Study Overseas

The education system in Japan has played a central part in its rapid economic growth following the Second World War. Japan is growing and becoming more and more advanced and westernised and their education system is developing too.

Structure of education for studying in Japan

In Japan it is compulsory for students to attend school at the elementary level and lower secondary level, although nearly all students go on to study at the higher secondary level which is not compulsory. Most students go to public school through the elementary and lower secondary levels, but when they come to attend the upper secondary and university level they attend private school.

After World War Two in 1947 the Fundamental Law of Education and the School Education Law were enacted and these still dictate the structure of the Japanese education system that is still in place today. The structure of Japan’s education system entails six years of elementary school, three years of junior high school (this is the final compulsory part of education), three years of high school and two or four years of University.

Higher secondary level through to university education in Japan

94% of junior high school students go on to higher secondary education by attending high school in Japan. Neither public or private high schools are free, but 55% of students attend private school costing their parents approximately $5,000. At high school in Japan students are prepared for higher education, as well as being taught technical and vocational courses to prepare them for work if they do not intend to go on to university. You course will become much more individualised in your second year at high school, but there is core of academic material that runs through every high school program throughout Japan.

More than 2.8 million students are enrolled in 726 universities in Japan. Most offer four-year programs that end in receiving a Bachelor’s degree, and some offer a six-year program that offer a Professional degree. There are two types of public university in Japan; ninety-six of them are national universities and thirty-nine are local public universities that have been founded by prefectures and municipalities. The three hundred and seventy two remaining universities are private.

The most popular courses in Japan for university students are in the social sciences, business, law and accounting. Over 40% of students are enrolled in these courses with other popular subjects being engineering, the humanities and education. The average cost to study one of these courses for a year at university in Japan is $10,000.

Job prospects after studying in Japan

The high quality of a university education in Japan is internationally recognised which means you will not have trouble getting a job with a degree from a university in Japan. There were eleven Japanese universities listed in the THES – QS World University Rankings with the University of Tokyo coming in at 19^th.

Employers will notice not only the quality of your degree after you study in Japan but also the challenge that you will have undertaken by studying abroad. Not just abroad but in a country as culturally diverse as Japan where you will have been tested by the language, way of life and culture. This shows great personality and shows to employers you are not afraid to try something new and challenge yourself to reach new levels. 

Language barriers to studying in Japan

Where as in some countries the majority of undergraduate programs are taught in English, Japan is different. If you wish to study in Japan then you will most likely need a very firm grasp of the Japanese language. Most undergraduate university courses in Japan are only available in Japanese although at masters and doctorate level there are a good number available in English. Very few universities offer any courses in English at undergraduate level.

The entrance exam that must be taken to be accepted into university in Japan is called the Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU). It is a standard examination and can be taken in Japanese or English, except the section on the Japanese language, which of course must be taken in Japanese. All national universities, two thirds of public universities and half of the private universities in Japan use the EJU as admission criteria for International students.