Tohoku University

Tohoku University is a national research university in Sendai, founded in 1907 and ranked 102nd in the QS World University Rankings 2027. Its English-taught undergraduate route changes in 2027: the Future Global Leadership (FGL) bachelor's courses have taken their last intake, and international students now apply to Gateway College, whose fall-entry selection runs entirely online and in English, with applications for October 2027 open from 15 December 2026 to 14 January 2027. At the same time, the university is raising undergraduate tuition for international students who enrol in 2027 to $5,730 (JPY 900,000) a year, up from $3,410 (JPY 535,800), and launching a scholarship that covers half or all of that fee for roughly one-third of students.

Dollar amounts use the ECB reference rate of 29 September 2026 (USD 1 ≈ JPY 157.1), rounded.

Who Tohoku suits, and who should look elsewhere

Tohoku is a strong option if you are aiming for materials science, physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, medicine or economics and can either post high SAT, ACT, IB or A-level results or invest years in Japanese for a Japanese-taught degree. If you need a Tokyo campus or an English-taught humanities degree without Japanese, compare it with Keio University, Sophia University and Waseda. For the wider picture, see studying in Japan.

Faculties and programmes

Tohoku has 10 faculties: Arts and Letters, Education, Law, Economics, Science, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Engineering and Agriculture. They sit alongside 15 graduate schools and a set of research institutes. Japanese-taught bachelor's degrees are available in all ten faculties.

English-taught bachelor's: from FGL to Gateway College

Until 2026, English-taught undergraduate study ran through the Future Global Leadership (FGL) programme, which offered three focused courses: Advanced Molecular Chemistry, International Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Applied Marine Biology. The university states that FGL undergraduate admissions ended in 2026; current FGL students complete their courses as planned.

From 2027, Gateway College replaces FGL. It is an interdisciplinary bachelor's programme taught primarily in English. Students take a broad, liberal-arts style curriculum first and declare a major from the third year. There are two admission tracks:

• Humanities and Social Sciences – the university expects international applicants to have Japanese at CEFR B1 or above, because research and communication in these fields may require it;
• STEM – no Japanese is required at entry.

Gateway College has two intakes. The April intake (88 places) is aimed at students from the Japanese school system and selects in Japanese, in person in Sendai. The October intake (90 places: 73 STEM, 17 humanities and social sciences) is for international students, with the written exam and interview held online and entirely in English. You may apply to one intake only.

Majors are chosen after enrolment, but not every major is open. The Health Sciences department of the School of Medicine and the Department of Pharmacy are not available to Gateway College students, and transfer into Medicine or Dentistry is generally not permitted – only in exceptional cases, based on results after enrolment. If you want to become a doctor or dentist, the realistic route at Tohoku is the Japanese-taught bachelor's.

English-taught master's and doctoral programmes

About 60 graduate programmes let you earn a degree in English, including:

• International Graduate Program for Advanced Science (IGPAS) – sciences, master's and PhD;
• International Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Course (IMAC-G);
• International Materials Science and Engineering Course (IMSE) – master's;
• International Civil & Environmental Engineering (I-CEEC) and Social Infrastructure Management (SIM);
• Global Program in Economics and Management (GPEM);
• Cross-National Master's and Doctoral Courses in law and politics;
• Basic Medicine and Network Medicine courses, plus dentistry and pharmaceutical sciences programmes;
• International Graduate School of Arts and Letters (IGSAL) and the International Graduate Program in Language Sciences (IGPLS).

Most programmes admit in October; several also take students in April.

How to apply: three routes

Gateway College, fall 2027 intake

The requirements below come from the Application Guide for Fall 2027 Enrollment. You must meet all three.

