Waseda University

Waseda University is a private university in Tokyo. For a bachelor's without Japanese, the route is its English-based Degree Programs (EDP) in six schools: Political Science and Economics, Social Sciences, International Liberal Studies (SILS), Culture, Media and Society, and two engineering schools. Waseda states that Japanese is not required to apply. Selection is holistic — documents, test scores, essays and any recommendations required by the school — with an interview only when the school asks for one.

Most programs start in September. The September 2027 rounds open in January: the School of Political Science and Economics accepts applications from 7 to 28 January 2027, and SILS runs an early round from 7 to 12 January and a regular round from 13 to 28 January. SILS's April 2027 round for graduates of overseas schools has already closed.

For September 2027 English-based entry, the published first-year estimates range from $7,940 (JPY 1,256,800) in Social Sciences to $11,950 (JPY 1,891,000) in Creative Science and Engineering, including the $1,260 (JPY 200,000) admission fee. Some additional fees use 2026 figures for reference and have not yet been finalised for 2027.

Waseda suits you if you:

• have a strong academic record — 2026 EDP admits averaged SAT scores of 1,415 to 1,499 depending on the school;
• want political science, economics, social sciences, liberal studies or Japanese culture taught in English in Tokyo;
• want a study-abroad year: at SILS it is optional for students whose first language is not Japanese, and most September entrants who go do so in their third year;
• can fund a private Tokyo university without relying on a scholarship.

Look elsewhere if you:

• want a wide engineering choice in English — EDP offers four: mathematical sciences, computer science and communications engineering, mechanical, and civil and environmental engineering;
• need a scholarship to go at all — Waseda advises planning without one;
• want to study in Japanese: that is the separate Japanese-based Undergraduate Program with Japanese requirements. Compare options in our guide to universities in Tokyo.

You choose the program when you apply; at PSE the choice cannot be changed after submission.

Graduate study in English is offered by 15 graduate schools — from Political Science, Economics and Asia-Pacific Studies to three engineering schools and Information, Production and Systems — plus Waseda Business School (MBA). Each school sets its own requirements and dates; most admit in September and many also in April. If you are unsure whether your degree qualifies, Waseda asks you to send its individual eligibility review form to the International Admissions Office before applying.

Tests. Waseda accepts the SAT, ACT, IB, A-levels and a range of national exams, and publishes the documents required for each education system in its List of Application Documents by Education System. There is no minimum score; the 2026 averages of admitted students provide context, not an admission threshold:

For SILS September 2027 admission, standardized tests must have been taken on or after 1 February 2024. SILS and PSE require English test results from 1 February 2025 or later; check the accepted test formats and score-delivery rules in your school’s guide.

English at SILS. Academic writing courses are compulsory, but TOEFL iBT 4.5 (79 on the old scale), IELTS 6.5 or Eiken Grade 1 replaces part of the English requirement with other credits; all new students take a placement test.

Eleven-year school systems (Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan). Waseda's school guides refer to twelve years of schooling, but Japan's Ministry of Education (MEXT) designates the school curricula of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and several other countries as qualifying for Japanese university entry. If your eligibility is uncertain, follow your school’s individual-review procedure before applying. SILS and PSE ask for the review documents at least three weeks before the application deadline.

All times are Japan Standard Time. Applications are online; PSE, for example, has not accepted posted paper applications since 2022.

SILS admits up to 150 students in September and up to 100 overseas-school graduates in April, and fills declined places from its waitlist on 18 May and 1 June 2027. PSE's first enrolment payment deadline is 10 May 2027, and the enrolment date is 21 September 2027.

You apply through each school's online system (PSE uses The Admissions Office portal) with Waseda's templates for the certificate of (expected) graduation and proof of honors and activities, plus test scores, essays and recommendations where the chosen school requires them. SILS does not consider recommendation letters. SAT, ACT, IB, TOEFL and IELTS scores can be sent directly by the testing body and must arrive before the deadline.

Admitted students complete enrolment procedures and pay the admission fee and first-semester tuition. For applicants living outside Japan, Waseda applies for the Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) by proxy — but only once enrolment procedures are complete. A CoE takes one to two months, so Waseda advises finishing payment and documents early.

The table below uses the dedicated Tuition AY2027 document for September English-based entry, rather than the general fee table for other admissions. First-year totals include the $1,260 (JPY 200,000) admission fee, tuition and additional fees, paid in two semester instalments. The university has not yet finalised some 2027 lab, library and association fees; the published estimates use 2026 figures for those components.

Waseda levels tuition across the years: from year two, tuition equals the first year's admission fee plus tuition, and lab and other fees are charged every year. An alumni association fee of $255 (JPY 40,000) is added in the final semester. SILS estimates rent near the university at $440–$630 (JPY 70,000–100,000) a month.

First-year fees for 2027 master's entrants include $5,890 (JPY 931,500) in Political Science, $6,330 (JPY 1,001,500) in Economics, $8,780 (JPY 1,390,000) in most Fundamental Science and Engineering majors, $10,800 (JPY 1,709,000) in Asia-Pacific Studies and $13,070 (JPY 2,068,000) for the two-year full-time program at Waseda Business School.

Before enrolment. Waseda offers merit-based pre-enrolment scholarships to some successful EDP applicants who meet the conditions; there is no separate application — Waseda contacts selected students.

After enrolment. Waseda runs more than 20 scholarships of its own for international students and lists over 100 external ones; all Waseda-funded awards are grants, not loans, and about one in four international students holds a scholarship. Waseda is frank that winning one straight after entry is very difficult and that most cannot be applied for before enrolment, so plan your finances without one. JASSO’s Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship is partial support for eligible privately financed undergraduate and graduate students. It is awarded through the institution, subject to the programme’s academic, language and financial conditions.

Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. MEXT applicants are selected through embassy or university recommendation routes, but acceptance depends on the programme. SILS states that it does not accept MEXT scholarship students; check the intended graduate school’s current rules before planning around this funding.

Visa. From abroad the sequence is the CoE that Waseda requests for you, then a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate, then the “Student” status of residence on arrival. Japan's Ministry of Justice sets the period individually, up to four years and three months, and it can be extended at the immigration bureau. The embassy or consulate decides on the visa.

Housing. Waseda runs its own Waseda International Student House (WISH), with places allocated by selection, so budget for a private flat and its start-up costs as well.

• Aiming for April too late. SILS's April round for overseas schools closes in early September of the year before.
• Leaving eligibility questions unresolved. If you are unsure whether your education qualifies, follow your school’s review procedure at least three weeks before its deadline.
• Picking the wrong program. At PSE the degree program cannot be changed after submission.
• Testing at the wrong time. TOEFL and IELTS have an earliest test date, and from 2027 scores have a validity period.
• Counting on a scholarship. Waseda advises budgeting without one.
• Forgetting the first payment. The admission fee and first semester are paid at enrolment, before the CoE.