Kyushu Dental University — International Student Guide: Admissions, Tuition, Student Life, Careers

Thinking about studying dentistry in Japan? Kyushu Dental University (KDU) in Kitakyushu offers a focused, practice-oriented path for future dentists and oral health professionals. As a public university founded in 1914 and now operated as a Public University Corporation, KDU combines a long tradition with modern clinical training at its on-site university hospital network. Below you’ll find quick facts, what makes KDU distinctive, how life looks for international students, and credible sources you can check right now.

Quick Facts: Kyushu Dental University (KDU)

Numbers reflect KDU’s official English “Education Information” as of April/May 2024 and KDU’s fee pages/guidelines. Sources are linked in blue.

Type	Public (Public University Corporation; est. 1914)
Total Students	771 total (Undergraduate 684; Graduate 87) — KDU Education Information (EN)
Campus	Kokura Campus (Main), 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
Faculties/Schools	School of Dentistry; School of Oral Health Sciences; Graduate School of Dentistry — Undergraduate & Graduate Schools (EN)
Frais de scolarité	Annual tuition ¥535,800; Admission fee ¥282,000 (Fukuoka residents) / ¥520,000 (non-residents) — KDU Fees (JP) / 2025 Undergraduate Guideline PDF (JP)
Gender Ratio	Male 47.2% (364); Female 52.8% (407) — Source
Intl‑Student %	≈ 0.26% (2 of 771) — Source
Students per Staff	≈ 7.2 students per faculty (771 students / 107 faculty) — Source

Campus Maps

Main Campus (Kokura, Kitakyushu)

Address: 2-6-1 Manazuru, Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 803-8580, Japan

Mission, History & Founding Story

Kyushu Dental University began in 1914 as Fukuoka Dental College and, over more than a century, has developed into a specialized public university dedicated to oral health education, research, and clinical service. Its mission emphasizes human-centered, community-rooted dental education—producing practitioners who serve society with scientific expertise and ethical care. The president’s message highlights cultivating professionals “who can contribute to international society,” a consistent theme running through the university’s program design and external partnerships. President’s Message (EN) | History (EN)

The university’s single-campus concentration in Kitakyushu fosters close integration between classroom learning, labs, and patient-centered training at the on-site university hospital functions. The English “Education Information” page publishes granular headcounts by program and year (updated as of May 2024), which is helpful for international applicants comparing scale, student-faculty ratios, and where international students are actually enrolled. Education Information (EN)

Historically, KDU has updated its organization and programs to reflect advances in dentistry and public health. The university records show the creation of specialized units (for example, facilities supporting medically compromised patients), expansion of oral health sciences programs, and the strengthening of industry, regional, and international linkages. These steps mirror wider trends in Japan toward dental specialization, integrated care, and collaboration with municipal and regional partners—including the City of Kitakyushu and the Kitakyushu International Association (KIA). History (EN) | KIA (EN)

Key Strengths & Unique Features

Clinically Integrated Education from Day One

KDU’s program scale is designed for hands-on learning. With 771 students and 107 faculty members, the students-per-faculty ratio is roughly 7.2, creating frequent opportunities for direct feedback in pre-clinical labs and clinics. Recent enrollment details (by year and department) are openly posted for transparency. Education Information (EN)

Specialized Care for Medically Compromised Patients

The university’s history outlines the development of hospital units and clinics supporting patients with complex conditions, enabling students to encounter a broad spectrum of real-world cases under supervision. Such exposure is particularly valuable for training dentists who will work in aging societies and multidisciplinary teams. History (EN)

Active Research Culture & Evidence-Based Training

Students and graduate researchers benefit from exposure to current topics—from cariology/preventive dentistry to prosthodontics and oral-maxillofacial surgery. To get a feel for the scope of Japanese dental research and context, you can browse peer-reviewed articles (example below) and compare trends across oral health sciences. PubMed example

Stackable Paths & Global Readiness

KDU publishes clear educational policies and competencies at the graduate level, and participates in credit-transfer collaborations within the Kitakyushu area—useful if you are planning a multi-institution academic journey. Graduate Policies & Competencies (EN) | Education Partnerships (EN)

Flagship: Faculty of Dentistry

The School of Dentistry (prescribed number 95×6=570) is the centerpiece of KDU and enrolls the majority of students across six academic years, with a supervised progression from foundational sciences to clinical rotations. The English site lists year-by-year enrollments and notes the presence of international students. Source | School of Dentistry (EN)

Student Life for International Students

Clubs & Circles

Student activities, events, and student-support information are centralized on the Japanese “Campus Life” portal. Use this as a starting point and then navigate to club/circle lists and annual events. Campus Life (JP)

Support Offices (Counseling, Health, General Advising)

KDU provides counseling and health-management support—useful for academic, personal, and wellness concerns. Student Counseling & Health (JP)

Language-Exchange & City Support

Off-campus, the Kitakyushu International Association (KIA) runs friendly exchange events such as “LET’S TALK!” (held in Japanese & English) and provides multilingual lifestyle information, administrative/medical interpretation, and general consultation for foreign residents. KIA Home (EN) | LET’S TALK! (EN) | Lifestyle Information (EN)

Partner Institutions & Exchange Options (Outbound Focus)

KDU participates in credit-transfer collaborations within Kitakyushu and maintains overseas academic agreements that support student mobility. You can review the official listings and regional partnership framework here: Education Partnerships (EN) | Overseas Partner Institutions (EN) | International Exchange (EN)

Local Climate & Lifestyle (Kitakyushu)

Kitakyushu (Northern Kyushu) has mild winters and hot, humid summers with a June–July rainy season (Baiu). Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) guidance for the Kyushu (North) district outlines this seasonal pattern. In recent years, JMA has also reported notably warm summer conditions in western Japan—consistent with a broader warming trend. JMA: Climate of Kyushu (North) (EN) | JMA TCC News #63 (PDF)

As a baseline, the JMA Yawata station (in Kitakyushu) climate normals (1991–2020) show typical monthly averages around: January high ~10–12°C / low ~3–5°C; August high ~31–32°C / low ~24–25°C. Always check up-to-date forecasts when you travel. JMA Yawata Normals (JP)

Cost of living is generally lower than Tokyo metro. Study in Japan’s official page provides national averages and useful context for budgeting. Living Costs (EN)

International Student Statistics (As of May 2024)

KDU publishes program-by-program enrollment (with foreign-student counts in parentheses). The snapshot below is distilled directly from the English page.

Programme	Total Students	International Students
School of Dentistry (6-year)	586	1
School of Oral Health Sciences (4-year)	98	0
Graduate School of Dentistry	87	1
University Total	771	2

Source: KDU Education Information (EN)

Career & Graduate Prospects

Most KDU graduates pursue clinical dentistry (hospital departments, private practice), research/teaching pathways, or public health-related roles. Local networks matter: the Kitakyushu International Association administers “Subsidies for Employment in the City,” offering incentives to international students who secure full-time employment with companies in Kitakyushu (or who advance to higher education in the city). As of the end of FY2023, KIA reports a cumulative ¥19.31 million provided to 686 international students. KIA Employment Subsidies (EN)

For cost planning beyond tuition, refer to national guidelines on academic fees and living costs. Scholarship pathways (national, local, and association-based) can help reduce total expense. Academic Fees (EN) | Living Costs (EN) | KIA: Support for International Students (EN)