The Brief
Higher education in Japan
After the COVID pandemic impacted its incoming numbers, Japan has set an ambitious target to build on its pre-pandemic growth and welcome 400,000 international students by 2033. We explore the stats to see how this might be achieved.
In March 2023, the Japanese government announced an ambitious goal to effectively double the number of international students within the country in ten years.
Announced by the Council for the Creation of Future Education during the Cabinet Secretariat, attended by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, the target aims to welcome 400,000 students to the country by 2033, and follows previous plans to attract 300,000 students by 2020.
While the 2020 target was met by 2019, total international student numbers fell during the pandemic. According to the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), an organization under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, 2021 saw total numbers decrease to just over 242,400.
Japan was obviously not alone in seeing fewer international students during the pandemic, and using trends during that period may not be the best to extrapolate to 2033. Pre-pandemic indicators, however, are promising. One reason the country met its 2020 goal a year early was due to an average year on growth of 9.19 percent from 2016 onwards. In 2016 alone, student numbers increased 14.8 percent, and initiatives, such as the 2018 announcement to no longer limit international graduates to employment in their field of study, created further promising incentives for prospective students.
To achieve its 2033 target, Japan would need to achieve a comparatively lower rate of 4.5 percent year on growth.
Adding further positivity, the land of the rising sun has history in significant growth in a relatively short period. Its 2020 target of 300,000 international students was originally set in 2008, when there were fewer than 130,00 foreign learners. By 2010, numbers had hit 142,800. Over the decade, numbers more than doubled until it experienced the impact of the pandemic.
2008
2010
2019
2021
International students in Japan
International Student score
(ranked 501-1000 in 2023 WUR)
Hong Kong SAR
Singapore
Malaysia
China (mainland)
South Korea
Japan
Japan was obviously not alone in seeing fewer international students during the pandemic, and using trends during that period may not be the best to extrapolate to 2033. Pre-pandemic indicators, however, are promising. One reason the country met its 2020 goal a year early was due to an average year on growth of 9.19 percent from 2016 onwards. In 2016 alone, student numbers increased 14.8 percent, and initiatives, such as the 2018 announcement to no longer limit international graduates to employment in their field of study, created further promising incentives for prospective students.
To achieve its 2033 target, Japan would need to achieve a comparatively lower rate of 4.5 percent year on growth.
There are further promising signs for Japan. According to the 2023 QS World University Rankings, Japan ranks among the lowest in the Asia Pacific in both the International Faculty and International Student Scores.
Considering the proportion of international students and faculty within the overall student body and teaching staff, these indicators show that while at a country level, there is a considerable number of students, they are dispersed across institutions, representing a significant opportunity for growth.
By city, Japan also holds a commanding position in the minds of international students. Its three metropolitan areas, Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya ranked 7th, 17th and 112th in the 2023 Best Student Cities rankings, respectively.
Tokyo, which in previous editions ranked as high as 3rd, achieved a perfect score in Employer Activity, and 83 (our of 100) for students’ view. Importantly, Tokyo scored 91 in the Desirability indicator, which takes into consideration the Economist Liveability Index, Globalisation and World Cities Index, Safety, Pollution, and Corruption.
Osaka, meanwhile, which is grouped as Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe, trails not far behind.
While on the surface, Japan’s target to effectively double its international student cohort in ten years immediately after a pandemic may seem ambitious and daunting, the realities, right now, indicate it is possible. With a strong reputation, positive graduate employment policies, and room for growth, it is entirely possible that it could achieve its target early again.