1. Education. Twelve years of school education abroad, or a qualification MEXT recognises as equivalent, by 30 September 2027. MEXT's list of recognised foreign upper-secondary programmes includes the 11-year curricula of Russia (since 2009), Kazakhstan (since 2007), Belarus (since 2011), Uzbekistan (since 2017) and Ukraine. Applicants whose 11-year system is not on the list can request individual eligibility screening (you must be 18 by 30 September 2027) and must contact the Admissions Division at least one month before the application period opens.
2. Academic test. Results from one system only: SAT or Digital SAT (recommended 1400+), ACT (31+), the 2026 EJU taken in English (300+ across the two required subjects), AP (4+ in each required subject), IB (36/42+) or A-levels (three grades of A or higher). IB and A-level predicted grades are accepted, making the offer conditional until 31 August 2027. Superscores are not accepted.
3. English. IELTS Academic 6.0, TOEFL iBT 80 (or 4.0 on the new scale for tests from January 2026), Duolingo 110, Cambridge English 169 or EIKEN 2400, taken on or after 1 October 2025. TOEFL iBT Home Edition and IELTS Online are accepted; IELTS Indicator, TOEFL MyBest and TOEFL ITP are not. An exemption is possible if you studied in English for at least three of the four years before finishing school.

You apply through The Admissions Office (TAO) portal, uploading a photo, a statement of purpose of up to 400 words, your graduation certificate (or expected-graduation letter), transcript, test scores and proof of nationality. The examination fee is $110 (JPY 17,000), paid via Flywire. Selection has two stages: document screening, then an online written exam (mathematical thinking and basic science for STEM; logical reasoning and mathematical thinking for humanities) and an interview in English.

Japanese-taught bachelor's: special selection for privately financed international students

This route (私費外国人留学生入試) is open in all 10 faculties for April 2027 entry. According to the 2027 guidelines you need:

• 12 years of schooling or a MEXT-recognised equivalent (the Russian certificate qualifies), or individual screening and age 18 by 31 March 2027;
• EJU 2026 scores (June or November session) meeting the faculty minimums. Engineering, for example, requires 270+ in Japanese and 320+ in the basic academic subjects; Medicine (medical course) requires 380+ and 350+; Arts and Letters requires 380+ and 290+;
• TOEFL iBT 72+ (or 4.0 for tests from January 2026), taken on or after 1 March 2025;
• Tohoku as your first choice.

The exam and interview take place in Japanese on 26 February 2027 at Kawauchi Campus in Sendai; Science, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Agriculture and some health-science majors add a written mathematics paper.

Master's, doctoral and research-student routes

Graduate applicants apply to a specific graduate school, and the first step is always the same: find a prospective supervisor and secure their agreement. Application windows, entrance exams, documents and scholarship availability differ by school. The application fee is $190 (JPY 30,000).

Some international students first join as a research student (kenkyusei). This is a non-degree status: you work in your future supervisor's lab, prepare for the graduate entrance exam and strengthen your language. It costs less than a degree programme: a $62 (JPY 9,800) application fee, a $540 (JPY 84,600) admission fee and $190 (JPY 29,700) a month in tuition. MEXT research-student scholars usually start with this status too.

Step-by-step plan for 2027

1. September–November 2026. Pick your route. For Gateway College, choose STEM or humanities, decide which test you will submit and book IELTS or TOEFL. The Japanese-taught route for April 2027 is realistic only if you already sat the June 2026 EJU or registered for the November session (8 November; results 15 December) – registration closed on 30 July 2026. Without EJU scores, this route moves to the next admission cycle.
2. By mid-November 2026. If your school certificate is not on MEXT's list, contact the Admissions Division at least a month before applications open.
3. 17 November–21 December 2026. Japanese-taught route: register on TAO and pay from 17 November; documents must arrive between 16 and 21 December.
4. 15 December 2026–14 January 2027. Apply to Gateway College for October 2027.
5. February–March 2027. Gateway College: first-stage results 5 February, online exam and interview 21–22 February, final results 24 March. Japanese-taught route: exam 26 February, results 10 March.
6. March–October 2027. Pay fees, receive your Certificate of Eligibility, apply for the student visa and move into the dorm.

Application timeline for 2027

Tuition and fees

As a national university, Tohoku long charged everyone the national standard of $3,410 (JPY 535,800) a year. For international students enrolling from 2027, the university sets tuition at $5,730 (JPY 900,000) a year – a figure stated in both the Gateway College guide and the Japanese-taught admission guidelines.

An international undergraduate's first year therefore costs about $7,520 (JPY 1,182,000) in admission fee and tuition alone – still well below leading private universities such as Keio or Sophia, where first-year fees start at around $8,910 (JPY 1.4 million). For 2027 master's fees, check your programme's admission guidelines; the 2026 graduate rate is $3,410 (JPY 535,800).

