Waseda University for Indian Students: Fees, English Programmes and 2027 Admission

Waseda University: Key Facts

The facts not already in the box above. Each row names the official page it comes from and the date we checked it. Figures change, so confirm on the source before you rely on one.

Each row is dated with the day we checked its source.

Waseda University Fees

Waseda publishes one fee sheet for its English-based undergraduate degree programmes. In the first year you pay a registration fee and tuition. Tuition is paid in two instalments: Waseda’s English-based Undergraduate Program page says “Tuition payments are made semi-annually (twice a year)”. The figures below are in yen, for the 2027 academic year, under the sheet’s own headings.

Source: Waseda University, Undergraduate Degree Programs (for 2027 Academic Year) (PDF, linked from the English-based Undergraduate Program page), checked 27 October 2026. The twice-a-year payment is from the English-based Undergraduate Program page (Tuition and Scholarships), checked 30 October 2026.

Four things to know about this sheet. First, Waseda spreads the cost evenly: in its words, “The payment of tuition (First year: registration fee plus whole tuition) in 4 years is equalized”, which is why each later year costs the same as the first. Second, other fees come on top every year: a laboratory work fee in the two engineering schools (¥72,000 in Fundamental Science and Engineering; ¥102,000 or ¥104,000 in Creative Science and Engineering), a library fee and association fees. The sheet says the 2027 amounts of these “are undecided” and shows the 2026 figures for reference, and it adds a ¥40,000 Alumni Association fee in the fourth year. Third, the name changed: the 2026 sheet called the ¥200,000 first-year charge an “Admission Fee”; the 2027 sheet calls it a “Registration Fee”. The amount is the same. Fourth, the sheet notes that “Some specific courses may ask for the additional exercise fee”, so check your course’s fees too.

As a private university, Waseda charges more than Japan’s national universities. Kyoto University, for comparison, charges ¥535,800 a year in tuition (Kyoto fee page, checked 27 October 2026). Living costs are on top of these figures. For a full cost plan, read our breakdown of the cost of studying in Japan, and for how the two kinds of university differ, our guide to national vs private universities in Japan.

A possible fee for students who have not learned Japanese: under consideration

On 5 December 2025, Waseda’s President, Aiji Tanaka, wrote that the university has spent heavily on support for students who have not learned Japanese, and that “we are currently considering asking students who have not learned Japanese to pay a certain amount of fees going forward.” He added: “It has not yet been decided what changes, if any, will be made to the fees for students coming to study at our university from overseas or when any such changes would be implemented. In any case, potential changes will not apply to any of our current students.” So this fee is under consideration, not a charge, and the 2027 fee sheet above has no such line. If it matters to your budget, check the fee sheet again before you accept an offer.

Source: Waseda University, Concerning Tuition and Fees for International Students Studying at Waseda University (5 December 2025), checked 27 October 2026.

English-Based Programmes at Waseda University

Waseda offers English-based degree programmes at six undergraduate schools, and says “Japanese language ability is not required for application.” It lists them like this.

Source: Waseda University, English-based Undergraduate Program, checked 27 October 2026. At the School of Culture, Media and Society, September entry is for students from high schools outside the Japanese education system and April entry for those inside it.

The schools set their own intakes: SILS admits 150 students of all nationalities for September entry, and the Schools of Fundamental and of Creative Science and Engineering admit 30 each. Waseda accepts many kinds of school-leaving and test results, and lists India’s AISSCE (the CBSE Class 12 examination) among them; the documents you need depend on your school and your education system, so read Waseda’s list of application documents by education system before you apply.

Sources: Waseda University, SILS Admissions Guide, Science and Engineering undergraduate admissions and English-based Undergraduate Program. Checked 27 October 2026.

Application dates for September 2027 entry

All six schools take online applications for September 2027 entry from 7 January 2027, 10 a.m., until 28 January 2027, 5 p.m. Japan time. You apply through Waseda’s online application system, and the Science and Engineering schools warn that it closes automatically at 5 p.m. on the last day.

Two schools split the window into rounds. SILS has Early Admission (until 11:59 p.m., 12 January 2027) and Regular Admission (13 to 28 January). The TAISI programme in Social Sciences has a First Round (7 to 12 January) and a Second Round (13 to 28 January), and lists a Third Round from 28 April to 6 May 2027, which it says “may NOT be conducted” if the first two rounds fill the programme. Each school’s guide gives its interview and result dates; enrolment is on 21 September 2027.

Sources: each school’s September 2027 admission page or guide: Political Science and Economics, Social Sciences (TAISI) (PDF), International Liberal Studies, Culture, Media and Society (JCulP) (PDF) and Fundamental and Creative Science and Engineering. Checked 27 October 2026.

Average test scores of successful applicants

Waseda publishes the average scores of the applicants it admitted. They are averages, not cut-offs: the School of Political Science and Economics, for example, says it has no minimum standardized test score.

Source: Waseda University, English-based Undergraduate Program (“Average Scores of Successful Applicants”), checked 27 October 2026. The Political Science and Economics admissions page labels the same figures as 2026.

If you plan to send SAT scores, see our SAT prep courses.

Graduate programmes in English

Waseda says it runs English-based degree programmes at 15 graduate schools, so you can earn a master’s or doctoral degree without Japanese. Each graduate school sets its own admission rules. For business study, our guide to business schools in Japan covers Waseda Business School alongside the others.

Source: Waseda University, Concerning Tuition and Fees for International Students, checked 27 October 2026.

Scholarships at Waseda University

Waseda says that “All scholarships offered at Waseda University are partial.” It offers merit-based pre-enrolment scholarships to successful undergraduate applicants with high academic results, with no separate application, and after you enrol there are about 20 Waseda scholarships and more than 100 from outside organisations. In Waseda’s words, “approximately one in four of our international students are receiving scholarships”.

On the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship, Waseda’s FAQ answers: “Full-coverage MEXT scholarship is available if you’re seeking graduate level of study.” For details it sends you to the Embassy or Consulate of Japan in your country. On 1 May 2026, 211 of Waseda’s international students were MEXT scholars.

Sources: Waseda University, English-based Undergraduate Program (Tuition and Scholarships, FAQ) and Number of international students (PDF). Checked 27 October 2026.

Read our MEXT scholarship application guide and what the MEXT scholarship covers. For every Japan scholarship we track, with deadlines, see scholarships in Japan and Japan scholarships for master’s students.

Waseda University for Indian Students

Waseda counted 62 students from India among its 6,046 international students on 1 May 2026. Across Japan, the student services agency JASSO counted 2,095 Indian students on 1 May 2025, up from 1,685 a year earlier. For undergraduate entry, check that your board results and test scores match the list for the Indian education system, and plan around the January application window.

Sources: Waseda CIE, Number of international students (PDF), checked 27 October 2026; JASSO, International Student Survey 2025 (PDF, page 8), checked 27 October 2026.

Comparing Waseda with other universities? Our shortlist of universities in Japan for international students and what matters beyond rankings put it alongside the others. Comparing Japan with other countries? Start with our Study in Japan page, which covers universities, costs, visas and our admissions support.