National and public universities continue to introduce "female-only" entrance examinations in their science and engineering faculties. For the 2027 entrance examinations, it has been confirmed that five universities—Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (Faculty of Marine Engineering), Yokohama National University (Faculty of Science and Engineering), Shizuoka University (Faculty of Engineering), Shiga Prefectural University (Faculty of Engineering), and Kyushu University (Faculty of Engineering)—will establish new "female-only" quotas. Private universities are also increasingly adopting this practice, with Toho University's Faculty of Science (Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture) also establishing one in 2027.
In May 2020, the Cabinet Secretariat's "Education Future Creation Council" issued its first recommendations, pointing out that the enrollment rate of women in science and engineering fields in Japan is low compared to other countries, and positioning this as a "serious issue that needs to be rectified." It then outlined a policy to strengthen support for female students in science and engineering fields.
Subsequently, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) indicated in its 2023 "Guidelines for the Implementation of University Entrance Examinations" that "it is desirable for each university to conduct entrance examinations targeting individuals with diverse backgrounds (for example, 'women in science and engineering fields, etc.') in addition to general selections, at their discretion." While this does not directly instruct the establishment of a women's quota, "women's quota" was explicitly mentioned as an example.
Since the 2023 entrance exams, the establishment of "women's quotas" has accelerated, and by the 2026 entrance exams, 39 national and public universities had introduced them (of which Shinshu University only has transfer student quotas). Including universities that have announced plans to establish them for the 2027 and 2028 entrance exams, the total will reach 46 universities. As a result, looking at the prefectures, there are now 8 prefectures that have not introduced "women's quotas": Aomori, Tochigi, Gifu, Nara (Nara Women's University Faculty of Engineering is not counted as having a "women's quota"), Okayama, Tottori, Tokushima, and Kagoshima.
<National and public universities that have established "female quotas">
● Introduced before the 2023 academic year entrance exams (5 universities)
Toyama University, Nagoya University, Nagoya Institute of Technology, University of Hyogo, Shimane University
● To be introduced from the 2024 academic year entrance exams (10 universities)
Kitami Institute of Technology, University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo University of Science, Kanazawa University, Yamanashi University, Sanyo-Onoda City Yamaguchi Tokyo University of Science, Kochi University of Technology, Kumamoto University, Oita University, University of the Ryukyus
● To be introduced from the 2025 academic year entrance exams (16 universities)
Muroran Institute of Technology, Akita University, Fukushima University, Ibaraki University, Chiba University, Niigata University, Shinshu University (transfer only), Fukui University, Mie University, Shiga University, Kobe University, Wakayama University, Kagawa University, Saga University, Nagasaki University, Miyazaki University
● To be introduced from the 2026 academic year entrance exams (8 universities)
Iwate University, Yamagata University, Saitama University, Komatsu Public University, Kyoto University, Osaka University, Hiroshima University, Ehime University
● To be introduced from the 2027 academic year entrance exams (5 universities)
Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Yokohama National University, Shizuoka University, Shiga Prefectural University, Kyushu University
●Scheduled to be introduced from the 2028 academic year entrance examinations (2 universities)
Gunma University, Osaka Metropolitan University
<Prefectures without a quota for female students at national or public universities (8 prefectures)>
Aomori Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, Gifu Prefecture, Nara Prefecture (excluding the Faculty of Engineering at Nara Women's University), Okayama Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, Tokushima Prefecture, Kagoshima Prefecture
*According to US College Preparatory Research Institute (as of July 31, 2026)
reference:
[Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology] Notice Regarding the Establishment of a School Recommendation-Based Selection (Female Quota) for the Department of Distribution and Information Engineering, Faculty of Marine Engineering, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, for the 2028 Academic Year (Implemented in 2027 Academic Year) (PDF)
[Kyushu University] Female-only entrance examination begins! – Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University
[Yokohama National University] Starting with the 2027 academic year entrance examination, we will be introducing a school recommendation-based selection process (female quota)!
[Shizuoka University] Female-only entrance examination (Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering)
[Shiga Prefectural University] Notice Regarding Changes to the Entrance Examination for the 2027 Academic Year (Faculty of Engineering) (PDF)
[Toho University] New male and female admission quotas to be established for the 2027 academic year entrance examination.
[Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Science, Department of Physics / Faculty of Science, Department of Physics] New female student quota established in the Department of Physics (School recommendation-based selection from 2028) New! Announcement of application qualifications and admission selection methods
[Gunma University] Gunma University's Faculty of Information Science will establish a female-only admissions quota for the 2028 academic year entrance examination.
