Types of Higher Education Institutions

The Japanese Education System

Definition of Higher Education Institution (HEI)

There is no legal definition on the scope of HEIs in Japan. On the other hand, the scope of Japanese “higher education institutions (HEIs)” subject to the UNESCO's “Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education” (known as “the Tokyo Convention”)⁽¹⁾ is defined by the “Guideline for the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications – Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education –” (MEXT, 2019) [Japanese only]. According to this Guideline, HEIs include “universities, graduate schools, junior colleges, Colleges of Technology (KOSEN), and Professional Training Colleges (except for Prefectural Colleges of Agriculture) as well as the National College of Nursing, Japan, the Polytechnic University of Japan, and the National Fisheries University amongst educational institutions operated by government ministries and agencies”. This website describes HEIs following this definition as a standard.

Japan’s higher education system includes universities, Colleges of Technology (KOSEN), and Professional Training Colleges (Specialized Training Colleges that offer Post-Secondary Courses). Under the category of university, there are universities (undergraduate programs), junior colleges, and graduate schools. Within them, universities and junior colleges that aim to educate professionals through a high-quality vocational education are Professional and Vocational Universities (PVU) and Professional and Vocational Junior Colleges (PVJC), and graduate schools that specialize in fostering highly-specialized professionals with flexible and practical education are Professional Graduate Schools. HEIs are categorized as national, public, or private based on the establishing body.

⁽¹⁾ Article 1 of the UNESCO “Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education”, which Japan has acceded on December 6, 2016, defines “higher education” as “post-secondary education, training or research that is recognised by the relevant authorities of a Party as belonging to its higher education system,” and “higher education institution” as “an establishment providing higher education recognised by the relevant authorities of a Party.”

University, College of Technology (KOSEN)

Previously, the Standards for the Establishment of universities, Professional and Vocational Universities (PVU), junior colleges, and Professional and Vocational Junior Colleges (PVJC) had stipulated the number of credits earned and the years of study required for graduation in accordance with the program length stipulated by the School Education Act. However, due to the revision of these Standards for the Establishment which came into effect on October 1, 2022, it has been changed to "be determined by the university" based on the "diploma policy" besides satisfying the minimum credit requirements. However, the program length remains to be based on the number of years stipulated under the School Education Act.

▶ See MEXT website for Q&A regarding clarification of graduation requirements [Japanese only]
▶ See MEXT website for details of the 2022 revisions to the Standards for the Establishment of Universities, etc. [Japanese only]

University (Undergraduate Program), Professional and Vocational University

University (Undergraduate Program)

Universities, as centers of science, shall teach wide knowledge, teach and research arts and sciences deeply, and develop intellectual, moral, and applied abilities. Universities conduct education and research to achieve its purposes while contributing to the development of society by disseminating their outcomes throughout society. [Article 83 of the School Education Act]

Qualification awarded: Bachelor's degree

Program length: 4 years
6 years for Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences (Clinical), and Veterinary Medical Science

Requirements for graduation: 124 or more credits earned, and other requirements as determined by the university.
For Medicine and Dentistry, 188 or more credits earned (credits may be partially substituted by equivalent class hours if recognized as necessary for the purpose of education), and other requirements as determined by the university.
For Pharmaceutical Sciences (Clinical), 186 or more credits earned (including 20 credits or more of practical training in pharmacy), and other requirements as determined by the university.
For Veterinary Medical Science, 182 or more credits earned, and other requirements as determined by the university.

Early graduation: Students who have enrolled for 3 years (4 years if the program length exceeds 4 years) or more at a university (undergraduate program) and have earned the required credits with excellent grades may graduate early. However, this does not apply to students in programs of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences (Clinical), and Veterinary Medical Science.

