Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Scholarships for International Students 2026

APU’s main scholarships are designed for degree-seeking students who enroll at APU and study as regular students

Both. APU is intentionally bilingual: it states that 98% of undergraduate courses are offered in both English and Japanese, and 100% of graduate courses are offered in English.

In scholarship recipient Justin Manual Adhinegara’s story, he applied with an English test (he wrote, “I took the IELTS and received an overall score of 6.5.”), which is a common path for English-basis applicants.

APU scholarships typically don’t advertise a strict “maximum age,” but you must meet APU’s admissions eligibility (for example, undergraduate applicants generally must be at least 18 by enrollment, and graduate eligibility frameworks reference degree/age conditions such as reaching 22 for certain graduate admissions routes). Also, some external scholarships (government/foundation programs) can have their own age rules, so it’s best to check the specific scholarship you’re applying for.

APU scholarships generally apply across APU’s degree programs rather than being limited to one narrow subject area. At undergraduate level, APU’s programs include Asia Pacific Studies (social sciences/humanities), International Management (business), and Sustainability and Tourism (which can include areas like environmental studies, tourism, and even data science & information systems).

Business: Yes—APU’s College of International Management includes areas like marketing, accounting/finance, entrepreneurship, and strategy.

Humanities/social sciences: Yes—Asia Pacific Studies includes areas like international relations and culture/society/media.

STEM/technical fields: APU is not a traditional engineering/STEM university, but Sustainability and Tourism can include quantitatively oriented tracks such as “Data Science & Information System,” plus environmental/resource management.

Engineering: APU does not operate as a dedicated engineering school in the way a typical engineering faculty does; students interested in “engineering” should confirm whether APU’s Sustainability/Tourism offerings match their goals.

Medicine: APU does not have a medical school/medicine degree program, so “medicine scholarships at APU” are generally not applicable (international students can’t apply for an APU medicine program because APU doesn’t offer one).

APU’s international scholarships are aimed broadly at international applicants rather than being restricted to a short list of nationalities. APU notes that over 90% of international students have received scholarships (including tuition reductions up to 100%).

You can also see the range of backgrounds in APU’s own scholarship testimonials: for example, Jantatum Suratchai (Thailand), Kampeni Khama Elsie (Malawi), and Wong Ah Sui Akina (Mauritius) all received a 100% Tuition Reduction Scholarship.

Often yes, but not always. APU publishes minimum language scores for English-basis and Japanese-basis applicants (and also lists exemptions when your prior education was fully in the relevant language for a set period or in designated countries). Accepted English tests include IELTS (and IELTS Online), TOEFL iBT, TOEIC L&R/S&W, Duolingo English Test, Cambridge English, Linguaskill, PTE Academic, and EIKEN; Japanese options include JLPT and EJU Japanese as a Foreign Language.

From recipient stories: Justin Manual Adhinegara shared, “I took the IELTS and received an overall score of 6.5,” and he described a structured 6-month prep routine, which is useful as a real example of what applicants often do.

APU does not present admissions as a single cut-off GPA; instead, it evaluates applicants based on submitted documents/information and an interview component (for many categories, a recorded interview is part of the process). For scholarships, selection is also described as a comprehensive evaluation (documents + interview, and for some scholarships, financial situation), and scholarship renewal requires semester-by-semester academic performance reviews.

From the recipient side, you’ll see how “strong grades” show up in different ways rather than one universal GPA number: Louisa Wirawan wrote she was “maintaining top grades” and “maintained A’s,” while Justin Manual Adhinegara pointed to “consistent academic performance” as part of why he stood out.

A strong scholarship profile at APU typically combines solid academics with clear motivation and proof you’ll contribute to the multicultural campus. In APU’s own scholarship guidance, selection is described as a comprehensive evaluation of submitted documents and interviews, and scholarship renewal depends on academic performance and earned credits each term.

Recipient stories make this feel concrete: Justin Manual Adhinegara described leadership and service (student council + a volunteer teaching program) and said his application stood out due to “consistent academic performance” plus extracurricular/volunteer involvement and interview sincerity.

APU’s application handbook checklist highlights core items like academic documents (transcripts and graduation certificate), language proficiency score documentation, standardized test scores (if you have them), proof of extracurricular activities (if applicable), and completing the interview component (often a recorded interview) through the online system. This matches what recipients describe: Justin Manual Adhinegara wrote, “I prepared my documents carefully… from my essays to recommendation letters,” and then attended an interview that contributed to his scholarship percentage.

APU also commonly requests identity documents through the application flow (e.g., a recent photo and passport copy). If your documents are not in English or Japanese, translations may be required under APU’s document rules.

Yes. The APU undergraduate application handbook for international applicants describes an application fee that is paid online (commonly by credit card), with a bank transfer option used when a credit card payment isn’t possible. The handbook also notes that applications are not processed until the fee is paid by the deadline, and that the fee generally cannot be waived and is typically non-refundable except for limited cases described in the refund policy. Check the latest guidelines for updated information.