In short: at national universities the two countries cost almost the same; they differ in the barrier to entry and in the rules on work. A Japanese national university charges $3,393 (¥535,800) a year under the standard fee plus $1,786 on entry, while Korean national and public universities averaged $3,113 (₩4,250,000) in 2026. Japanese-taught programmes require the EJU exam, which is not held in Russia or Kazakhstan; Korea has no national exam and usually asks for TOPIK level 3. In Japan students may work 28 hours a week regardless of language level; in Korea the limit ranges from 10 to 30 hours depending on degree level, year of study and Korean level. After graduation Japan allows up to a year to look for work, while Korea's D-10 visa allows up to three years. From April 2027 several Japanese national universities raise fees for international students, so compare specific programmes rather than countries.
Below we compare money, language, exams, English-taught options, scholarships, visas, work and degree recognition, with a "who should choose what" table and links to detailed guides. Data were checked on 23–24 September 2026, and amounts are converted at the ECB rate of 23 September: $1 ≈ ¥157.9 ≈ ₩1,365.
At a glance
| Criterion | Japan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| National university tuition | Standard $3,393 a year + $1,786 admission fee; University of Tokyo $4,071; from 2027 international students pay $5,699 at Tohoku and $8,482 at Okayama | Average $3,113 a year (2026); SNU $3,577–4,392 |
| Private university tuition | Average $7,223 a year + $1,522 admission fee; English tracks at Waseda, Keio, ICU and APU $8,100–13,300 in year one | Average $6,029 a year; Yonsei $6,674–8,795, UIC $12,015 |
| Monthly living costs | $665 average, $823 in Tokyo (excluding study, JASSO) | $549–732 (Study in Korea guideline) |
| Language of most programmes | Japanese: EJU and often JLPT | Korean: usually TOPIK 3 |
| Entrance exam | EJU for Japanese-taught programmes, twice a year, not held in Russia or Kazakhstan | None nationally; selection by documents and interview |
| Bachelor's in English | 46 universities, 104 faculties (MEXT, 2023) | KAIST, Yonsei UIC and individual programmes elsewhere |
| Start of study | April; English-taught programmes often September or October | March and September |
| Government scholarship | MEXT: tuition + $741 a month for undergraduates | GKS: tuition + $10,547 a year, which also pays housing and insurance |
| Part-time work in term | 28 hours a week for everyone | 10–30 hours a week by degree level, year and TOPIK |
| Vacations | Up to 8 hours a day in long vacations | No cap if the language threshold is met |
| After graduation | Up to 1 year to look for work | D-10 visa for up to 3 years |
| Recognition in Russia | No agreement | No agreement |
Tuition
Japan. National university fees follow a standard set by the Ministry of Education (MEXT): $3,393 (¥535,800) a year and a $1,790 (¥282,000) admission fee. A university may raise the fee to $4,071 (¥642,960); the University of Tokyo did so for undergraduates from 2025 and, according to the Sankei newspaper, four more universities followed in 2026. Since 2024 MEXT has let national universities charge international students without an upper limit, and from April 2027 Tohoku ($5,700 [¥900,000]), Tsukuba ($3,860 [¥608,800]) and Okayama ($8,480 [¥1,339,500]) raise fees for new international students. In 2025 private universities charged an average of $6,130 (¥968,069) in tuition and $1,090 (¥172,550) for facilities, plus a $1,520 (¥240,365) admission fee.
Korea. The Ministry of Education publishes averages. In 2026 four-year universities charged $5,325 (₩7,270,300) a year on average, national and public universities $3,113, and private universities $6,029 (₩8,231,500). Each university sets its own fee for international students.
Examples at specific universities, annual bachelor's tuition:
| University | Country | Local-language programmes | English-taught |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tokyo | Japan | $4,071 (¥642,960) | UTokyo College of Design opens in 2027; the college has not published its own fee |
| Nagoya University | Japan | $3,393 (¥535,800) | G30 programmes $3,393, same as for Japanese students |
| Tohoku University | Japan | Currently $3,393; international students from 2027 $5,699 | FGL: same amounts |
| Waseda | Japan | By faculty | First year $8,156–11,962 (2027) |
| APU | Japan | — | Year one $9,214, then $10,480 (2027) |
| Seoul National University (SNU) | Korea | $3,577 humanities, $4,392 engineering (2026) | No separate English-taught bachelor's |
| Yonsei | Korea | $6,674 humanities, $8,795 engineering (2026) | UIC $12,015 |
| KAIST | Korea | — | $5,029, covered for admitted international students by the KAIST scholarship |
In the local language, strong national universities in both countries cost $3,400–4,400 a year. Japan's private sector is on average about $1,200 a year more expensive than Korea's, before Japan's admission fee. In English, Korea offers one standout option, KAIST with its scholarship, while Japan offers a wider choice, and national programmes such as Nagoya's G30 still charge the domestic rate. Detailed budgets: cost of studying in Japan and cost of studying in Korea.