Professional and Vocational University (PVU)

Within the category of universities, those of which are designed to teach and study arts and sciences deeply and to develop practical and applied abilities to engage in professions that require expertise are defined as Professional and Vocational Universities (PVU). PVU shall, as specified by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, organize and implement curricula and improve the qualifications of teachers with the cooperation of those who are engaged in such professions that require expertise, those who are engaged in businesses related to such professions, and other relevant persons. Programs in Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences (Clinical), and Veterinary Medical Science cannot be established at PVU. [Article 83-2 of the School Education Act]

Qualification awarded: Bachelor's degree (Professional), Associate degree (Professional)

*Associate degree (Professional) is awarded to those who have completed the first half (前期 zenki) of the course at a PVU that offers courses divided into two levels - first half (前期 zenki) and second half (後期 koki).

Program length: 4 years

* PVUs may divide their programs into two-year first half (前期 zenki) and two-year second half (後期 koki), or three-year first half and one-year second half. (If the program length exceeds 4 years, the first half shall be 2 years and the second half 2 years or more, or the first half 3 years and the second half 1 year or more).

Requirements for graduation: Fulfill all of the following requirements and other requirements determined by the PVU.

・124 or more credits (including 20 or more credits in basic subjects (基礎科目), 20 or more credits in developmental subjects (展開科目), 60 or more credits in vocational specialized subjects (職業専門科目), and 4 or more credits in integrated subjects (総合科目)) earned.
・The credits must include 40 or more in subjects of experiment, practicum, or skills training, and within those 40 credits, 20 or more must be from on-site training conducted off-campus.

* The requirements for completion of the first half (2 or 3 years) of a program at a PVU that divides its program into the first half and second halves are the same as those for graduation requirements of PVJC.

Early graduation: Students who have enrolled for 3 years (4 years if program length exceeds 4 years) or more at a PVU and have earned the required credits with excellent grades may graduate early.

Junior College, Professional and Vocational Junior College (PVJC)

Junior College

Within the category of universities, those of which are designed to teach and study arts and sciences deeply and to develop abilities required for occupations or practical life, and of which program length is 2 or 3 years are defined as junior colleges. [Paragraphs 1-3, Article 108, School Education Act]

Qualification awarded: Associate degree (Title of Associate was awarded until 2005)

Program length: 2 or 3 years

Requirements for graduation: For 2-year program, 62 or more credits earned, and other requirements as determined by the junior college.

For 3-year program, 93 or more credits earned, and other requirements as determined by the junior college.

* For 3-year evening programs, etc., 62 or more credits earned, and other requirements as determined by the junior college.

Early graduation: There is no system of early graduation at junior colleges.

Professional and Vocational Junior College (PVJC)

Within the category of junior colleges, colleges which are designed to teach and study arts and sciences deeply, and cultivate practical and applied abilities to engage in professions that require expertise are defined as Professional and Vocational Junior Colleges (PVJC). PVJC shall, as specified by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, organize and implement curricula and improve the qualifications of teachers with the cooperation of those who are engaged in such professions that require expertise, those who are engaged in businesses related to such professions, and other relevant persons. [Paragraphs 4-5, Article 108, School Education Act]

Qualification awarded: Associate degree (Professional)

Program length: 2 or 3 years

Requirements for graduation: For 2-year program, meeting all of the following requirements and other requirements determined by the PVJC.
・62 or more credits (including 10 or more credits in basic subjects (基礎科目), 10 or more credits in developmental subjects (展開科目), 30 or more credits in vocational specialized subjects (職業専門科目), and 2 or more credits in integrated subjects (総合科目)) earned.
・The credits must include 20 or more in subjects of practicum, skills training, or experiment, and within those 20 credits, 10 or more must be from on-site training conducted off-campus.

For 3-year program, meeting all of the following requirements and other requirements determined by the PVJC.
・93 or more credits (including 15 or more credits in basic subjects (基礎科目), 15 or more credits in developmental subjects (展開科目), 45 or more credits in vocational specialized subjects (職業専門科目), and 2 or more credits in integrated subjects (総合科目)) earned.
・The credits must include 30 or more in subjects of practicum, skills training, or experiment, and within those 30 credits, 15 or more must be from on-site training conducted off-campus.

