Graduation from International School Located Overseas

A: It is possible, depending on the international school.

Although there is no definition of an international school in Japanese legislation, it is considered to be an educational facility for foreign residents in a country.

Thus, the education provided at such schools is presumably different from that of the host country. It is advisable to consult with the host country’s embassy in Japan for accurate information whether it is recognized as a school in the relevant country.

If the international school is an approved institution in the host country and its educational curriculum is 12 years or more, its graduates are considered to have completed 12 years of school education in a foreign country and are eligible for admission to a university in Japan.
*If the completed curriculum is less than 12 years, its graduates must also complete a designated college preparatory course or a course offered by a designated training facility.

Furthermore, "completing 12 years of school education in a foreign country" refers to "completing 12 years of authorized school education in a foreign country." In order for international-school graduates to be considered eligible, the curriculum of the school in question must be based on the laws and regulations of the country in which the school is located. Therefore, even if an international school in Country A follows the same standards as a school in Country B and implements a curriculum that is recognized as authorized school education in Country B, its graduates are not considered to have completed “12 years of school education in a foreign country" if the school is not recognized as providing authorized school education under the laws and regulations of Country A.

In addition, even if its graduates are not considered to have completed "12 years of school education in a foreign country," they can still be eligible for admission to a university in Japan if they meet any of the following criteria.

1. Applicant has completed education at an educational institution established in a foreign country for the purpose of educating Japanese children and approved by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
2. Applicant has passed an academic qualification examination equivalent to completing 12 years of authorized school education in a foreign country and is 18 years of age or older.
   *If the academic qualification examination is equivalent to completing a course of less than 12 years, completion of a designated college preparatory course etc.*¹ is required.
3. Applicant has obtained the International Baccalaureate (IB), the German Abitur, the French Baccalauréate, General Certificate of Education (GCE) A Level, International A Level or European Baccalauréate.
4. Applicant has completed 12 years of education at an educational institution accredited by one of the international school accrediting bodies i.e. the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the Council of International Schools (CIS), the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Cognia, or the Council of British International Schools (COBIS).
5. Applicant has passed an individual admission qualification screening and is 18 years or older*².

Those who do not fulfill any of the conditions above are not eligible for university admission in Japan solely by graduating from an international school. They must satisfy another qualification such as passing the Upper Secondary School Equivalency Examination.

*1 A designated college preparatory education course or a course offered by a designated training facility.

*2 A person who has reached the age of 18 and has been recognized by a university as having academic ability equivalent to or greater than that of a high school graduate through an individual admission qualification screening.

Although the above three requirements were previously subject to the condition of “having reached the age of 18 years,” this age requirement has been abolished due to the revision of the Enforcement Regulation of the School Education Act effective from January 31, 2019, so that even 17-year-olds are eligible for admission to a university in Japan.

(The content of this Q&A is quoted from the University Admission Qualifications Guide ver.2 written by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and translated into English by NIC-Japan. It is amended by NIC-Japan based on the public notice of the MEXT issued on August 1, 2024.)

Reference: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (※6) Educational institutions accredited by the international school accrediting bodies

https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/shikaku/07111314/006.htm

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