Persons who fall under any of the following categories are eligible for admission to universities (including junior colleges; excluding graduate schools). (As of January 2019)
1. A person who has graduated from Upper Secondary Schools or Secondary Education Schools. [Article 90, paragraph (1) of the School Education Act (hereinafter referred to as the "Act")]
2. A person who has completed the third year of upper secondary department at schools for special needs education or at Colleges of Technology. [Article 90, paragraph (1) of the Act]
3. A person who has completed a 12-year school education course in a foreign country (a person who has completed a school education course of less than 12 years needs to further complete a designated preparatory education course (List of Preparatory Education Courses Designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) or a course of a training institute (List of Training Institutes Designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)) [Article 150, item (i) of the Regulation for Enforcement of the School Education Act (hereinafter referred to as the "Enforcement Regulation"); item (ii) of Public Notice of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as "MEXT Public Notice") No. 153 of 1981]
* "A person who has completed a 12-year school education course in a foreign country" means "a person who has completed the twelfth year of formal school education in a foreign country." Please make an inquiry at an embassy, etc. of a respective country regarding whether the course you completed falls under a formal school education course or the last year you have completed.
4. A person aged 18 or over who has passed, in a foreign country, a test certifying the academic ability equivalent to completion of a 12-year course (a person who has passed a test only certifying the academic ability equivalent to completion of a course of less than 12 years needs to further complete a designated preparatory education course (List of Preparatory Education Courses Designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) or a course of a training institute (List of Training Institutes Designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)) [item (i) and item (ii) of MEXT Public Notice No. 153 of 1981]
* Please make an inquiry at an embassy, etc. of a respective country regarding whether the test you have passed certifies the academic ability equivalent to completion of a 12-year course.
5. A person who satisfies the requirements such as being deemed to have completed a designated course of not less than 11 years and has completed a course of a school corresponding to an upper secondary school (List of Courses of Foreign Schools Corresponding to Upper Secondary Schools Designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) in a foreign country [item (iii) of MEXT Public Notice No. 153 of 1981]
6. A person who has completed a course of an international school designated as equivalent to a foreign upper secondary school in Japan (List of International Schools Designated as Equivalent to Foreign Upper Secondary Schools in Japan) (a person who has completed a course of less than 12 years needs to further complete a designated preparatory education course (List of Preparatory Education Courses Designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)) [item (iv) and item (v) of MEXT Public Notice No. 153 of 1981]
7. A person who has completed a course of an overseas educational institution certified as equivalent to an upper secondary school (List of Overseas Educational Institutions Certified as Equivalent to Upper Secondary Schools (with Upper Secondary School Courses)) [Article 150, item (ii) of the Enforcement Regulation]
8. A Person who has completed education at designated Upper Secondary Courses of Specialized Training Colleges (List of Upper Secondary Courses of Specialized Training Colleges designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology [in Japanese only]). (Article 150, item (iii) of the Enforcement Regulation)
9. A Person who has completed school education in Japan under the former education system and the like. (Public Notice of the Ministry of Education No. 47 of 1948, items (i) through (xix)-2)
10. A person who holds qualification for foreign university admission including the International Baccalaureate (IB), the Abitur, the Baccalauréate, and General Certificate of Education (GCE) A Levels. (Public Notice of the Ministry of Education No. 47 of 1948, items (xx) through (xxiii))
11. A Persons who has completed 12 years of education at educational institutions accredited by international accrediting bodies (Schools for foreign nationals accredited by the international accrediting bodies), namely the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the Council of International Schools (CIS), and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). (Public Notice of the Ministry of Education No.
47 of 1948, item (xxiv))
*A person who has completed 12 years of education at schools for foreign nationals accredited by the European Council of International Schools (ECIS), the former organization of the CIS, is also eligible under this category.
12. Persons who have passed the Upper Secondary School Equivalency Examination (formerly University Entrance Qualification Examination). (Article 150, item (v) of the Enforcement Regulation)
(Persons who have passed the examination but not reached the age of 18 will be treated as successful applicants as of the day after reaching the age of 18.)
13. A person who is 18 years of age or older and is recognized by universities through his or her individual admission qualification assessment as having academic abilities equal to or greater than graduates of Japanese upper secondary schools. (Article 150, item (vii) of the Enforcement Regulation)