Kobe University

Kobe University is a national university in Kobe, Hyogo prefecture, established in 1949 from earlier schools including the Kobe Higher Commercial School. It is known for economics, business administration and law, and also for maritime sciences after merging with a mercantile marine university. Its main Rokkodai campus sits on a hillside above the port city. Teaching is mainly in Japanese, with some English-taught graduate programs, and many international students come through the MEXT scholarship.

• A completed secondary school certificate for bachelor's, a relevant bachelor's degree for master's, and usually a master's for a PhD
• English-taught programs: IELTS, TOEFL or another test the university accepts; Japanese-taught programs: JLPT (often N2 or N1) and, for undergraduates, the EJU
• Official transcripts and certificates, with certified translations if they are not in English or Japanese
• For master's and PhD: a CV, statement of purpose and academic references; PhD applicants usually also need a research proposal and an agreed supervisor
• A valid passport and proof that you can pay tuition and living costs for the student visa

• Choose your program and check its entry requirements, language of instruction and deadline on the university website
• Apply through the university's online admissions; MEXT scholarship applicants apply through a Japanese embassy or a university recommendation
• Upload transcripts, language scores, your passport and, for postgraduate programs, CV, statement of purpose and references
• Pay the application fee if the university charges one, and apply before the program deadline
• The university applies for your Certificate of Eligibility; use it to get a student visa at a Japanese embassy

18 scholarships, 24 universities, 4 programs and 6 internships in Japan. 16 of the scholarships are fully funded, and the next deadline is 15 October 2026 (Honjo International Scholarship).

Language

Japanese/English

Currency

JPY (¥)

Living costs

$800–1,200/mo

Typical tuition

National universities: standard JPY 535,800/yr; some now charge more (Tohoku JPY 900,000 for international students from 2027); private cost more

• Honjo International ScholarshipFully Funded · 9 days left
• Japanese Government (MEXT) Teacher Training Scholarship 2027Fully Funded · 25 days left
• Keio University MEXT ScholarshipFully Funded · 25 days left
• Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Scholarship (Japan, Overseas Applicants)Partial Funding · 25 days left