* For 3-year evening program, etc., requirements are the same as those for 2-year program indicated above.

Early graduation: There is no system of early graduation at PVJC.

Graduate School, Professional Graduate School

Universities may establish graduate schools. [Article 97, School Education Act]

Graduate Schools are designed to teach and study academic theories and applications, and inquire deeply into them or cultivate knowledge and outstanding ability in depth to engage in professions that require advanced expertise, while contributing to the development of culture. [Paragraph 1, Article 99, School Education Act]

Within the category of graduate schools, schools which are designed to teach and study academic theories and applications, and cultivate knowledge and outstanding ability in depth to engage in professions that require advanced expertise are defined as Professional Graduate Schools. A Professional Graduate School shall, as specified by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, organize and implement curricula and improve the qualifications of teachers with the cooperation of those who are engaged in such professions that require advanced expertise, those who are engaged in businesses related to such professions, and other relevant persons. [Paragraphs 2-3, Article 99, School Education Act]

Graduate school, Master’s program

Qualification awarded: Master's degree

Standard program length: 2 years

* It is possible to make the standard program length between more than one 1 year and less than 2 years when education is provided mainly to those with work experience, there is a need for education and research purposes, and appropriate measures such as utilizing a daytime-and-evening-program system is taken so that no educational hindrance is caused.

Requirements for completion

To fulfill all of the following:

Enrollment for 2 or more years (may differ depending on the standard length of the program).
30 or more credits earned.
Received necessary supervision for research, and passed dissertation defense and examination on the Master’s thesis or research project on a specific topic.

Early completion: Students who have enrolled in a Master’s program for 1 year or more and made excellent research achievement may complete early.

Graduate school, Doctoral program

Qualification awarded: Doctoral degree, Master's degree

* Master's degree is awarded to those who have completed the first half of a doctoral program that is divided into first half (前期 zenki) and second half (後期 koki). Master's degree may also be awarded to those who have satisfied the completion requirements of a master's degree in a program that is not divided into first and second halves. In such cases, the dissertation defense and examination on the master's thesis, etc. may be substituted for an examination on advanced specialized knowledge and competency in the major field as well as the grounded knowledge in areas related to the major field, and an examination on the competencies necessary to carry out research for the doctoral thesis proactively.

Standard program length: 5 years
* Universities may establish doctoral programs that are divided into 2-year first half (前期 zenki) and 3-year second half (後期 koki), programs that are not divided into first and second halves, and programs of 3-year second half only.

4 years for Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences (Clinical), and Veterinary Medical Science

Requirements for completion

To fulfill all of the following:

Enrollment for 5 years (or the standard program length if it exceeds 5 years; includes 2 years of master’s program. For those who have completed a master’s program with a standard program length of 1 year or more but less than 2 years and those who have completed a master’s program early, enrollment for the period of study in the master’s program plus 3 years (or the standard program length if it exceeds 3 years)) or more.
Enrollment for 4 years (or the standard program length if it exceeds 4 years) or more for Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences (Clinical), and Veterinary Medical Science
30 or more credits earned
Received necessary supervision for research, and passed dissertation defense and examination.

* In the case of a person who has a master's degree or a professional degree and enrolls in the second half of a doctoral program, the requirements for completion are as follows: enrollment in the graduate school for at least 3 years (or the standard program length if it exceeds 3 years. In the case of a person who has completed a law school, the period of the standard program length of the second half of the doctoral program minus one year), receive necessary supervision for research, and passed dissertation defense and examination conducted by the graduate school.

* The requirements for completion of the first half of a doctoral program are the same as those for completion of a master's program. However, if it is deemed necessary to achieve the purpose of the doctoral program, the dissertation defense and examination on the master's thesis, etc. may be substituted for an examination on advanced specialized knowledge and competencies in the major field, grounded knowledge in fields related to the major field, and assessment on the competencies necessary to conduct research for the doctoral thesis proactively.

