Yokohama National University

Key facts

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

About Yokohama National University

Yokohama National University was established in 1949 under the National School Establishment Law, with colleges of Liberal Arts and Education, Economics and Engineering.^[6] The university says it was formed by unifying Kanagawa Normal School, the Kanagawa Prefectural Training Institution for the Teachers of Supplementary Vocational Education, Yokohama College of Economics and Yokohama Institute of Technology.^[1] Wikipedia traces one of these lines back to Yokohama Normal School, founded in 1876; the university’s own history page starts with 1949.^[8]

In 2004 it became a National University Corporation. Newer units include the College of Engineering Science and the Graduate School of Urban Innovation (2011), the Colleges of Education and Urban Sciences (2017) and the Interfaculty Graduate School of Innovative and Practical Studies (2021).^[6] The university gives its size as about 10,000 students and 1,000 faculty and administrative staff, in the Tokyo–Yokohama metropolitan area.^[1]

How is Yokohama National University ranked?

QS published its World University Rankings 2027 on 18 June 2026. An aggregator that republishes QS data lists Yokohama National University in the 1001–1200 band.^[2] QS’s own website blocks automated access, so we could not read the band there. We treat the band as an aggregator figure until we can confirm it at QS.

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

What can you study at Yokohama National University?

The undergraduate level has five colleges: Education, Economics, Business Administration, Engineering Science and Urban Sciences. Graduate education is organised in six graduate schools, including Engineering Science, International Social Sciences and Urban Innovation.^[7]

English-taught degrees

• Bachelor’s: the YOKOHAMA Socrates Program in the College of Urban Sciences. Students start with English-taught courses and add Japanese courses if needed.^[5] It was launched in April 2024 and focuses on social resilience and sustainability through the humanities and social sciences.^[9]
• Master’s: Public Policy and Taxation (for officials of national tax authorities in eligible countries); Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Ocean Engineering; Chemistry and Life Science; Mathematics, Physics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; and two infrastructure programmes (IGSI and IMP).^[5]
• Doctoral: Economics, Business Administration, Transnational Law and Policy, the three engineering and science fields above, and Urban Innovation (Urban Infrastructure Field).^[5]

All courses in the Graduate School of Engineering Science are also taught in English.^[5]

How much does Yokohama National University cost in 2026?

The fee page covers the 2026 academic year and says the amounts are subject to change.^[3] The fees are the same for domestic and international students and for all degree levels. In the first year an undergraduate or graduate student pays ¥282,000 plus ¥535,800, in total ¥817,800.^[3]

Waivers and scholarships

Privately financed international students who are already admitted can apply for a full, half or 30% tuition exemption based on academic performance (full or half for doctoral programmes). The page states that undergraduate international students are not eligible.^[10] The Japanese government (MEXT) scholarship is accepted in four of its seven types: research students, Japanese studies students, undergraduate students and teacher training students; undergraduate and teacher training awards go only through the Japanese embassy.^[11]

Total cost estimate

For the Socrates Program the university gives a total of about ¥6,400,000 over four years (about ¥1,600,000 a year) including academic fees and living expenses. It does not itemise it.^[9] For living costs and visas, see our Study in Japan guide.

How do you apply to Yokohama National University?

The route depends on the programme and level.

• Bachelor’s, Japanese-taught: there are two admission types, “Standard Admission” and “Pre-arrival Admission”; pre-arrival is offered only in some Engineering Science fields. The application guidelines and forms are available only in Japanese on the university website.^[4]
• Bachelor’s, Socrates Program: see the programme website for entry requirements and the “Fees & Scholarships” section; the page we read does not state intake numbers or English test scores.^[9]
• Master’s and doctoral: you need a bachelor’s degree (for a master’s) or a master’s degree (for a doctorate), or equivalent academic ability. Documents include a transcript, a research plan and a passport or residence card copy. In science and technology programmes you must find a supervisor and obtain consent before you apply. Some graduate schools use an online application system.^[12]

We give no deadlines because they differ by programme and change every year. Check the application guidelines of your programme and the English-taught degree page.^[5] General planning for Japan is covered in our Study in Japan guide.

Which language level do you need?

For regular undergraduate programmes, taught in Japanese, applicants are expected to have Japanese at JLPT N1 level. You do not have to take the JLPT before applying.^[4] At graduate level most classes, seminars and entrance exams are in Japanese, except in the Graduate School of Engineering Science. Some graduate schools may ask for an English or Japanese proficiency certificate; the page gives no score requirements.^[12]

The English-taught degree page does not list TOEFL, IELTS, JLPT or EJU requirements and refers to the application guidelines of each programme.^[5] The EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission) is not mentioned on the undergraduate admissions page.^[4]

More about studying in Japan

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

More university profiles in Japan

• Chiba University
• Hiroshima University
• Hokkaido University
• Institute of Science Tokyo
• Kanazawa University
• Keio University
• Kobe University
• Kyoto University
• Kyushu University
• Nagoya University
• Okayama University
• Ritsumeikan University
• Sophia University
• Tohoku University
• The University of Osaka
• University of Tokyo
• University of Tsukuba
• Waseda University