The Acceptance Rate of Hitotsubashi University (Undergraduate Program): All Important Aspects You Need to Know

Perhaps this is the first time that international students learn about Hitotsubashi University. As a national institution, we acknowledge its prestigious standing in the fields of social sciences and civil society research.

Hitotsubashi University offers only four undergraduate and six graduate schools, providing fewer options compared to other institutions. Nonetheless, this makes it an ideal place to acquire knowledge.

You might be wondering where Hitotsu University is located. All three campuses are in Tokyo and the main campus is situated in Kunitachi City, a city designed with the image of academic cities in Europe.

Before applying, let’s review general details about Hitotsubashi University, including its introduction, school ranking, and acceptance rate. Additionally, other important details will be presented.

In addition, if you’re also seeking information on acceptance rates at top universities in Tokyo, please read our detailed discussion below!

Read also:
The Acceptance Rate of Temple University
The Acceptance Rate of Sophia University
The Acceptance Rate of Keio University

A Brief Introduction to Hitotsubashi University 

According to data from May of 2021, there are a total of 6,287 students enrolled in both undergraduate and graduate programs. Of those students, 742 are international. Due to the small number of students, it is feasible to hold smaller classes, providing students with a better chance to succeed in their pursuit of knowledge.

The Nine Reasons to Choose Hitotsubashi’s Undergraduate Program:

1. Leading Japanese university in the social sciences
2. Produces future leaders of all areas of society under the motto “Captains of Industry”
3. Small class sizes put students in close contact with faculty
4. Integrated courses make it possible to earn a Master’s degree in as little as five years
5. Member of the Union of Four Universities in Tokyo, which allows students to earn credits or degrees outside Hitotsubashi
6. Students can design their future careers through the Career Design Seminar and endowed lectures by practitioners
7. One of the largest university libraries
8. Vibrant extracurricular activity, including over 100 sports and cultural groups
9. Excellent living environment and educational support to help international students enjoy a safe and comfortable learning experience

A Look into the history of Hitotsubashi University

Hitotsubashi University in Japan is called 一橋大学 (hitotsu-bashi-dai-gaku). It all started back in 1875 when a man named Arinori Mori, aged 28, founded the Commercial Training School (Shoho Koshujo).

Before this organization was founded, he studied at University College London in Great Britain and majored in western math, physics, and naval surveying. He also served as Japan’s first ambassador to the United States between 1871 and 1873.

Arinori Mori’s education and experiences in the West significantly contributed to modern society, and he was also a member of the Meiji Restoration. Later, Arinori Mori started a school to train people for modern commerce in Japan. In addition, he became the first Minister of Education in 1886.

In 1885, this institution came under the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan’s control. It merged with Tokyo Foreign Language School and was rebranded as Tokyo Commercial School. This move coincided with the institution relocating to a district called Hitotsubashi, which is where it gets its current name.

Actually, Hitotsubashi University has been named eight times over the course of almost 150 years of its history.

The Study Program at Hitotsubashi University 

At Hitotsubashi University, there are four faculties for students studying for a bachelor’s degree, which are the Faculty of Commerce and Management, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Social Sciences.

There are six graduate schools at Hitotsubashi University, which include the Hitotsubashi University Business School (HUB), Graduate School of Economics, Graduate School of Law, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Graduate School of Language and Society, and School of International and Public Policy. All these schools have their campuses located in three places in Tokyo. These places are the following:

(1) How to apply to Hitotsubashi University?

For non-Japanese citizens residing outside Japan, there are three admission categories available at Hitotsubashi University as follows:

The following introduction pertains to students who are privately financing their education. For information regarding the other two admissions, please refer to the provided link.

Privately Financed Students (Japanese courses)

Applicants can apply to any of the four departments at Hitotsubashi University.

The academic year typically begins in April. In September, Hitotsubashi University releases the application guidelines. Applications are accepted from December for a month, and in February, applicants should attend the entrance exam. The enrollment results are typically announced within a month after the exam.

(2) Screening process of applicants

To increase your chances of being accepted at Hitotsubashi University, it’s important to understand how the university evaluates applicants. For the 2022 academic year admissions process, applicants are separated into two main categories: English and Japanese. Knowing this can give you an advantage in the application process.

• For the academic year 2022, applicants need to take the TOEFL (iBT, PBT) between 2/2/2020 to 10/31/2021 (JST) to qualify for English screening.
• For Japanese screening, applicants must take Hitotsubashi University’s entrance examination.

It is important to note that admission policies have been modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years. As the effects of the pandemic eventually lessen, there is a high likelihood of further changes being made to admission policies.

(3) Tuition fees at Hitotsubashi University

For students enrolled in undergraduate programs after 2020, there is a one-time admission fee of ¥282,000, excluding the entrance exam fee of ¥17,000. The tuition fee amounts to ¥321,480 for each semester, resulting in an annual tuition fee of ¥642,960.

(4) Japanese Language Education Program (JLE)

This program is available to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees, exchange students, Japanese Studies students (MEXT students), and research students. The course levels include beginner, Intermediate Low, Intermediate, Pre-Advanced, Advanced Low, and Advanced High.

According to the official page, here is the course information:

1. Global Education Courses (Hitotsubashi Global Education Program/ HGP)
   Intensive Japanese Language Education Programs of between 2 to 5 class periods per week are offered, with a focus on students who have not previously studied Japanese.
2. General Education Courses (GE)
   Intermediate to advanced-level courses are offered which develop the Japanese language ability necessary to study at university, with separate courses for each skill.
3. Courses offered by faculties
   Courses are offered in the specialist Japanese language needed for study in the field of social sciences.
   

The Hitotsubashi University’s Acceptance Rate: Is it difficult to be accepted into Hitotsubashi University?

Since Hitotsubashi University only accepts a small number of students who finance themselves each year, let’s examine the acceptance rates for both regular and self-financed students.

(1) General admission at Hitotsubashi University

2) Privately Financed Students (International students)

The majority of faculties have an acceptance rate of 30-50%.

From the information provided, we see that both domestic and international students favor the Faculties of Commerce and Social Sciences. However, the Faculty of Law receives fewer applicants and enrolls fewer students compared to other faculties.

Hitotsubashi University Rank in the World University Ranking 

According to the 2022 QS World University Ranking, Hitotsubashi University ranks between 531 and 540, which is parallel to Lehigh University, Oregon State University, and the University of Delaware in the United States.

In addition, according to Times Higher Education (2022), Hitotsubashi University is ranked as the 16th top university in Japan, after Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU).

As additional information, the official website of Hitotsubashi University highlights that over 800 international students are enrolled at the institution, making it a popular choice for foreign students across the globe.

Summary

We can summarize the talk about the acceptance rate of Hitotsubashi University in the following points:

• Hitotsubashi University is well-known for its expertise in social sciences and civil society research.
• With approximately 6,287 students enrolled at the undergraduate and graduate levels, our courses can be taught in small-class settings.
• Only a small number of foreign students are accepted per academic year. For the 2021 term, a total of about 52 international students are enrolled in the undergraduate program.

As you learned from this article, Hitotsubashi University does not offer a complete English degree program for bachelor’s students. To be eligible for admission, applicants must have a specific level of proficiency in the Japanese language.

If you’re thinking of applying to Hitotsubashi University, this information can help you understand the process and requirements better. Keep in mind that requirements may change each year, so check the official page for the latest admission information below!