Living costs and housing
| Per month | Japan | Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Living costs excluding study | $665 (¥105,000) average, $823 (¥130,000) in Tokyo: spending by international students in JASSO's 2023–2024 survey | $549–732 (₩750,000–1,000,000): Study in Korea guideline |
| Dormitory | Tohoku $228 (¥36,000), Waseda International Student House $336 (¥53,000) | Hanyang $221 (₩302,000) for a place in a double room |
| Private rental | Tokyo average $361 (¥57,000); 4–7 months' rent to move in | Studio near Seoul universities about $458 (₩625,000) with a deposit of about $7,324 (₩10,000,000) |
| Minimum wage | $8.11 (¥1,280) an hour in Tokyo from 1 October 2026 | $7.56 (₩10,320) an hour nationwide in 2026 |
The key difference is in upfront costs. Renting in Korea means a large refundable deposit; in Japan it means several months' rent, part of which (key money and the agency fee) is not refunded. More: student housing in Japan and student housing in Korea.
Language and exams
Japan. Most programmes are taught in Japanese. For these, international applicants take the EJU, an exam in Japanese and academic subjects. Its scores are required by 479 universities, over 60% of Japan's universities, including most national ones. The EJU runs twice a year, in June and November, in Japan and in 13 other countries and regions; the nearest centres for applicants from Russia are Seoul, Busan and Ulaanbaatar. Many universities also look at the JLPT. Without Japanese, the realistic route is a year or eighteen months at a Japanese language school. See our guides to the EJU, the JLPT and Japanese language schools.
Korea. There is no national exam; universities select on documents and interviews. The usual language threshold is TOPIK 3: for spring 2027 Seoul National University accepted TOPIK 3 or an English certificate (TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 6.0). Without Korean, the route is a year of Korean at a university language institute. See the TOPIK guide and Korean language programmes.
In practice, the path to a Korean-taught bachelor's is usually shorter because there is no separate subject exam to take abroad. Applicants without Japanese more often reach Japan through a language school or an English-taught programme.
English-taught programmes
In Japan, according to MEXT data for 2023, a bachelor's degree can be completed entirely in English at 46 universities across 104 faculties, and a master's or doctorate at 116 universities. Examples include Nagoya's G30, Tohoku's FGL, Hokkaido's MJSP, the English tracks at Waseda and Keio, ICU, APU and Akita International University. See English-taught degrees in Japan.
In Korea, the main English-taught options at bachelor's level are KAIST, where English is the official language of instruction for international students, and Underwood International College at Yonsei. Overview: universities in Korea for international students.
Admissions: timing and documents
Japan. The academic year starts in April; English-taught programmes often start in September or October. Applications go in 9–12 months ahead. After admission, the university applies to immigration for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), which you then use to obtain a visa at a consulate. MEXT recognises Russia's 11-year school certificate for university entry, but some programmes assess it case by case. Step by step: applying to Japanese universities, entering after 11 years of school and student visa for Japan.
Korea. Intakes are twice a year, in March and September, with short application windows: SNU took applications for spring 2027 from 6 to 9 July 2026, Yonsei from 1 to 17 September 2026, and KAIST's early round runs from 22 September to 22 October 2026. The visa is the D-2, issued on the basis of the admission letter. Step by step: applying to Korean universities and the D-2 visa.
Scholarships: MEXT vs GKS
| MEXT (Japan) | GKS (Korea), bachelor's 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | Covered | Up to $3,662 (₩5,000,000) per semester from NIIED, the rest covered by the university |
| Living allowance | $741 (¥117,000) a month for undergraduates, $906–918 (¥143,000–145,000) for research students | $10,547 (₩14,400,000) a year during the degree, $9,932 (₩13,560,000) in the language year |
| Housing and insurance | Paid from the monthly allowance | Paid from the allowance |
| Language | Bachelor's: 5 years including a preparatory year of Japanese; applicants under 25 | One year of Korean included, except for TOPIK 5–6 holders |
| Applying from Russia | Via the embassy: for 2027 undergraduate entry, 27 April–1 June 2026; or via a university | Via the embassy: 15–30 September 2026, 3 places for Russia, one of them reserved for overseas Koreans; or via a university |
MEXT and GKS work in a similar way: both cover tuition, language study and flights, and you live on the monthly allowance. You can apply to both; the deadlines do not overlap. Universities in both countries have their own discounts: in Japan, half or full tuition waivers at national universities and 30–100% reductions at APU; in Korea, typically 30–100% based on grades and Korean level. Guides: MEXT scholarship and GKS scholarship.
