According to the "2026 Private University Entrance Application Trends" compiled by the Japan Private School Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation, the overall enrollment rate for universities was 102.74%, an increase of 1.13 percentage points from the previous year, meaning that universities as a whole met their enrollment quotas. Broken down by university size, the enrollment rate for small universities with a capacity of less than 4,000 students was 98.55%, continuing the trend of under-enrollment from the previous year. On the other hand, when limited to the three major metropolitan areas, the rate was 101.51%, meaning that universities met their enrollment quotas for the first time in six years.
The survey classified universities into three categories based on their student capacity: small (less than 4,000 students), medium (4,000 to less than 8,000 students), and large (8,000 students or more). Furthermore, it divided universities into three regions: "overall," "three major metropolitan areas," and "other regions." Of these, the universities that are under-enrolled are the small universities in the "overall" region and the small universities in the "other regions."
The number of universities with an enrollment rate of less than 100% decreased by 41 from the previous year to 275. The proportion of universities with under-enrollment rates is 46.2% (down 7.0 percentage points from the previous year). Looking at the data by region, only Miyagi, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Aichi, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Fukuoka, and Kyushu (excluding Fukuoka) are meeting their enrollment quotas, while all other regions are under-enrolled.
At junior colleges, the enrollment rate improved by 8.14 percentage points from the previous year to 81.98%, and the percentage of schools with unfilled enrollments also improved to 77.2% (a decrease of 11.2 percentage points). However, due to an increase in junior colleges ceasing admissions, the number of schools included in the survey is 228, 21 fewer than the previous year. By enrollment capacity category, only schools with a capacity of 400 or more students (average of 4 schools) met their enrollment capacity at 101.36%.
*The breakdown of university and junior college data is as follows:
(University) Regional Classification
Hokkaido, Tohoku (excluding Miyagi), Miyagi, Kanto (excluding Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa), Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Koshinetsu, Hokuriku, Tokai (excluding Aichi), Aichi, Kinki (excluding Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo), Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Chugoku (excluding Hiroshima), Hiroshima, Shikoku, Kyushu (excluding Fukuoka), Fukuoka
○ (Junior College) Enrollment Capacity Categories
Less than 100 people, 100 to less than 150 people, 150 to less than 200 people, 200 to less than 250 people, 250 to less than 300 people, 300 to less than 350 people, 350 to less than 400 people, 400 or more people
