Okayama University for International Students: Programs, Tuition, Admissions, Campus Life, Scholarships, and Study-Abroad Options

Thinking about studying in Japan but want a city that’s friendly, affordable, and seriously sunny? Okayama University checks all those boxes. As a national comprehensive university with strong research, an English-taught liberal arts program, and a welcoming campus culture, it’s a smart pick for international applicants who want high quality without Tokyo-level costs. Located in Western Japan, the main Tsushima Campus sits just 2 km from JR Okayama Station, blending urban convenience with park-like green space. This guide pulls together quick facts, highlights, and trustworthy links so you can verify everything yourself and decide if OU fits your goals.

Quick‑Facts Table

The snapshot below uses the university’s official Facts & Figures and the most recent University Outline (2024–25). Tuition follows the national standard for Japanese national universities.

Type	National (Public) University
Total Students	13,383 (Undergrad 10,140; Grad 3,243) As of May 1, 2024
Campuses	Tsushima Campus (main); Shikata (Health/Medicine); Kurashiki (Institute of Plant Science & Resources); Misasa (Institute for Planetary Materials)
Faculties / Schools	Letters; Education; Law; Economics; Science; Medical School (Medicine / Health Sciences); Dental School; Pharmaceutical Sciences; Engineering; Agriculture; Discovery Program for Global Learners (English‑taught)
Biaya Pendidikan	Undergraduate: ¥535,800 / year; Admission fee: ¥282,000. Graduate (most): ¥535,800 / year; School of Law: ¥804,000 / year.
Gender Ratio	Male 54% : Female 46%
International‑Student %	≈ 7.22% (966 / 13,383)
Students per Staff	≈ 3.2 : 1 (13,383 students / 4,189 total faculty & staff)

Notes: Figures are from Okayama University’s official statistical pages and prospectus: Facts & Figures and the 2024–25 Outline PDF (Outline).

Campus Maps

Tsushima Campus (Main)

Address: 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita Ward, Okayama 700-8530, Japan

Shikata Campus (Health/Medicine)

Address: 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita Ward, Okayama 700-8558, Japan

Kurashiki (Institute of Plant Science & Resources)

Address: 2-20-1 Chuo, Kurashiki, Okayama 710-0046, Japan

Misasa (Institute for Planetary Materials)

Address: 827 Yamada, Misasa, Tottori 682-0193, Japan

Mission, History & Founding Story

Okayama University traces its roots to a medical training place founded in 1870, part of Japan’s early modernization wave. Over the decades, several predecessor institutions—such as Okayama Medical College (1922), the Sixth Higher School (1900), and the Ohara Institute for Agricultural Research (1914, now the Institute of Plant Science and Resources in Kurashiki)—were consolidated. In 1949, Okayama University was formally established under Japan’s post‑war national university system. The official university outline offers a concise timeline and present-day organization chart (University Outline).

As a comprehensive national university, Okayama’s mission is twofold: to deliver a rigorous education across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and professional fields; and to contribute research that benefits society. You’ll see this in the breadth of its undergraduate schools—Letters, Education, Law, Economics, Science, Engineering, Agriculture, and the health sciences (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences)—plus the English‑medium Discovery Program for Global Learners (GDP) that connects liberal arts with science and regional engagement. See program and admissions information via the university’s English prospectus and program pages (Discovery overview; Prospective students (EN)).

Okayama University also sees “global” as more than a buzzword. The institution is a long‑time leader in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), hosting a UNESCO Chair and promoting the UN SDGs across campus and the region. JASSO’s Study in Japan portal notes OU’s track record on SDGs and ESD (including the UNESCO Chair)—a distinctive identity for students who care about sustainability and community impact (Study in Japan school profile).

Geographically and culturally, “Okayama, the Land of Sunshine” frames campus life. The main Tsushima Campus sits near downtown Okayama City—just about 2 km from JR Okayama Station—so daily life is convenient, and weekend trips to Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima are easy by Shinkansen. The university’s official Access & Maps pages describe the urban‑green balance of the Tsushima grounds and public transport links to both Tsushima and Shikata campuses (Tsushima Campus (EN); Access & Maps (EN)).

Key Strengths & Unique Features

Flagship Health & Medical Sciences anchored by a top clinical research hospital

If you’re considering Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing/Health Sciences, or bio‑adjacent engineering, Okayama University’s medical cluster is a standout. Okayama University Hospital is designated as a core clinical research base for Western Japan and runs 50 clinical divisions, 853 beds, and high‑end procedures (organ transplantation, pediatric heart surgery, robot‑assisted surgery). The hospital is authorized as a Core Clinical Research Hospital (MHLW) and acts as a translational research hub (Okayama Univ. Hospital – Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine; summary in English Okayama University (EN)).

Flagship Faculties inside Health & Life Science

Medical School (Medicine / Health Sciences): Access to clinical placements and advanced facilities at the university hospital. Dental School & Pharmaceutical Sciences: Integrate clinical, materials, and drug‑development perspectives across campus hubs and affiliated institutes. (See the official university page for English information.)