Early completion: Students who have enrolled in a Doctoral program for 3 years or more and made excellent research achievement may complete early.

* In the case of a person with a master's degree or a professional degree, etc. who enrolls in the second half of a doctoral program and made excellent research achievement, the required period of enrollment is 1 year (or for those who have completed a master's or professional degree program with a standard program length of 1 year or more but less than 2 years, 3 years minus the period of the standard program length of the completed program; for those who completed a master's program early, 3 years minus the period of enrollment in the completed program (2 years at maximum)) or longer.

Professional Graduate School

Professional Graduate School assumes a leadership role in various areas of society, providing graduate courses (professional degrees) which specialize in fostering highly-specialized professionals who will be active internationally. Among the Professional Graduate Schools, law school aims to provide education for legal professional training, and Professional Graduate School for Teacher Education aims to provide education for the training of teachers with highly-specialized abilities and excellent qualities.

Qualification awarded: Professional degrees [Master of xxx (Professional), J.D. (Juris Doctor), Master of Education (Professional)]

Standard program length: Each school decides the length of the program, either 2 years or within a range of 1 to 2 years.
3 years for law school.

Requirements for completion

Professional Graduate School	Enrollment for 2 years or more (may differ depending on the standard length of the program) and 30 or more credits earned.
Law school	Enrollment for 3 years or more (may differ depending on the standard length of the program) and 93 or more credits earned.
Professional Graduate Schools for Teacher Education	Enrollment for 2 years or more (may differ depending on the standard length of the program) and 45 or more credits earned.

Early completion

When the school recognizes credits earned before admission as part of its curriculum after a student is qualified to enter a Professional Graduate School, the student may shorten the period of required enrollment as follows.

Professional Graduate School	For half the duration of standard program length at maximum (must be enrolled for at least one year).
Law school	For one year at maximum (in addition to the above condition, also applicable for those who are recognized as having the basic knowledge of legal studies required by the school).
Professional Graduate Schools for Teacher Education	For half the duration of standard program length at maximum (must be enrolled for at least one year).

College of Technology (KOSEN)

Colleges of Technology (KOSEN) are designed to teach arts and sciences deeply and to develop abilities required to engage in professions. Colleges of Technology (KOSEN) conduct education to achieve its purposes while contributing to the development of society by disseminating their outcomes throughout society. [Article 115, School Education Act]

College of Technology (KOSEN) is a type of HEI that provides five-year consistent professional education for graduates of lower secondary school, placing emphasis on experiments and practicums, and it fosters practical and creative engineers who will support the manufacturing industry.

Qualification awarded: Title of Associate

Program length: 5 years.
For Mercantile Shipping, 5 years 6 months.

Requirements for graduation: 167 or more credits earned.
For Mercantile Shipping, 147 or more credits earned.

Early graduation: There is no system of early graduation at Colleges of Technology (KOSEN).

Professional Training College (Specialized Training College that Offers Post-Secondary Course)

Specialized Training College that offers Post-secondary Course (専門課程)⁽²⁾ can be called "Professional Training College (専門学校)". Post-secondary Course provides education with the aim to develop the abilities necessary for work and everyday life, or to enhance liberal arts, on top of the foundation of upper secondary education. [Articles 124-125 of the School Education Act] Persons who have completed Post-secondary Courses approved by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) are awarded title of Diploma (専門士) or Advanced Diploma (高度専門士).

⁽²⁾Other than Post-secondary Course, Specialized Training College can also establish Upper Secondary Course (高等課程) and General Course (一般課程). Graduates of lower secondary school or those who are deemed as equivalent are eligible for admission to an Upper Secondary Course, and persons who have completed an Upper Secondary Course designated by the Minister of MEXT are eligible for admission to a university. Specialized Training Colleges that offer Upper Secondary Course can be called ‘Upper Secondary Specialized Training School (高等専修学校).’ There are no prerequisites stipulated by laws and regulations for admission to a General Course.

