Study in Japan vs Korea: 2026 Cost, Visa and Scholarship Guide
Study in Japan vs Korea: 2026 Cost, Visa and Scholarship Guide
Study guide//Updated 19 Jul 2026
Compare official Japan and South Korea tuition and living-cost estimates, student visa routes, work rules, scholarships and programme checks for Singapore applicants.
Q: Is Japan or South Korea better for studying abroad? A: Neither country is the automatic better choice. Compare actual programmes first, then tuition, living costs, language of instruction, admissions tests, scholarship terms and visa requirements. Current official averages do not support a universal claim that one country is cheaper or easier.
Current scholarship note for Singapore applicants: The Embassy of Japan's 2027 MEXT undergraduate application closed on 24 June 2026. The Korean Embassy's Singapore notice for the 2026 GKS undergraduate cycle used an October 2025 application period, so that cycle is also closed. Wait for the relevant embassy's next official notice instead of reusing those dates.
Japan vs South Korea at a glance
Question
Japan
South Korea
Find programmes
Use the official Study in Japan school search, then verify on the university site
Use the official Study in Korea search, then verify on the university site
Degree visa route
Student status of residence, usually with a Certificate of Eligibility before the visa application
D-2 for degree study
Language-course route
Student status can cover qualifying Japanese language institutes
MEXT, with embassy and eligible university recommendation routes
GKS, with routes and quotas defined in each notice
Part-time work
Separate permission and a maximum of 28 hours weekly during term
Prior permission, university confirmation and language or programme conditions; hours vary by status and eligibility
Cost comparison
Use JPY programme fees plus a location-specific JPY budget
Use KRW programme fees plus a location-specific KRW budget
The official portals are discovery tools. Both warn that their programme information may not include every institution or be the latest version. The university's current admissions guide, fee schedule and offer letter control.
1. Compare programmes before countries
A country-level comparison cannot tell you whether a particular degree is suitable. Build a shortlist using the Study in Japan school search and Study in Korea search, then open each institution's official programme page.
Record these fields for every programme:
exact degree and campus;
intake and application deadline;
accepted Singapore qualification;
language of lectures, assessments, laboratory work and placements;
required language and admissions tests;
first-year and later-year tuition;
compulsory fees and deposits;
housing eligibility and contract period;
scholarship eligibility and renewal conditions; and
professional recognition needed for the intended career.
Do not infer that an entire university is English-taught because one programme is. Japan's official search can filter by medium of instruction. Korea's official search can surface programmes, but both portals tell applicants to verify the latest details directly with the institution.
2. What do the official cost figures show?
The figures below are planning references in local currency. They are not quotes for a particular student, and they should not be converted into fixed SGD totals without a dated exchange rate.
Japan
Study in Japan currently publishes these average first-year undergraduate academic fees:
about JPY820,000 at national universities;
about JPY910,000 at local public universities; and
about JPY1,300,000 at private universities, excluding medical, dental and pharmaceutical programmes.
The same official portal estimates average international-student living costs at JPY105,000 per month, excluding study and research costs. Its housing figure is JPY41,000 nationally and JPY57,000 in Tokyo. Those are survey averages, not a promise that a room is available at that price.
South Korea
Study in Korea currently publishes these annual undergraduate tuition averages:
KRW6,820,243.8 overall;
KRW4,265,841.8 at national and public institutions; and
KRW7,625,335.6 at private institutions.
Its living-cost page estimates KRW750,000 to KRW1,000,000 per month, including indicative housing, food, transport and other expenses. Location, room type, meal inclusion and personal spending can move the actual figure substantially.
Can we conclude that Korea is cheaper?
No. The two portals use different currencies, categories and data sources. A valid comparison needs the actual programme fee, compulsory charges, housing offer, insurance, travel and exchange rate for the same study period.
Use this calculation for each shortlisted programme:
Add tuition and every compulsory institutional fee.
Add the actual housing contract or a defensible local estimate.
Add food, transport, insurance, materials, visa costs and flights.
Add one-time deposits and setup costs.
Subtract only confirmed grants or scholarships.
Stress-test the exchange rate and an emergency reserve.
3. Admissions and language
Japan and Korea both have programmes that international students can search for, but requirements are programme-specific.
For Japan, the official undergraduate page says English-only degree programmes exist. Japanese-taught or mixed-language routes may require JLPT and EJU results, while individual universities decide their accepted qualifications, tests and scores.
For Korea, Study in Korea says TOPIK Level 3 is a general reference for university entry but requirements vary by university. An English-medium listing does not establish the language used in every module, assessment, placement or student service.
Ask each institution these questions in writing:
Is the whole degree taught and assessed in the stated language?
Which test versions and score-validity dates are accepted?
Can predicted Singapore results be used, and when are final results due?
Are interviews, portfolios or institution-specific tests required?
Does a language condition remain after admission?
