Japan's most international private university; SILS (School of International Liberal Studies) = full English; active student organizations; Tokyo location; more accessible for international UG than national universities
International environmentMost international private university in Japan; ~15% intl UG; SILS diverse
Teaching styleLecture + seminar; SILS is discussion-heavy; relatively more flexible
Academics
Subjects and fit
Strongest subjects
Political Science
Economics
Business
Engineering
International Studies
Journalism
Best for
Students wanting English-only study in Japan; Japan-career focused; media
journalism
political science
Getting in
Admission requirements
GPA: Good academic record; SILS: strong English + analytical writing
IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 79+ for SILS
SILS: own admission documents + interview; Japanese faculties: Japanese language test
Difficulty: Moderate-Competitive
Acceptance rate: ~30% overall; SILS more selective
Deadline: SILS: Nov/Feb | Japanese faculties: Feb | Graduate: rolling
On campus
Campus and location
Waseda Global Dormitory; Tokyo off-campus available
Money
Costs and scholarships
Tuition (USD)SILS: ~1.4M JPY/yr ≈ ~$9,300 intl; regular faculties similar
Living cost (USD)10,000–15,000 USD
ScholarshipsWaseda Scholarship; Japan Student Service (JASSO); MEXT in some cases
Inoue Uichi Fellowship Scholarship at Waseda University 2026
meritneed
Sinh viên quốc tế bậc Thạc sĩ và Tiến sĩ, công dân các quốc gia thuộc danh sách quy định (48 quốc gia, gồm Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, ...).
Industry connectionsMitsubishi, Nomura, Goldman Sachs Japan, NHK, Sony; media and finance
InternshipsInternships via WASEDA EDGE; SILS: international career focus
EmployabilityGood for private sector in Japan; media, finance, policy; SILS has global alumni
The honest view
Why students choose Waseda University
Waseda Scholarship; Japan Student Service (JASSO); MEXT in some cases
Employability: Good for private sector in Japan; media, finance, policy; SILS has global alumni
Worth knowing
Lower research prestige vs national universities; some English programs have inconsistent quality; Waseda party culture
GlowBal's insider note
VERIFIED: Waseda SILS (School of International Liberal Studies) is Japan's best English-only undergraduate program. INSIGHT: SILS alumni work globally not just Japan. Very affordable compared to US/UK private universities.
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