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MEXT University Placement: Where Will MEXT Send You?

For Embassy track scholars, MEXT has the final say on where you study. You list preferences and gather acceptance letters, but the decision is theirs. Here is how placement works and how to land where you want.

ScholarshipUnion Editorial 2 min read Updated Oct 5, 2026

University placement

On the Embassy track, you list up to three preferred universities and MEXT decides. National universities are prioritised over private ones, and in the guidelines' words, "any objections to the decision on the university placement will not be accepted." On the University track, you already know your university.

The placement process

This is how it works for embassy-track research students under the FY2027 guidelines.

1
After passing the first screening
Request provisional acceptance
Contact each university's international student affairs division with your passing certificate and stamped application copies. You may approach at most two universities at a time and hold at most two letters of provisional acceptance. For the 2027 intake, requests had to be made by 1 September 2026.
2
Mid-September–early October
List up to three universities
On the Placement Preference Application Form, submitted to the embassy. Choose strategically — you can't list a university, supervisor or department that has already turned you down.
3
From November
MEXT consults the universities
MEXT consults your three preferred universities. If your list mixes national and private or non-national public universities, the national option is prioritised regardless of your ranking, because of budget limits. This takes months.
4
January–early March
Final placement
In principle you are placed at a university that issued you a letter of provisional acceptance. If no university accepts you, the application is rejected. Without any letter you can still submit the form, but your arrival is restricted to the October term.

Undergraduates

Undergraduate scholars are placed by MEXT after their one-year preparatory course, based on their grades there, their exam results, their proposed major and each university's capacity. They must still pass the university's own entrance exam. Applicants with enough Japanese or English may instead be placed directly in a university, skipping the preparatory year.

Placement strategy

Include at least one national university. MEXT prioritises national universities, so having one on your list increases your chances.
Research the professors at each choice. Name specific professors on the form. A professor who recognises your name may advocate for your placement.
Consider regional universities. They are less competitive than Tokyo or Kyoto, with a lower cost of living and often equally strong research in niche fields.

Want to choose your university yourself? The University Recommendation track lets you apply directly to the university you want — no placement lottery, no surprises — but you need a professor's support first. Contact a professor, or read what comes next.