4. Student visa routes
Japan
Japan's official process normally starts after admission. The student or a proxy applies for a Certificate of Eligibility, or COE, at a regional immigration services bureau. The accepting school acts as proxy in most cases. After the COE is issued, the applicant applies for a visa through the relevant Japanese embassy or consulate.
The process may require evidence that study and living expenses can be covered. The official page does not promise a universal four-to-six-week processing time, so work backward from the institution's COE and enrolment instructions.
South Korea
Study in Korea distinguishes:
D-2 for degree programmes, including separate categories for associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral and exchange study; and
D-4 for non-degree training, including D-4-1 Korean language training.
The official page lists an admission letter, education evidence and proof of financial ability among the route-dependent documents. Additional documents can apply by programme and nationality. Obtain the current checklist from the Korean diplomatic mission handling the application rather than assuming a two-to-four-week timeline.
5. MEXT vs GKS
MEXT and GKS are different schemes with route-specific guidelines. The evidence reviewed does not support calling GKS more accessible or MEXT universally more competitive.
MEXT
The official MEXT page describes embassy recommendation and eligible university recommendation routes. Not every scholarship type is available through both routes, and not every university has a recommendation quota.
For Singapore, the Embassy of Japan's 2027 undergraduate cycle closed at 4pm on 24 June 2026. Its first screening used document review, written examinations and an in-person interview. That date and process belong to the 2027 Singapore undergraduate notice and should not be reused for another year or scholarship category.
GKS
GKS requirements, participating universities, quotas and submission routes are published in the specific NIIED and embassy notices. The Korean Embassy's 2026 undergraduate Singapore notice allocated two embassy-track places and used a revised application period from 6 to 17 October 2025. That cycle has passed.
Do not choose a country on the assumption that either scholarship will be awarded. Build a full-cost plan first, then treat a scholarship as confirmed only after a formal offer and review its duration, benefits, conditions and continuation rules.
6. Part-time work is not a funding plan
Japan
Student status does not itself grant unrestricted work rights. The official Study in Japan page requires permission for activities outside the granted status, limits work to 28 hours per week during term and allows up to eight hours per day during long school holidays. It also warns students not to rely on part-time income to cover all study and living costs.
South Korea
There is no single 25-hour rule for every international student. Study in Korea requires prior permission, confirmation from the university's international-student adviser and applicable language or programme conditions. Its current table varies permitted hours by visa category, study level, year, language proficiency, academic standing and institutional status.
For either country, check the immigration rule and the institution's policy before accepting work. Do not include unapproved future earnings as proof that the degree is affordable.
7. National Service and Singapore recognition
Male Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who are liable for National Service should resolve their service timeline before accepting an overseas place. CMPB's current study-deferment page says deferment is not granted for degree courses, even if the course has already begun.
A foreign university's local status does not automatically answer whether a qualification supports a regulated profession in Singapore. Medicine, law, teaching and other regulated paths can have separate registration or approved-qualification rules. Check the relevant Singapore regulator before paying a deposit. For other careers, ask the intended employer or postgraduate institution what evidence it requires instead of relying on a blanket recognition claim.
8. A defensible decision workflow
Use the same evidence fields for both countries:
Shortlist two or three actual programmes in each country.
Save the current admissions guide and fee schedule for each programme.
Confirm qualification, language and test requirements with the institution.
Build local-currency budgets from actual tuition and housing figures.
Check the visa route and proof-of-funds requirements.
Treat scholarships and part-time income as unconfirmed until formally approved.
Check National Service, bond and regulated-profession constraints.
Rank programmes by academic fit, affordability and executable timing.
Is Japan or South Korea cheaper for international students?
There is no reliable country-wide winner. Official portals publish useful averages in different currencies and categories, but the actual programme, institution type, city, housing and exchange rate decide the student's cost.
Can I study in Japan or Korea in English?
English-medium programmes exist, but availability and requirements are programme-specific. Verify the language of teaching, assessment, placements and student services on the current programme page.
Is GKS easier to get than MEXT?
The current sources do not support that claim. Both schemes have category, route, quota and cycle-specific rules. Compare eligibility and the current notice, not an unsupported accessibility ranking.
How long does a student visa take?
Neither official portal gives one processing time that applies to every Singapore applicant. Japan normally requires the COE step before the visa application. Korea requires the correct D-2 or D-4 route after admission. Follow the institution and diplomatic mission timelines for the actual intake.
Can part-time work pay for the degree?
Do not plan on it. Both countries require compliance with immigration and institutional rules, and Japan's official portal explicitly warns that part-time earnings cannot cover all study and living expenses.
Which country should I choose?
Choose the strongest executable programme, not a country stereotype. Compare current admissions requirements, full costs, language, visa route, funding, National Service timing and professional recognition for the same intended course.
Last reviewed: 19 July 2026. Programme, scholarship, visa and work rules can change. Verify the current institution, embassy and immigration instructions before applying or paying.
