Univ. of Tokyo to Raise Tuition by ¥100,000

Jiji Press

18:13 JST, September 25, 2024

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The University of Tokyo on Tuesday formally decided to raise its annual tuition fees by some ¥100,000 from the next academic year starting in April 2025, its first tuition hike in 20 years.

The prestigious national university said it “is committed to continuously striving for various means of securing financial resources to perpetually improve and enhance the educational and learning environment for our current and future students.”

“This tuition fee revision is one of the foundational improvement measures aimed at realizing its implementation,” the university said in a statement after approving the increase at an executive meeting the same day.

Other universities may follow suit.

The standard annual tuition at national universities in Japan stands at ¥535,800 under an education ministry ordinance, with the upper limit set at ¥642,960.

The University of Tokyo has so far kept its tuition at the standard level. For undergraduate students who will enter the university in April 2025 or later, the annual tuition will rise to the limit of ¥642,960.

The tuition for graduate students at master’s degree programs will be raised also to ¥642,960 for those entering the programs in the year starting in April 2029 or later, while the tuition will be kept unchanged for doctoral programs.

The university expects the planned hikes to boost its annual revenue by ¥1.35 billion as of the end of the year through March 2029. It plans to use the increased revenue to strengthen its learning support systems and improve its educational and learning environment.