The University of Tokyo (UTokyo, often called Todai) was founded in 1877 and is Japan’s oldest and highest-ranked national university. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 39th in the world and first in Japan. Its main campuses, Hongo and Komaba, are in central Tokyo, and it’s strong across the sciences, engineering, medicine, law, economics and the humanities.
Most UTokyo undergraduates are admitted through Japanese-language entrance exams, but from September 2027 a new English-taught programme, UTokyo College of Design, will take students from Japan and around the world. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on the University of Tokyo’s own guidance and official Japanese government information.
1. Choose your route into UTokyo
UTokyo College of Design is a five-year programme, taught entirely in English, that combines a bachelor’s and a master’s degree and includes long internships in Japan or overseas. It will admit 100 students in September 2027: 50 through Route A, for applicants who take Japan’s Common Test for University Admissions, and 50 through Route B, for applicants with international qualifications such as the SAT, the IB or A Levels. There are no nationality restrictions, but you can apply through only one route, and if you apply for September 2027 you can’t also apply to UTokyo’s other programmes for April 2027. UTokyo’s other undergraduate programmes are taught in Japanese and have their own entrance exams. When UTokyo published the admissions overview, the College was still subject to approval by Japan’s education ministry, MEXT, so watch for updates.
2. Apply before 5 November 2026
Applications for September 2027 entry are open from 15 October 2026 (9 a.m. Japan time) to 5 November 2026 (5 p.m.), through the online application system, and only applications submitted in this window are accepted. For Route B, you’ll be sent the details of a video assignment on 6 November and must record it between 13 and 16 November 2026. First-screening results for Route B are announced on 22 December 2026, and all admission decisions on 20 February 2027. Successful applicants must register and pay the admission fee by late March 2027, and the programme starts on 1 September 2027. UTokyo College of Design: admissions overview for 2027.
3. Check the academic expectations for your qualification
For Route B, UTokyo expects an SAT score of 1480 or above or an ACT composite of 33 or above (superscores aren’t accepted), an IB Diploma score of 38 out of 42 plus at least 2 points for Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay, or three A grades at A Level. It also lists expectations for national qualifications: for example, an average of 93 in your top five CBSE Class XII subjects in India (94 for CISCE and state boards), an Abitur of 1.4 or better, a French baccalaureate average of 16 out of 20 or an ATAR of 98. The EJU isn’t accepted. If your final results come after the deadline, you can apply with certified predicted grades and receive a conditional offer, but you must send your final results by 16 August 2027.
4. Write strong essays and record your video
You type two essays in English directly into the application system: up to 300 words about something in your local area that you feel passionate about, and up to 50 words about something that made you take action without anyone telling you to. You also record a two-part video assignment in English, and you can’t upload a pre-recorded clip. On top of this, you describe three extracurricular activities or achievements (up to 100 words each), each with a piece of evidence, and a teacher submits one evaluation of you. UTokyo says it wants your own ideas and voice, not responses created by AI. See our 50 sample SOPs for ideas on writing about yourself.
5. Meet the English requirement
Both routes need a result from a test taken on or after 1 January 2025. UTokyo expects a TOEFL iBT score above 4 on the new scale for tests taken from 21 January 2026 (above 80 for earlier tests), IELTS Academic above 6.0, Duolingo above 110, a Cambridge English score above 169 or EIKEN above 2,400. These are expectations, not strict cut-offs. Route B applicants who have had an English-medium education for at least three of their final four school years can skip the test, but bilingual programmes don’t count. Practise with our free IELTS and TOEFL practice tests. UTokyo College of Design: Route B application guidelines.
6. Prepare for the interview
If you pass the first screening, you’ll be invited to the second stage. Route B applicants have an online interview in English of about 30 minutes, on a date between 13 and 22 January 2027. Route A applicants attend a full-day in-person screening at the Komaba campus on 15 or 16 February 2027, held in English and Japanese. The application fee is ¥17,000, and ¥13,000 of it is refunded if you don’t pass the first screening. Be ready to talk about your essays, your activities and why you want to study design in an interdisciplinary way.
7. Apply for a scholarship at the same time
UTokyo College of Design offers two scholarships that you don’t have to repay, and about 20 per cent of students receive one. The Needs-Based Scholarship pays ¥2,400,000 a year plus the admission fee and a one-way trip to Japan, for up to five years, and you apply for it in the same window as your admission, from 15 October to 5 November 2026. The Merit-Based Scholarship pays ¥600,000 a year for up to five years and needs no application in the first year. Results for both come on 20 February 2027. Students from Malaysia and Singapore may also get flights through the JAGAM and JUGAS scholarships. UTokyo College of Design: scholarships.
8. Understand the fees and housing costs
As of 2026, the admission fee is ¥282,000, paid once, and annual tuition is ¥642,960, paid in two instalments in November and May; amounts for students starting in 2027 may change. All first-year students must live at Mejirodai International Village, about 40 minutes from campus, where the cost was an initial ¥70,930 plus ¥82,300 a month in July 2026, including utilities and internet but not meals. Tokyo is one of Japan’s most expensive cities, so budget for food, transport and insurance as well.
9. Get your Certificate of Eligibility and student visa
Once you’ve accepted your place and paid your admission fee, the University of Tokyo applies to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan for a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) on your behalf, using documents you provide, including proof that you or a sponsor can pay for your studies and living costs. When your CoE is issued, which can be done electronically, you take it with your passport to the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country to get a student visa. You’ll be given your residence card when you arrive at a major airport, and you must register your address at your local city office and join Japan’s National Health Insurance within 14 days of moving in. If you need to extend your stay later, note that the fees went up on 1 October 2026 and now depend on the period you’re given: for example, ¥33,000 at an immigration office (¥27,000 online) for a one-year extension, instead of a flat ¥6,000. Immigration Services Agency of Japan: residence fees from 1 October 2026.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
A student visa doesn’t allow you to work on its own. You first need “permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted”, which you can request at the airport when you arrive or later at an immigration office. It lets you work up to 28 hours a week, and up to eight hours a day during the university’s long vacations, but never in bars, nightclubs or other adult entertainment businesses. Most Japanese companies recruit graduates a year or more before they start, so begin your job search early, and remember that Japanese language skills make a big difference. If you haven’t found a job by graduation, you can apply, with a recommendation from the University of Tokyo, for a “Designated Activities” status for job hunting, which gives you six months and can be renewed once, for up to a year in total. When you get a job offer, you’ll switch to a work status such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services. University of Osaka: work permit for part-time jobs.
Applying for a master’s or PhD at UTokyo?
UTokyo’s graduate schools run their own admissions, and many offer master’s and doctoral programmes taught in English, with dates and requirements that vary by department. You’ll often need to find and contact a potential supervisor before you apply, so start early. The Japanese government’s MEXT Scholarship, which you can apply for through the Japanese embassy in your country or through a university recommendation, covers tuition and pays a monthly allowance. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
UTokyo College of Design has only 50 places for each route, so apply to other options too. Read our guides to Kyoto University, the University of Osaka, the Institute of Science Tokyo and Tohoku University. Our guide to studying in Japan explains how the Japanese system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from the University of Tokyo’s official UTokyo College of Design admissions, application guidelines and scholarship pages, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on the UTokyo College of Design admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with the University of Tokyo.