Education & Training Services                           

Japan

Overview        

 

(millions of US$)                                      2004/2005            2005/2006            2006/2007(estimated)

Total Market Sizeof Japanese students                  994                       925                        n.a.

Foreign Students in U.S.(no. of individuals)     565,039                564,766                        n.a.

Japanese Students in U.S.(no. of individuals)     42,215                  38,712                  39,000

(Note: Market size figures are unofficial estimates.)

 

In 2005/2006 a total of 564,766 foreign students studied in the United States, of which 38,712 were Japanese students.  This was a drop of 8.3% from the previous year. However, the United States has been and still is the most popular destination for academic programs. In terms of the number of students studying in the United States, Japanese students ranked fourth after students from India, China and Korea.  Foreign students’ (and their spouses’) spending in the United States (tuition & living expenses) was estimated to be about $13.5 billion dollars in 2005/2006.

 

Sixty-four percent of Japanese in the United States are enrolled in undergraduate programs, and 21 percent in graduate.  This is in sharp contrast to Chinese and Indian students, who mainly enroll in graduate programs.  Among the Japanese students enrolled in higher educational institutions, women account for about 56 percent.  In addition to the 38,712 students noted above, tens of thousands of Japanese go to the United States for short-term language studies.

 

Best Prospects/Services                                         

 

Interest in two-year colleges is continuously growing, especially for schools with lower TOEFL requirements.   Graduate studies in the United States are also becoming more attractive to Japanese students, with MBA programs being especially popular since Japan does not have equivalent programs.  With the post-World War II “baby boomers” retiring in 2007-2009, we expect a good number of new retirees will enroll in two-week to one-year study programs abroad.

 

Opportunities                                                               

 

Event:   U.S. University Fairs (IIE Fairs)

Dates:            October 20-21, 2007

Web:            www.iiehongkong.org/fairs.htm

 

Resources                                                           

 

CS Japan Contact: Ms. Mieko Muto (Tokyo)                                    Mieko.Muto@N0SPAM.mail.doc.gov

 

Market reports are available through the USEAC offices nearest you or through our Homepage.