The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has finalized a policy to ease enrollment caps for universities accepting international students. Aiming to raise the low undergraduate international student ratio compared to major countries, the initiative seeks to enhance Japan’s growth and the quality of education and research. Implementation is planned for fiscal 2026.
Under the current system, universities that exceed enrollment limits—including international students—face penalties such as reduced government subsidies. As a special measure, only universities certified by the Ministry of Education will be allowed to raise the cap if they increase their intake of international students. For faculties with an enrollment capacity of 300 or more, the excess limit will be relaxed from under 105% to under 110%.
MEXT will review plans submitted by national, public, and private universities to increase the proportion of international undergraduate students. The review will assess whether universities have appropriate systems in place to manage international student enrollment. To promote diversity, priority will be given to plans that aim to increase students from G7 countries, India, and Southeast Asia.
At Japan’s leading research universities, international student enrollment is concentrated at the graduate level. According to a UK higher education research firm, the proportion of international students at the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University is 25–30% at the graduate level, but only 3% at the undergraduate level. In contrast, top overseas universities such as the University of Cambridge (24%) and UC Berkeley (20%) have significantly higher ratios of international undergraduates.
In April 2023, the government’s Council for the Future of Education proposed easing university enrollment regulations, alongside a goal to increase the number of international students in Japan to 400,000 by 2033.
The background of this Japanese government policy lies on the lack of children. In present-day Japan, the number of universities and the population of children—particularly those around age 18—are not necessarily in balance. Below is an overview of the background:
Number of Universities: As of fiscal 2024, Japan has approximately 810 universities. This number has been increasing over the past several decades, with private universities accounting for about 74% of the total.
Number of Children (18-Year-Old Population): In 2023, the number of births was around 740,000, marking a record low. Assuming a university enrollment rate of 50%, the population reaching university age in 18 years is estimated to be around 370,000.
Mismatch in Balance: Currently, there are about 2.63 million undergraduate students in Japan. Assuming roughly 650,000 students per academic year, there is a significant risk of a future decline in university enrollment. As the number of children continues to fall while the number of universities remains steady or increases, concerns are growing about universities facing under-enrollment and financial difficulties.
In this way, while the number of universities is being maintained or even increasing, the number of children is decreasing, creating a structural imbalance. To address this issue, measures such as university mergers and reorganizations, as well as actively accepting international students, are being considered.
Japan is expected to continue working toward creating a more welcoming environment for international students, including support that helps them stay and work in the country after graduation. This trend is great news for students who want to study in Japan and pursue a career here in the future.