Excellent news for international students! The MEXT University Recommendation Scholarship offers a fully funded opportunity to study in Japan. In this article, we explain the scholarship's key benefits, eligibility criteria, and step-by-step application process.
The MEXT University Recommendation Scholarship 2026-2027 is a fully funded scholarship for international students pursuing master’s or PhD programs. It covers 100% of tuition fees, a monthly living allowance of 144,000 JPY, and economy class airfare to and from Japan.
This scholarship is available through Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) and is awarded to outstanding international students nominated directly by APU. Selected applicants do not need to apply separately to MEXT; APU will automatically recommend eligible candidates to the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
The program aims to enhance Japan’s global academic presence and foster international collaboration by supporting high-achieving students from around the world.
Scholarship Summary
- Level of Study: Master’s, PhD
- Institution: Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU)
- Study Location: Japan
- Program Duration:
- Master’s: 1.5–2 years
- Doctorate: 3–4 years
- Deadline: November 13
Courses Offered
- Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (Master’s Programs)
- International Relations (IR)
- Society and Culture (SC)
- International Public Administration (IPA)
- Public Health Management (PHM)
- Sustainability Science (SS)
- Tourism and Hospitality (TH)
- Development Economics (DE)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA Program)
- Accounting and Finance (AF)
- Marketing and Management (MM)
- Innovation and Operations Management (IOM)
- Japanese Management (JM)
- Dual Degree International Material Flow Management (IMAT) Program ( 2 years )
- For more details Here
- Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (Doctoral Program) (3 years )
- For more details Here
Scholarship Coverage
MEXT Scholarship University Recommendation provides the recipient with the following benefits:
- 100% of tuition (covered by the APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship)
- 144,000 JPY per month for living expenses (amount subject to change)
- Economy class air travel between the home country and APU at the beginning and end of the program
- Incoming international students are required to live on campus at AP House (APU’s dormitory) during their first year at APU (out of funding).
Eligibility Criteria for MEXT University Recommendation Scholarship
To qualify for MEXT Scholarship University Recommendation, the candidate must fulfill all of the following requirements below:
- Required Language: English or Japanese
- Eligible Countries: All world countries.
- Intend to study abroad in Japan from overseas
- Not have Japanese nationality and be a national of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan
- Be born on or after April 2, 1990
- Have achieved a GPA of at least 2.30 on a 3.00 scale at their most recent university
- Those who are serving on active military duty or civilians employed by the military at the time of application are not eligible for this scholarship
- Recipients must be able to arrive in Japan during the arrival period stipulated by APU
- Those who apply for this scholarship cannot have received a MEXT scholarship in the past unless they have more than 3 years of educational research experience after the final payment of the previous MEXT scholarship award
- Those who apply for this scholarship cannot be applying for another MEXT scholarship
- Recipients of this scholarship cannot receive a scholarship from another scholarship organization while studying at APU
- Recipients of this scholarship must have student as their status of residence (visa status) in Japan