Qualification awarded: Diploma or Advanced Diploma
[Public notice of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture No. 84 of 1994]

Note: These titles are awarded only to those who have completed programs approved by the Minister of MEXT to award the title.

Note: Even if the program is not approved to award these titles, completion of Post-secondary course itself is recognized as a qualification.

Program length: 1 year or more
[Article 124, item (i) of the School Education Act]

Note: Programs must be 2 years or more to be approved to award Diploma and/or to make the graduates eligible for transfer to a university, admission to an advanced course of a junior college or College of Technology (KOSEN).
[Public notice of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture No. 84 of 1994; Article 132 of the School Education Act; Article 155, paragraph (2), item (iv) of the Enforcement Regulation of the School Education Act; Article 177, item (iv) of the Enforcement Regulation of the School Education Act]

Note: Programs must be 4 years or more to be approved to award Advanced Diploma and/or to make the graduates eligible for admission to advanced course of university, advanced course of Professional and Vocational University, graduate school, and Professional Graduate School.
[Public notice of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture No. 84 of 1994; Article 155, paragraph (1), item (v) of the Enforcement Regulation of the School Education Act]

Requirements for completion: Daytime courses - Completion of a minimum of 800 credit hours multiplied by the number of years of the program.
Credit-based daytime courses - Enrolment for the program length or more, and acquisition of a minimum of 30 credits multiplied by the number of years of the program.

Evening courses - Completion of a minimum of 450 credit hours multiplied by the number of years of the program (at least 800 hours if it is less than 800 credit hours).
Credit-based evening courses - Enrolment for the program length or more, and acquisition of a minimum of 17 credits multiplied by the number of years of the program (at least 30 credits if it is less than 30 credits).

Correspondence courses - Enrolment for the program length or more, acquisition of a minimum of 17 credits multiplied by the number of years of the program (at least 30 credits if it is less than 30 credits), and completion of face-to-face classes for a minimum of 120 credit hours multiplied by the number of years of the program.
[Article 17, 27, 37 of Standards for the Establishment of Specialized Training Colleges]

Note: Programs must require completion of 1,700 credit hours (62 credits) or more to be approved to award Diploma and/or to make the graduates eligible for transfer to a university and admission to an advanced course of a junior college or College of Technology (KOSEN).
[Public notice of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture No. 84 of 1994; Article 132 of the School Education Act; Article 155, paragraph (2), item (iv) of the Enforcement Regulation of the School Education Act; Article 177, item (iv) of the Enforcement Regulation of the School Education Act; Article 186 of the Enforcement Regulation of the School Education Act; Public notice of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture No. 125 of 1998]]

Note: Programs must require completion of 3,400 credit hours (124 credits) to be approved to award Advanced Diploma and/or to make the graduates eligible for admission to advanced course of university, advanced course of Professional and Vocational University, graduate school, and Professional Graduate School.
[Public notice of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture No. 84 of 1994; Article 155, paragraph (1), item (v) of the Enforcement Regulation of the School Education Act; Public notice of MEXT No. 138 of 2005]

Early completion: There is no system of early completion at Professional Training Colleges.

Professional Post-Secondary Course (職業実践専門課程 Shokugyo-jissen-senmon-katei)

Professional Post-secondary Courses are offered at certain Professional Training Colleges, and are approved by Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) as courses which involve close collaboration with private companies, organizations, etc. related to the major field of study, and offer practical vocational education where students learn the latest and most-advanced practical knowledge, techniques, and skills. On August 30, 2013, “Regulations concerning the approval of Professional Post-secondary Courses within Specialized Training Colleges that offer Post-secondary Courses” [public notice of the MEXT No. 133 of 2013]⁽³⁾ was promulgated, and came into effect in April 2014. The objective of these regulations is to maintain and improve levels of vocational education within Post-secondary Courses at Specialized Training Colleges.