Living costs in Sendai

A single room at University House Aobayama costs $200 (JPY 31,600) a month plus a $11 (JPY 1,700) maintenance fee, with utilities, bedding rental ($13 (JPY 2,000)) and internet ($10 (JPY 1,600)) on top and a $190 (JPY 30,000) deposit. Gateway College students live in University House for their first year, budgeted at about $230 (JPY 36,000) a month before utilities. Private flats in Sendai cost $190–380 (JPY 30,000–60,000) a month, and leases usually require one to three months' rent as a deposit and key money. For a broader comparison with Tokyo, see our guide to the cost of studying in Japan.

From the 2026 academic year, Tohoku pays the compulsory student accident and liability insurance (Gakkensai and Gakkenbai) for all new students. You still need to join Japan's National Health Insurance after arrival.

Scholarships

• Tohoku University International Excellence Scholarship (from 2027). Gateway College students can receive $5,730 (JPY 900,000) or $2,860 (JPY 450,000) a year – full or half tuition – based on entrance results. Other privately financed international undergraduates can receive $2,860 (JPY 450,000) a year based on EJU scores and first-semester grades. Master's students receive $5,730 (JPY 900,000) (about two-thirds of recipients) or $2,860 (JPY 450,000). The university expects to support about the top third of eligible students in each programme, with a review at the end of year two.
• Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. Through the Embassy of Japan in Russia, the 2027 undergraduate round ran in spring 2026 (documents 27 April–1 June, exams 20–21 June); expect the next round in spring 2027. The scholarship waives fees and pays a monthly stipend: under the 2027 MEXT guidelines, $745 (JPY 117,000) for undergraduates, and $910 (JPY 143,000) for non-degree research students, 144,000 for master's and 145,000 for doctoral students. The embassy accepted research-student applications for 2027 from 27 April to 8 June 2026. See our MEXT scholarship guide.
• JASSO Honors Scholarship for privately financed international students: $305 (JPY 48,000) a month for one year, via the university.
• Doctoral support. Since 2026 Tohoku runs the LEAP package for PhD students, with monthly stipends and research grants tied to national funding.

Note that the Gateway College guide states international students are not eligible for need-based fee exemptions; only deferral and monthly instalments are available on application. Scholarship decisions rest with the university, MEXT or JASSO, not with StudyU.

Housing: University House and private rentals

Tohoku runs a network of international dormitories called University House: Aobayama, Sanjo, Sanjo II, Sanjo III and Nagamachi (the last for international students only). Japanese and international students live together.

• Aobayama has 376 single rooms of 10 m² with a bed, desk, wardrobe and air conditioning; kitchens, showers and laundry are shared. Maximum stay is two years.
• Applications go through your faculty's academic affairs office: June–July for October move-in, December–January for April move-in.
• Gateway College students must live in University House for their first year and move to private housing from September 2028.

Renting privately usually requires a guarantor or guarantor company; our student housing in Japan guide explains how it works.

Visa and part-time work

After admission, the university applies for your Certificate of Eligibility (CoE), which you then use to obtain a student visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate. The consulate decides on the visa; the Immigration Services Agency decides on residence status. Student-status holders can work up to 28 hours a week once they obtain permission for activities outside their status. See our guides to the Japanese student visa and working while studying in Japan.

Pros and cons for applicants from Russia and the CIS

What helps:

• Russian, Kazakh, Belarusian and Uzbek 11-year certificates are on MEXT's list, so no extra foundation year is needed just to become eligible.
• Fall-intake selection for Gateway College is fully remote, with no travel costs for exams.
• Even after the increase, fees remain below those of leading private universities, and about a third of international students may receive the new scholarship.

What makes it harder:

• The EJU is held only in Japan and 13 Asian countries and regions – not in Russia, Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan – so the Japanese-taught route means at least two trips: one for the EJU and one for the exam in Sendai.
• Applicants from 11-year systems not on MEXT's list (for example Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan) need individual screening or a MEXT-designated preparatory course.
• Recommended Gateway College scores are high, and the SAT or ACT needs preparation separate from school: both tests have their own format and question logic.
• Fees are paid via Flywire; check early which legal payment channels are available from your country, and allow time for transfers.

