University Exam Trends Changing in Japonya: Social Sciences on the Rise, Health Departments Declining

Ahead of the 2026 university entrance exams in Japonya, a significant change is being observed in students' department preferences. According to the analysis results of the comprehensive mock exam held in May to measure students' levels, this year's most prominent trend can be summarized as "social sciences on the rise, health sciences on the decline." While the popularity of faculties in social sciences such as law and economics is markedly increasing, the demand for basic science departments like science and engineering follows a trajectory similar to the previous year. On the other hand, a notable decrease is observed in applications to health departments, particularly in nursing and pharmacy. Experts point out that this situation stems from fundamental changes in students' career expectations.

During the pandemic, health and medical science fields, which led directly to acquiring a profession and offered job security, attracted great interest. However, Osamu Kondo, chief researcher at Kawaijuku, points out that students' perspectives have changed when evaluating the current situation. According to Kondo, today's youth believe that the general job market is in very good condition and do not feel great concern about finding employment after graduation. This optimistic environment has created a perception that young people do not necessarily need to obtain a vocational qualification or certificate. Therefore, students prefer to turn towards social science departments that offer a broader vision rather than narrow vocational goals.

Despite the continuous decline in the birth rate in Japonya, the number of applications to private universities has reached record levels in the 2026 exams, showing an increase of 110 percent. This situation is observed not only around the capital Tokyo but also in the Kansai (Kinki) region, which includes cities such as Osaka and Kyoto. The main reason for this striking increase in the number of applications is that the number of schools each student applies to has increased significantly. In recent years, the tendency among students to apply to multiple backup schools for "securing" (backing up) purposes has rapidly spread. In addition, private universities are making the application process easier for students by increasing systems where students are evaluated solely on central exam results and do not require additional exams.

On the other hand, there is also a remarkable increase in the number of students who, despite being admitted to a university, continue to prepare to enter their dream school and wait as an "accepted student." Chief researcher Kondo emphasizes that while the strategy of applying to multiple schools may be logical, students need to be careful when making their choices. Kondo states that students should act with the mindset of "I would definitely be happy to study here if I am accepted" when choosing backup schools. He expresses that being captivated merely by the university's popularity and not knowing what the department offers is an extremely unreasonable approach. Reminding that an acceptance letter is not the ultimate goal of life but merely a starting point, Kondo advises students to focus on their true desires.

In Japonya, a significant portion of students are placed in universities through special selection systems that take place during the year and are based more on high school recommendations and interviews than academic achievement. About 60 percent of total enrollments in private universities are filled through exams conducted during the year. While the Ministry of Education's decision to introduce new rules to supervise this system more strictly and make interviews mandatory does not seem likely to change the core functioning of the system much, it may require changes for some institutions. Experts warn students to carefully examine the selection guidelines of their target universities and to prepare comprehensively for potential interview questions during the summer months. The summer vacation period is considered the most critical time frame for students to strengthen their weak points and increase their chances of getting into their desired departments.