For a Post-secondary Course of Specialized Training College to be approved as a Professional Post-secondary Course, it is necessary to meet all of the following requirements. (partial summary of the relevant regulations)

1. It is approved as a course awarding Diploma or Advanced Diploma.
2. It has a collaborative system with private companies, organizations, etc., in organizing its curriculum including class subjects offered.
3. It offers subjects of practicum, skills training, experiments, or seminars in collaboration with private companies, organizations, etc.
4. It provides teachers with systematic training on practices in their major field of study in collaboration with private companies, organizations, etc.
5. Based on the results of self-evaluations regarding states of educational activities and other operations of the school, it conducts evaluations by parties related to the school and discloses their results to the public.
6. Private companies, organizations, etc. are participating in the evaluations stipulated in item 5.
7. It provides information on educational activities and other aspects of the school's operation to private companies, organizations, etc., to further promote cooperation and collaboration.

⁽³⁾The regulation was revised on July 28, 2022, deleting some requirements for approval, namely, that the course length must be 2 years or longer and that the total number of class hours required for completion of the course must be 1,700 credit hours (or 62 credits) or more, and adding 1. above. As a transitional measure, approval as a Professional Post-secondary Course made before the said revision shall not be revoked until March 31, 2026, as long as the course continues to meet the pre-amendment requirements, even if it is not approved for awarding the title of Diploma or Advanced Diploma. In order to keep the status of the Professional Post-secondary Course thereafter, it must be approved as a course awarding a Diploma or Advanced Diploma before the transitional measure period ends.

On the graduation certificate and other certification documents of a person who has completed a Professional Post-secondary Course, it may be stated that the completed course is a Professional Post-secondary Course.

From AY2013 to AY2021, 3,154 courses at 1,083 schools have received approval as Professional Post-secondary Courses, accounting for approximately 44% of all courses that have a program length of two or more years. (Approval, Revocation, etc. of Professional Post-Secondary Courses [Japanese only])

▶ For further details and list of approved courses of “職業実践専門課程 (Professional Post-secondary Course)”, please refer to the MEXT website [Japanese only].

Educational Institutions Operated by Government Ministries and Agencies

Educational institutions operated by government ministries and agencies are educational facilities other than schools, that are regulated by laws other than the School Education Act. Among them, there are some cases in which universities can award credits if the university approves that the education of the institution is equivalent to the level of university education (public notice of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture No. 68 of 1991). For those who completed a curriculum approved by NIAD-QE, degrees are awarded by NIAD-QE after passing designated examinations.

Qualification awarded: Cannot award degrees or titles

Program length: Depends on institution and curriculum

Requirements for completion: Depends on institution and curriculum

Educational Institutions Operated by Government Ministries and Agencies that are included in the scope of the Tokyo Convention

National College of Nursing, Japan

An HEI of Nursing Science established by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare with the purpose of training people to become nurses and midwives and work as staff members of the National Centers for Advanced and Specialized Medical Care (NCs). It is established as a facility for teaching theories and expertise of nursing, research, and training and is operated by the National Center for Global Health and Medicine. (Reference: Act on National Research and Development Corporation, which conducts research on highly specialized medical care 高度専門医療に関する研究等を行う国立研究開発法人に関する法律[Japanese only])

The Polytechnic University of Japan

Established by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare which has three foundational operations: (1) fostering vocational training instructors, (2) training of vocational training instructors (re-training), and (3) research on development and improvement of vocational skills. It is operated by the Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers (JEED). (Reference: Human Resources Development Promotion Act 職業能力開発促進法[Japanese only])

National Fisheries University

An HEI related to fisheries established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It aims at providing scientific fundamentals and technologies on fisheries for cultivating human resources contributing to fisheries. It is managed by the National Research and Development Agency, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA) and receives funding from the government. (Reference: National Research and Development Agency, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency Act 国立研究開発法人水産研究・教育機構法[Japanese only])