Working while studying
| Japan | Korea | |
|---|---|---|
| Who grants permission | Immigration Services Agency; can be issued at the airport on first entry | Immigration, via the university's international office |
| Hours in term | 28 a week in total, for all years | Undergraduates in years 1–2: 10 a week without TOPIK 3, 25 with it; in years 3–4 the threshold is TOPIK 4; master's students 15 or 30; at certified universities, with high grades and strong Korean, up to 30 and 35 |
| Vacations | Up to 8 hours a day in long vacations in the academic calendar | No cap if the language threshold is met |
| Prohibited | Hostess bars, pachinko, mahjong and other licensed "entertainment" businesses | Restricted activities listed in the D-2 rules |
In Japan, according to JASSO, 65.2% of international students work part time and earn on average $513 (¥81,000) a month. For students without the local language, Japan's rules are simpler: the limit does not depend on an exam. For students with good Korean, Korea allows more freedom in the holidays. Details: working while studying in Japan and working while studying in Korea.
After graduation
Japan. To work full time, graduates change to a work status, most often "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services". Without a job at graduation, you can switch to "Designated Activities" for job hunting: six months plus one extension, up to a year in total. In JASSO's survey, 54.4% of international students want to work in Japan.
Korea. Since 29 October 2025 the D-10 job-seeker visa is granted for up to a year at a time and up to three years in total, and an internship with a single company in this status may last up to a year.
If you want time to find work after a bachelor's degree, Korea's rules are more generous. In both countries, though, getting hired without the local language is hard.
Degree recognition in Russia and Kazakhstan
Russia. The list of international agreements kept by Russia's National Information Centre contains no agreement with Japan or with the Republic of Korea. A degree is therefore recognised without a procedure only if the university is on the Russian government's list of foreign institutions; otherwise it goes through recognition by Rosobrnadzor (applications via Gosuslugi, the NIC personal account or by post).
Kazakhstan. The procedure is the same for both countries: submit the documents via eGov.kz or a Government for Citizens public service centre (TsON), and ENIC-Kazakhstan reviews them. Processing time depends on the region and on whether the diploma is legalised or apostilled; check the current timeframe and state fee on the eGov.kz service page when you apply.
How the leading universities compare
In the QS World University Rankings 2027, the University of Tokyo is 39th and Seoul National University 38th. At the top the two countries are neck and neck, so decide on programme, language and budget rather than national rankings. University overviews: universities in Japan, universities in Tokyo, universities in Korea, universities in Seoul.
Who should choose what
| Your situation | Usually the better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You need English from year one | Leaning Japan | More bachelor's programmes, including affordable national ones; in Korea mainly KAIST and Yonsei UIC |
| You will spend a year on the language for an affordable strong university | Either | Local-language programmes at national universities cost $3,100–4,400 a year |
| You cannot travel abroad for an entrance exam | Korea | The EJU is not held in Russia or Kazakhstan; Korea has no national exam |
| You need part-time work without advanced language skills | Japan | 28 hours a week with no language threshold |
| You want to stay and work after graduating | Leaning Korea | Up to 3 years to job-hunt, against 1 year in Japan |
| Tight budget for the first months | A dormitory in either country | In Japan an apartment needs 4–7 months' rent upfront; in Korea a large deposit |
| Your main goal is a government scholarship | Apply to both | MEXT (spring) and GKS (autumn) deadlines do not clash |
| You plan to work in Russia in a regulated profession | Compare specific universities | Neither country has a recognition agreement with Russia |
Common mistakes when choosing between Japan and Korea
- Comparing averages instead of actual fees. From 2027 some Japanese national universities charge international students more than Japanese students, and Korean universities already set separate fees for international students.
- Forgetting the EJU. For a Japanese-taught bachelor's you must sit the exam before applying, and it is not held in Russia or Kazakhstan.
- Treating a scholarship as pocket money. Under both MEXT and GKS, housing and insurance come out of the monthly allowance.
- Applying one country's work rules to the other. In Korea the limit is 10 hours without TOPIK; in Japan the weekly cap applies even at weekends.
- Not checking degree recognition early. Neither country has an agreement with Russia.
- Leaving housing to the last minute. Japanese dormitory applications open right after admission, and an apartment needs several months' rent upfront.
More on both countries at StudyU
Japan: studying in Japan · bachelor's · master's · applying · after 11 years of school · EJU · JLPT · language schools · senmon gakko · MEXT scholarship · student visa · cost · work · housing · English-taught degrees · universities in Japan · universities in Tokyo.