Common mistakes

• Looking for FGL in 2027. FGL undergraduate admissions have closed; the English route is now Gateway College.
• Applying to both Gateway College intakes. You may choose April or October, not both.
• Combining test systems. SAT cannot be topped up with A-levels or EJU; only one system counts.
• Budgeting with the old fee. $3,410 (JPY 535,800) is the domestic rate; international undergraduates pay $5,730 (JPY 900,000) from 2027.
• Counting on a need-based fee waiver. International students are not eligible; rely on competitive scholarships, deferral or instalments.
• Ignoring the withdrawal rule. If you accept a Gateway College offer but decide to go elsewhere, file a written withdrawal by 31 August 2027, or you may be barred from enrolling at other Japanese national and public universities.

Campuses and city

Tohoku has four main campuses, all in Sendai: Katahira (five minutes from Sendai Station), Kawauchi, Aobayama and Seiryo. A university bus runs between them, and most campuses can also be reached by subway. Which campus you study on depends on your faculty and year, so it makes sense to choose private housing once you know where your lab or lectures will be. Japanese-taught entrance exams are held at Kawauchi.

Rankings

Rankings capture overall strength; for graduate study, a supervisor's publications, projects and alumni tell you more.

FAQ

Can I apply to Tohoku with an 11-year Russian school certificate?

Yes. MEXT has recognised the Russian certificate of secondary general education as a university-entry qualification since 2009. For Gateway College you also need results from one academic system (SAT, ACT, IB, A-level, AP or EJU in English) and English at IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 80.

How much does Tohoku cost for international students?

Undergraduates enrolling in 2027 pay $5,730 (JPY 900,000) a year plus a one-off $1,790 (JPY 282,000) admission fee. The university plans to cover half or all of tuition for about a third of students through its new scholarship. Dorm rooms start at $200 (JPY 31,600) a month.

Can I study at Tohoku entirely in English?

At bachelor's level, yes – in Gateway College's STEM track, which requires no Japanese at entry. The humanities track expects Japanese at B1. At graduate level, about 60 programmes are taught fully in English.

Do I need to travel to Japan for exams?

Not for the Gateway College fall intake: documents, the written exam and the interview are all online. For the Japanese-taught bachelor's, yes: the EJU is not held in Russia or Central Asia, and the entrance exam and interview take place in Sendai on 26 February 2027.

How does Tohoku compare with the University of Tokyo?

Both are national research universities with outstanding science. Tohoku is in Sendai, where the university puts a private room at $190–380 (JPY 30,000–60,000) a month, and was the first university in Japan designated a University for International Research Excellence. For the Tokyo option, see the University of Tokyo.

Can I count on a place in university housing?

For Gateway College students, yes – University House is mandatory in year one. Other students apply through their faculty in the set periods; stays at Aobayama are limited to two years.

Does StudyU help with applications to Tohoku?

Under an agreement with StudyU, we help choose the route and programme, check requirements, prepare documents and essays, and support the application, scholarship and visa stages. The university decides on admission, and the university, MEXT or JASSO on scholarships. The Japanese consulate as the consular authority decides on the visa.

Sources

• Tohoku University: Undergraduate Admission
• Tohoku University Admissions Center: Gateway College
• Application Guide for Gateway College, Fall 2027 Enrollment (PDF)
• 2027 Privately Financed International Student Selection guidelines (Japanese, PDF)
• Tohoku University: Fees & Expenses
• Tohoku University International Excellence Scholarship
• Undergraduate (English): FGL and Gateway College
• Graduate degree courses taught in English
• Tohoku University: Graduate Admission
• University House for International Students
• Tohoku University: Map & Directions
• MEXT: foreign upper-secondary programmes recognised for university entry
• JASSO: EJU 2026 schedule
• JASSO: EJU overseas test sites
• Study in Japan: MEXT Scholarships
• MEXT 2027 Guidelines: Undergraduate Students (PDF)
• MEXT 2027 Guidelines: Research Students (PDF)
• Embassy of Japan in Russia: MEXT Undergraduate 2027
• Study in Japan: JASSO Scholarships
• Immigration Services Agency: permission for activities outside residence status
• QS World University Rankings: Tohoku University
• THE World University Rankings: Tohoku University
• ECB reference rates, 29 September 2026

To compare Tohoku with other options, see our overview of universities in Japan for international students and studying in Japan. If you want to know which Tohoku route is realistic with your school certificate and test scores, send us a request.

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.