Study in Kyoto: What International Students Should Know Before Applying
Key Takeaways
- Kyoto's advantage is cost, scale and research concentration; its disadvantage is a narrower graduate job market than Tokyo's.
- Kyoto University leads the city academically, while Doshisha and Ritsumeikan offer more English-taught undergraduate options.
- Confirm the teaching language at department level, because university-wide statements are not reliable.
- Check which campus your department is on, Yoshida, Katsura or Uji at Kyoto University, before working out housing costs.
- Plan and budget for repeated trips to Tokyo during the graduate job-hunting season.
Table of Contents
Japan hosted a record 408,069 international students as of 1 May 2025, up more than 20% in a year. Many of them faced a decision that rarely gets a fair comparison: whether to study in Kyoto or default to Tokyo. It is worth making that choice deliberately, because the two cities offer genuinely different versions of a Japanese education.
Kyoto is Japan’s academic city in a way no other is. It has an unusual concentration of universities for its size and a research culture built around a few very old institutions. It is also smaller, cheaper and more conservative than Tokyo, with a job market to match.
This guide covers the universities, the real case for and against Kyoto, costs, housing and how to apply. By the end you should know whether Kyoto suits your field, your budget and your plans after graduation.
What is actually in Kyoto?
Kyoto’s strength comes from a few major universities, several specialist institutions and a dense network of research institutes.
Kyoto University is the city’s centre of gravity and one of Japan’s two leading national universities. Its research record, particularly in the physical and life sciences, is among the strongest in Asia. Its list of Nobel laureates grew again in 2025, when Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University shared the Chemistry prize and Shimon Sakaguchi, a Kyoto University professor emeritus, shared the prize in Physiology or Medicine — two of the Japanese scientists recognised that year. The institutional culture is notably independent, giving researchers room to work. That suits some students and unsettles others.
Doshisha University and Ritsumeikan University are large, well-regarded private universities with significant international enrolment. They offer more English-taught undergraduate options than the national universities typically do.
Kyoto Institute of Technology is small and specialised, strong in design, architecture, materials and textiles — a combination that reflects the city’s manufacturing history.
Kyoto University of the Arts and several other specialist institutions give the city an arts scene out of proportion to its size. Beyond these, Kyoto hosts inter-university research facilities that draw researchers from across the country.
What is the case for Kyoto over Tokyo?
Kyoto wins on cost, scale, research depth in specific fields, and pace of life.
- Cost. Rent is materially lower than in central Tokyo. The gap is widest in small apartments and shared housing — exactly where students spend. Over a two-year master’s, the difference adds up.
- Scale. Kyoto is easy to get around by bicycle, and most students cycle everywhere. That removes a commuting cost Tokyo students pay in money and time. The academic community is small enough that people keep running into each other.
- Research depth. If your field is one Kyoto is strong in, you will be near the people whose papers you are reading, and collaboration through the inter-university institutes is easier than it would be across cities.
- A different pace. Hard to measure, and often the deciding factor. Kyoto is quieter. For research students, that can be the difference between a productive doctorate and a distracted one.
What is the case against?
The main drawbacks are a narrower graduate job market, fewer English-taught undergraduate programmes, and heavy tourist crowds.
The graduate job market is in Tokyo. This is the honest counterweight. Japanese corporate recruitment is concentrated in the Kanto region, and the shukatsu job-hunting season involves many company visits. Kyoto students make those trips by train, so budget for the time and the fares.
Kyoto does have real employers — Nintendo, Kyocera, Omron, Shimadzu and nearby Murata among them, plus a strong precision-engineering base. Still, graduate openings are narrower than in Tokyo, and in finance, consulting and media they are much narrower. Our guide to jobs in Japan for international students covers the recruitment cycle itself.
Other drawbacks to weigh:
- Fewer English-taught undergraduate programmes. Graduate options are better, especially in the sciences, where the lab language is often English in practice. At undergraduate level, choices are limited outside the private universities.
- A smaller international community. Some students want that. Others find it isolating.
- Tourism. Kyoto receives enormous visitor numbers, and central districts and some bus routes get congested in peak seasons. Students learn to route around it, but the first autumn is a surprise.
What should you check before you apply?
Confirm four things: teaching language, campus location, housing timing and winter conditions.
- Whether your programme is taught in Japanese. Most undergraduate teaching at Kyoto University is in Japanese. Graduate programmes vary by department, and several run in English. Confirm “English-taught” at department level, not from the university’s international pages.
- Where the campus actually is. Kyoto University is split across Yoshida, Katsura and Uji. Katsura is some distance from the centre, which changes your housing calculation. Ritsumeikan’s campuses include ones outside the city.
- Housing timing. Dormitory places are limited and allocated early. The private rental market tightens before the April intake, because the whole student population turns over at once.
- Winter. Kyoto sits in a basin. Summers are hot and humid, and winters are colder than visitors expect. Older housing is often poorly insulated, so ask about heating.
