Nagoya University Scholarships for International Students 2026

Most major scholarships connected to Nagoya University (such as G30 admission scholarships, tuition waivers, JASSO, and MEXT) are designed for degree-seeking students who matriculate and study as enrolled students, so they generally don’t work as “online-course-only” scholarships.

Both. Nagoya University has selective G30 International Programs taught entirely in English (and Japanese is not required for admission), and it also has regular degree programs taught in Japanese (which require high Japanese proficiency). This matches what scholarship recipients describe too: Jillian Abigail Sutrisno said, “I am studying in their G30 Program, which is all taught in English (no Japanese proficiency required!).” If you want Japanese-taught options, plan for JLPT-level proficiency; if you want English-taught, focus on the G30 track and English requirements.

It depends on the scholarship. Many university/internal scholarships focus more on enrollment status and academic merit than age, but major government scholarships (especially MEXT) do have age rules that change by category (undergraduate vs. research/graduate). In the recipient stories, ages vary by scholarship type: Jillian noted she was “18 years old” when starting her MEXT-funded undergraduate program, while Muhammad Abdullah pursued a MEXT-funded PhD after completing a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and work experience.

Scholarships cover a wide range of subjects because they usually follow your degree program (not a narrow subject list). You’ll find scholarships across STEM and engineering (e.g., chemical engineering/biotech and civil/structural engineering), business/economics, humanities and social sciences, and also medicine-related graduate fields. For real examples: Jillian studied Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology on MEXT; Muhammad completed a PhD in Structural Engineering on MEXT; and Indranil Enkhtuvshin received the Nagoya University G30 Undergraduate Scholarship while majoring in Japan-in-Asia Cultural Studies (humanities). For medicine: Nagoya University has English-taught G30 graduate options like Medical Science and Public Health, while some medicine-related programs are largely conducted in Japanese; international students can be eligible depending on the specific program and scholarship rules, but language requirements can be the deciding factor.

For admissions into English-taught G30 programs, Nagoya University explicitly welcomes applicants “from any nationality,” and scholarships linked to these programs are commonly aimed at international students. However, some scholarships (especially MEXT) require you to hold the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan (and generally exclude Japanese passport holders). Recipient examples show the variety: Jillian (Indonesia), Muhammad (Pakistan), and Indranil (Mongolia) all received scholarships connected to Nagoya University.

For English-taught G30 degree programs, an English proficiency test is required for most applicants (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo are commonly accepted), though exemptions may apply if you studied in English for multiple years. For Japanese-taught degree programs, Japanese proficiency (often around JLPT N1) is typically required. Scholarships may follow these same requirements, but some scholarship routes can be more flexible: Muhammad said that for his MEXT route “there is no compulsion to have IELTS, TOEFL, or GRE. You can use an English proficiency certificate from your last institute, and it works.”

Many programs don’t publish a single universal “minimum GPA,” but admissions and scholarships are competitive and rely heavily on your academic record, documents, and fit. In the recipient stories, successful applicants often had strong academics: Jillian reported “My average marks in high school are 95.4%,” and Muhammad reported a bachelor’s CGPA of 3.438/4.0 and a master’s CGPA of 3.408/4.0. Also note that some scholarships have continuation rules: Jillian shared that her scholarship “requires a minimum GPA of 2.3 out of 3 to maintain the scholarship.”

A strong academic background usually means (1) solid grades, (2) clear alignment between your interests and the program, and (3) proof you can thrive in the language of instruction. Scholarship recipients also emphasize “fit” and purpose: Indranil said, “I concentrated on developing my research trajectory and writing a strong letter of motivation,” and he advised narrowing your focus (especially for humanities) to show direction. For research degrees, Muhammad explained that his edge was that his “graduate study research work aligned with the ongoing research work of a Professor in Nagoya University.” For undergrad/STEM, Jillian highlighted strong subject performance (e.g., very high Math/Chem/Physics marks) and consistent preparation.

Document requirements depend on the program, but for undergraduate and graduate applications, common items include your online application, proof of graduation (or expected graduation), academic transcripts, English proficiency evidence (when required), and a reference letter submitted by your referee. Some programs also ask for essays (for example, Indranil noted that when applying for humanities, “they asked me to submit two essays.”). Recipient experiences line up with this: Jillian said she prepared “school transcripts, standardized tests, recommendation letters, and certificates,” and Muhammad emphasized preparing “all the documents and research proposals very carefully” for MEXT.

Yes, many admissions routes have an application fee. For example, the G30 undergraduate online application lists an application fee of JPY 5,000. However, some scholarships may offset this: on the scholarship side, Nagoya University’s scholarship information notes that MEXT can cover costs including the application fee, and recipients describe this in real terms. For instance, Jillian said MEXT “covers full tuition, registration fee, application fee, plane tickets, and provides a monthly stipend.”