Sendai, Japan
One of Japan's oldest imperial universities, historically a pioneer in admitting women and international students.
Tohoku University was the first Japanese imperial university to admit female and international students, over a century ago, reflecting a historically more open admissions culture than some of its peers. It's based in Sendai and particularly strong in Materials Science.
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AAB (A Level) · IB 34
High tier · indicative for the flagship courses below — always verify per-course requirements directly with the university.
National universities (fixed statutory fee)
low tier for Japan — figures are typical ranges, not this specific university's published fee.
Japanese (most Bachelor's programmes) — Tohoku offers more English-taught undergraduate options than most Japanese universities via dedicated global programmes. Check the specific programme.
campus campus, Sendai
Informational only — scholarship amounts, deadlines and even which schemes are running change often (sometimes per intake), so treat this as a starting point, not a guarantee. Always confirm current details directly with the scholarship provider or Tohoku's financial aid office.
Japan's flagship scholarship is government-funded and well known internationally, alongside university-specific tuition waivers that are common at national universities regardless of the scholarship route.
Want help figuring out which of these you'd actually qualify for? Talk to a free Tutopiya counsellor.
Engineering
⏱️ Typical duration: Often 4 years rather than the country's standard Bachelor's length, especially where the programme includes an integrated Master's (e.g. UK MEng) or an industry placement year
Typical entry: Requires Mathematics + Physics
Materials Science
⏱️ Typical duration: 4 years
Typical entry: Requires two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Maths
Natural Sciences
⏱️ Typical duration: 4 years
Typical entry: Requires two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Maths
Medicine
⏱️ Typical duration: 5–6 years where entered straight from school (UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong); typically a 4-year postgraduate MD entered after a Bachelor's (US, Canada)
Typical entry: Requires Chemistry + Biology
Agriculture
⏱️ Typical duration: 4 years
Durations are typical for Japan — always confirm the exact length (including any placement or integrated Master's year) on the course's own page before applying.
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IELTS: 6.0–6.5 overall (English-taught programmes only)
TOEFL: 72–100 iBT
Required for English-taught programmes; Japanese-medium programmes require JLPT-level Japanese proficiency instead.
Enter your grades and budget in the free Japan University Shortlist Builder to see whether Tohoku is a reach, target or safety for you — alongside every other Japan university that matches.
Build my Japan shortlist →Quick answers about grades, tuition, deadlines and applying to Tohoku as an international IGCSE / A Level / IB student.
As a typical benchmark for international entry, Tohoku expects around AAB at A Level or 34 points on the IB Diploma. This is indicative for Tohoku's flagship courses — competitive subjects like Medicine and Law usually sit above this baseline, and the exact requirement varies by course, so always confirm the specific figure on Tohoku's own admissions page before applying.
International tuition at Tohoku typically falls in the National universities (fixed statutory fee) range (low tier for Japan). This is a typical range for the university's tuition tier, not Tohoku's specific published fee for every course — confirm the exact figure for your intended programme directly with the university.
Tohoku follows Japan's typical intake calendar: April, September / October (English-taught programmes), with applications generally due november – january for an april intake. Deadlines vary significantly by university and programme — confirm directly with your target school. Always verify the exact date on Tohoku's own admissions page, since deadlines can shift year to year.
Japan universities, including Tohoku, typically ask international applicants for 6.0–6.5 overall (English-taught programmes only). Required for English-taught programmes; Japanese-medium programmes require JLPT-level Japanese proficiency instead.
One of Japan's oldest imperial universities, historically a pioneer in admitting women and international students. Tohoku University was the first Japanese imperial university to admit female and international students, over a century ago, reflecting a historically more open admissions culture than some of its peers. It's based in Sendai and particularly strong in Materials Science.
Yes — Tohoku accepts applicants from IGCSE-to-A-Level, IGCSE-to-IB-Diploma, and directly from the IB Diploma. Tutopiya's free Japan University Shortlist Builder matches your predicted or actual grades against Tohoku and every other Japan university we track, tagging each as reach, target or safety.
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