Japan Plans to Ease University Enrolment Limits to Attract More International Students
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Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has unveiled plans to relax enrolment limits at select universities, aiming to boost the intake of outstanding international students.
The proposed reforms, announced at a public meeting last month, would revise the University Establishment Standards to allow eligible universities, junior colleges and technical colleges to exceed current enrolment thresholds by up to 5%. If approved, the changes would take effect from the 2026 academic year beginning in April.
Education minister Abe Toshiko said the move was “essential to advancing Japan’s global human resource development” and to meeting the government’s long-term target of attracting 400,000 international students by 2033.
Currently, universities risk penalties, including the loss of state subsidies, if they exceed their set enrolment capacities. Under the new proposals, institutions seeking an exemption will need to submit detailed recruitment plans to MEXT, outlining how they intend to manage international admissions while maintaining high continuation and graduation rates.
Only universities with strong financial standing and no record of previous rule breaches would qualify for the relaxed limits.
Japan has seen a steady rebound in overseas student numbers, with figures from the Japan Student Services Organisation (JASSO) showing a 20% year-on-year increase in 2023, bringing enrolments close to pre-pandemic levels.
The planned change is part of Japan’s wider internationalisation drive, designed to strengthen its global academic profile and attract top talent in an increasingly competitive higher education market. By loosening capacity restrictions for select institutions, the government hopes to encourage greater diversity and foster deeper global engagement on campuses.
A public consultation on the proposals is now underway, with final decisions expected before the end of the year. If implemented, the reforms could mark one of the most significant shifts in Japan’s higher education admissions policy in decades.
Source: THE PIE NEWS
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