World‑class Plant & Earth Sciences

Okayama’s Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR) is one of Japan’s historic agricultural research centers (founded 1914 as the Ohara Institute) and now leads research on plant stress science, future crops, and barley genetic resources—valuable for food security and climate resilience (IPSR top; Profile; Research groups). Complementing this is the Institute for Planetary Materials at Misasa, known for cosmochemistry and isotope geoscience (IPM top; Education).

Artificial Photosynthesis & High‑Impact Research

Okayama University is widely recognized for photosynthesis research—particularly structural work on Photosystem II that underpins artificial photosynthesis efforts (research highlight; e‑Bulletin feature).

English‑Taught Liberal Arts through the Discovery Program (GDP)

GDP is a four‑year, English‑medium bachelor’s degree where you can combine humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, with options to switch between English and Japanese coursework as you grow. It’s designed for globally minded students who want flexible, self‑designed study plans and close guidance (GDP overview; International Application).

Student Life for Internationals

Clubs & Circles that welcome overseas students

Expect a wide range of cultural and athletic circles—perfect for practicing Japanese and making local friends. The university explicitly invites international students to join and learn through extracurricular life (Clubs & Activities).

Dedicated support offices (visa, housing, scholarships, daily life)

Okayama’s International Education & Student Mobility Division centralizes guidance on visas (CoE), housing (dorms or apartments), scholarships, and everyday procedures. Start with the official support hub and FAQs (Support for International Students; Visa/CoE office; FAQ (Inbound)).

Language‑exchange & buddy programs

Look for the Tutor System, Language Partners, and L‑café activities to connect with Japanese and international peers. Exchange students also meet locals through the EPOK Buddy program (International engagement on campus; EPOK Buddy).

Partner Institutions & Exchange Options (Outbound Focus)

Okayama University maintains a large global network—404 cooperating universities/institutions across 52 countries/regions—giving students extensive chances to study abroad or join collaborative programs. In FY2023, 597 OU students studied overseas (including short‑term) (Facts & Figures; Outline).

Short‑term exchanges under EPOK (Exchange Program Okayama) include English and Japanese‑medium coursework; the latest guideline lists 60 partner universities in 22 countries (2024 data). Explore the current partner list and curriculum info here: EPOK partners, EPOK overview. For application process examples, see a partner university’s shared PDF guideline (sample): EPOK Application Guideline (sample), and the university’s incoming programs.

Local Climate & Lifestyle

Climate: Okayama is famously called the “Land of Sunshine” for its mild weather and relatively low rainfall in Japan. The prefecture’s official tourism site highlights the region’s sunny climate and convenient location in Western Japan (Okayama Prefecture Tourism; About Okayama). For year‑round temperature and precipitation patterns (recent years), check climate analytics like WeatherSpark for Okayama Airport (Average weather (Okayama Airport)).

Cost of living: The medical faculty’s English page lists typical monthly expenses for a student living alone: rent ¥30,000–¥60,000; utilities ~¥8,000; food ~¥25,000; miscellaneous ~¥15,000; total ~¥93,000–¥123,000 per month, plus textbooks (~¥10,000–¥20,000) (Tuition & Living Expenses (Medicine)).

Safety & preparedness: For general safety guidance for visitors and residents, consult JNTO’s official safety information hub and local resources (hazard maps, emergency tips) (JNTO – Safe Travel; Okayama City Handbook (PDF)).

International Student Statistics

As of May 1, 2024, Okayama University hosted 966 international students with student visas. The table shows the official regional breakdown; a country‑by‑country list (e.g., China 532; Vietnam 61; Indonesia 50; Bangladesh 35; U.S. 19, etc.) is published on the university’s English site (International Students at OU).

Region	Total	Notes (Doctor/Master/Undergrad/Others)
Asia	829	332 / 241 / 140 / 116
Europe (incl. NIS)	58	7 / 0 / 4 / 47
North America	21	3 / 0 / 0 / 18
Latin America & Caribbean	10	3 / 1 / 3 / 3
Africa	39	25 / 5 / 5 / 4
Oceania	1	0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Total	966	As of May 1, 2024

Career & Graduate Prospects

Okayama University reports strong graduate outcomes. The official 2024–25 Outline lists an employment rate of 95.9% for undergraduates and 95.3% for graduate students (FY2023 outcomes). Among employed graduates, the distribution spans private companies (≈58%), public service (≈24%), and education (≈17%)—illustrating a healthy mix across sectors (University Outline).

Faculty pages also share typical pathways: for example, Letters graduates head into private industry, civil service, teaching, or graduate school (about 10%) (Careers – Faculty of Letters). Beyond formal recruitment, the Okayama University International Alumni Association highlights market insights and events helpful to bilingual and globally minded students (OUIAA – Japan’s Job Market #1).

Where this leaves you

For applicants seeking a balanced Japan experience—serious academics, credible research, a truly international program option, and a city that’s easy on the wallet—Okayama University is a compelling fit. Use the official sites to verify deadlines and program details (Okayama University (EN); International Support; GDP overview).