How much does it cost to study in Kyoto?
Kyoto is cheaper than Tokyo mainly because of rent and transport, not tuition.
| Cost area | Kyoto compared with Tokyo |
|---|---|
| Tuition (national universities) | Kyoto University and Kyoto Institute of Technology charge national-university rates; see our guide to the cost of studying in Japan for current figures. |
| Tuition (private universities) | Private rates apply at Doshisha and Ritsumeikan. |
| Rent | Materially cheaper, especially for small flats and shared houses. The largest saving over a two-year master’s. |
| Transport | Often close to zero, since most students cycle. Tokyo commuter passes are a standing cost. |
| Food and daily costs | Modestly lower rather than dramatically so. |
| Job-hunting travel | Higher. Expect repeated trips to Tokyo at your own expense. |
Register your bicycle. The city enforces parking rules, and recovering an impounded bicycle costs money and an afternoon.
The offsetting cost is travel. If you plan to enter Japanese graduate recruitment, budget for those Tokyo trips now rather than discovering them in your final year.
How does housing work in practice?
Apply for a university dormitory as soon as you are admitted, and start the private search early.
Dormitory places are limited, cheap and allocated early; waiting until you arrive usually means missing out. The private market is tight in the weeks before April, and private renting usually requires a guarantor, which few newly arrived students can provide. Paid guarantor companies fill that gap, and the international office will know which ones the university works with.
Before signing, ask about insulation and heating. Older Kyoto housing handles humid summers and cold winters poorly. Our practical guide for foreign students in Japan covers the move-in costs and first-month paperwork that apply in Kyoto as anywhere else.
How do you apply to Kyoto’s universities?
Application routes differ sharply by university, so match your approach to the institution.
Kyoto University admits graduate students largely through departmental entrance examinations, set and marked by each graduate school. They are substantive — subject knowledge, often mathematics, and usually an interview. Past papers are frequently available on request, so treat them as your syllabus.
For research-track programmes, contact a prospective supervisor before applying. In Japan this is expected, not presumptuous, and a professor who has agreed to take you changes what your application is.
Doshisha and Ritsumeikan run more conventional processes for their English-taught programmes, assessed on documents and interviews. That makes them more accessible if you are unfamiliar with Japanese entrance examinations.
The research student route is a legitimate bridge if your background does not map neatly onto the exam. You enter as a non-degree kenkyusei attached to a laboratory, then sit the entrance examination. Check your funding position for that period, as it usually differs from degree enrolment.
Timing. April remains the main intake, with September and October intakes increasingly available for international programmes. Deadlines are set by each department, so check each one individually and early.
So, Kyoto or Tokyo?
Choosing to study in Kyoto comes down to trade-offs. You gain lower rent, a compact and bikeable city, and one of Japan’s deepest research environments. You give up the breadth of Tokyo’s graduate job market, accept a smaller international community, and pay for travel to job-hunting events.
The best decisions start with specifics: confirm your programme’s teaching language at department level, check which campus you will actually attend, and apply early for housing. If you are aiming at Kyoto University, contact a supervisor and treat past entrance papers as your syllabus.
Whether Kyoto or Tokyo fits better depends on your field, your budget and what you want to do afterwards. Our counsellors can compare both cities for your profile in a free profile review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kyoto cheaper than Tokyo for students?
Yes, mainly on rent and transport. The rent gap is largest in small flats and shared housing, which is what students actually use, and most students cycle rather than pay for commuter passes.
Can I study in Kyoto without Japanese?
At graduate level in several fields, yes, particularly in the sciences. At undergraduate level the English-taught options are mostly at the private universities. Daily life will still need some Japanese.
How does Kyoto University compare internationally?
It is consistently among the leading universities in Asia, with an exceptional record in the physical and life sciences, and its laureates include two 2025 Nobel Prize winners.
Is it harder to find a job from Kyoto?
It is not harder to be hired, but it takes more travel. Japanese corporate recruitment is concentrated in Tokyo, and the job-hunting season involves repeated company visits there.
What is student housing like?
University dormitories are cheap but limited and allocated early. Private rentals are available but competitive before the April intake, and they usually require a guarantor company.
Is Kyoto a good place for research students?
Yes. It is one of Japan’s strongest research environments, with a dense network of inter-university institutes and a quieter working atmosphere than Tokyo.
How international is the student body?
Smaller than Tokyo’s in absolute numbers, though the share of international students in Kyoto University’s graduate schools is substantial.
Do I need a bicycle?
Most students get one. The city is compact and largely flat, and cycling is the normal way to get around. Register it, because Kyoto enforces bicycle parking rules.
When are the intakes?
April is the main intake. September and October intakes are increasingly available for international programmes, and each department sets its own deadlines, so check them individually.
Which Kyoto University campus will I be on?
It depends on your department. Kyoto University is split across Yoshida, Katsura and Uji, and Katsura is some distance from the centre, so check before you look for housing.