Japanese university profiles: University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, University of Osaka, Tohoku University, Keio, Waseda, Sophia University, APU, Institute of Science Tokyo, iCLA.
South Korea: studying in Korea · applying · bachelor's · master's · GKS scholarship · Korean language programmes · TOPIK · D-2 visa · cost · work · housing · universities in Korea · universities in Seoul · China or Korea.
Korean university profiles: SNU, KAIST, Yonsei, Korea University, Hanyang, SKKU, Pusan National University.
FAQ
At national universities, about the same: $3,393 a year under Japan's standard fee and $3,113 on average at Korean national universities. Private universities cost more in Japan: $7,223 a year on average against $6,029 in Korea. Living costs are also slightly higher in Japan: $665 a month on average according to JASSO, against $549–732 on Study in Korea's guideline.
The Korean route is usually shorter: TOPIK 3 is often enough and there is no separate subject exam. For a Japanese-taught programme you need the EJU in Japanese and subjects, and the nearest test centres for Russian applicants are in Korea and Mongolia.
In Japan: 46 universities offer bachelor's degrees taught entirely in English, including national universities charging the domestic fee. In Korea the main options are KAIST and Yonsei UIC.
There is no straight answer. GKS has 286 bachelor's places for 2027 across all countries, 3 of them for Russia on the embassy track, one of which is reserved for overseas Koreans and adoptees. MEXT does not publish the number of places for Russia. You can apply to both: MEXT's embassy round runs in spring, GKS in autumn.
In Japan, up to 28 hours a week for all students and up to 8 hours a day in long vacations. In Korea, 10 hours without TOPIK 3 and 25 with it, and no cap in the holidays if you meet the language threshold.
In both countries, if you find an employer and change your status. For job hunting, Japan allows up to a year and Korea up to three years on the D-10 visa.
Neither country has a mutual recognition agreement with Russia. If the university is not on the Russian government's list, you will need to go through recognition by Rosobrnadzor.
Yes. Under a service agreement we compare programmes in both countries against your language skills, profile and budget, check requirements and manage your applications. Admission, scholarship and visa decisions are made by universities, MEXT, NIIED and consulates.
Sources
- MEXT: private university fees in 2025 and national university fee history; University of Tokyo: fees; Tohoku, Tsukuba and Okayama (PDF) on international fees from 2027 — checked 24.09.2026
- MEXT: English-taught degrees, 2023 data (PDF) and designated foreign upper secondary courses — checked 24.09.2026
- Study in Japan: examinations and EJU, MEXT scholarship, part-time work, changing status after graduation; JASSO: 2023 survey of international students (PDF) — checked 24.09.2026
- ISA: work permission for "Student" status; Tokyo Labour Bureau: minimum wage from 01.10.2026; Embassy of Japan in Russia: MEXT 2027 — checked 24.09.2026
- Waseda: 2027 fees (PDF); APU: 2027 fees; Nagoya: G30 fees — checked 24.09.2026
- Korean Ministry of Education: 2026 university fees; Study in Korea: living costs; SNU: spring 2027 admissions; Yonsei: 2026 fees (PDF) and spring 2027 admissions (PDF); KAIST: timeline and scholarship; Hanyang: dormitory fees — checked 23.09.2026
- Study in Korea: GKS 2027 guidelines; Easylaw: part-time hours on D-2 and D-4 visas; Korean Ministry of Justice: D-10 changes (PDF); Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor: 2026 minimum wage — checked 23–24.09.2026
- Russian NIC: international recognition agreements and recognition procedure; ENIC Kazakhstan: recognition — checked 23–24.09.2026
- QS: University of Tokyo and JoongAng Daily on Korean universities in QS 2027; press: Sankei on national university fee rises (07.12.2025), Hankyung on rents near Seoul universities — checked 23–24.09.2026
- Exchange rate: ECB, 23.09.2026, €1 = $1.1411, €1 = ¥180.20 and €1 = ₩1,558.00, so $1 ≈ ¥157.9 ≈ ₩1,365
Next steps
- Bachelor's in Japan for International Students: Programmes, Requirements, Costs and 2027–2028 Timelines
- EJU Exam Guide: Subjects, Scores, 2026–2027 Dates and Where to Sit It
- JLPT Exam Guide: Levels N5–N1, Scores, Dates and Test Centres
- Master's in Japan: How to Apply, Find a Supervisor and Budget for 2027–2028
- Bachelor's Degrees in Korea: How to Apply After High School and What It Costs
- TOPIK Exam Guide 2026–2027: Levels, Scores, Test Dates and Where to Sit It
