2. That is second in Japan, behind the University of Tokyo (39th) and ahead of the University of Osaka (95th) and the Institute of Science Tokyo (97th).^[2] A second table of the same edition gives the same placing for Kyoto.^[7]

Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at Kyoto University?

All 10 faculties offer undergraduate degrees, and the 18 graduate schools offer master’s, doctoral, five-year doctoral and professional-degree programmes.^[1] Classes are generally taught in Japanese unless specified otherwise, and applicants to a regular undergraduate or master’s programme are expected to have sufficient Japanese when they matriculate.^[1]

Programmes in English

• Kyoto iUP (Kyoto University International Undergraduate Program): a 4.5-year programme made up of a six-month preparatory course and four years of undergraduate study. In the first two years after the preparatory course, classes are taught in English and/or Japanese; the final two years are taught mainly or exclusively in Japanese.^[4] Students can enrol in the faculties of Integrated Human Studies, Letters, Education, Law, Economics, Science, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Engineering and Agriculture; the Faculty of Medicine is not currently open to the programme.^[8]
• Undergraduate International Course Program of Civil Engineering: a four-year course leading to a Bachelor of Engineering. The university lists it among the programmes it describes as conducted in English, with entrance examinations and support in English.^[4]
• Graduate programmes: English-taught programmes are listed for Letters, Economics, Science (Institute for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior), Engineering, Agriculture, Energy Science, Informatics, Biostudies, Global Environmental Studies and Management. Individual laboratories may also supervise degrees in English, especially at doctoral level.^[4]

Some liberal arts and general education courses are also taught in English.^[1]

How much does Kyoto University cost?

The fee page names no academic year and shows no date.^[3] The application guidelines of the Kyoto iUP programme, which are valid for October 2026 enrolment, list the same ¥282,000 admission fee and ¥535,800 annual tuition for the undergraduate course.^[8] The table does not list a separate rate for international students.^[3]

Exemptions and scholarships

Degree-seeking students with excellent grades and financial difficulty can apply for a full or half tuition waiver, but only a limited number are selected.^[3] This changes for new undergraduates: students who matriculate in or after the 2026–27 academic year are not eligible for the tuition exemption and may apply only for admission fee deferment.^[6]

Scholarships include the Japanese government (MEXT) scholarship, the Honors Scholarship for Privately Financed International Students and awards from foreign governments and private foundations. Selection is highly competitive, and applications are in most cases accepted only after entrance, so the university advises having enough funds before matriculation.^[3]

For rent and living costs in Kyoto, see our Study in Japan guide.

How do you apply to Kyoto University?

Questions about application qualifications and entrance examinations go to the faculty or graduate school concerned.^[3] The main routes for international students are:

• Kyoto iUP: applicants must be non-Japanese citizens who hold “Student” status of residence at enrolment, and must meet at least one of five education conditions (for example 12 years of primary and secondary education, an International Baccalaureate, German Abitur, French Baccalaureate or GCE A Level). Applicants must be at least 18 years old by 1 April of the entry year. The programme asks for proof of English proficiency (TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic, or a school-issued Form C for native speakers or those educated in English), and accepts EJU results taken in English or Japanese.^[8]
• Civil Engineering international course: a four-year course with its own admissions, listed among the English-conducted programmes; its entrance examination is held online.^[4]
• Graduate programmes: apply to the graduate school or the English-taught programme you choose; each publishes its own application guidelines.^[4]

We give no deadlines here because they change every year and differ by programme. Check the timetable of your programme before you start.

Which language level do you need?

Outside the English-taught programmes, classes are generally given in Japanese, and applicants to regular undergraduate and master’s programmes are expected to have sufficient Japanese on matriculation.^[1] The university has no independent Japanese-language faculty; international students (except special auditing students) can attend supplemental, non-credit Japanese classes run by the Education Center for Japanese Language and Culture.^[1]

For Kyoto iUP, the guidelines set no formal minimum English score. They state that typical scores of successful candidates are TOEFL iBT 90 or IELTS 6.5.^[8] Kyoto iUP includes a six-month preparatory course and Japanese study until the final two years, which are taught mainly in Japanese.^[4]

More about studying in Japan

• Japan: best universities
• Study in Japan: complete guide
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

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