National and Public Universities See Decreased Applications for Mid/Late Rounds Due to Difficult Common Test; Private Universities with Increased Applications Face Fierce Competition - 2026 University Entrance Exam Summary and Outlook for the Following Year Released on Kei-Net Plus, an Information Site for Educators

Kawaijuku has compiled a summary of the 2026 university entrance exam results and an outlook for the 2027 entrance exams for enrollment next spring, and has published a detailed report on the information site for educators, "Kei-Net Plus." In the 2026 general selection, the average score on the Common Test, now in its second year under the new curriculum, decreased, leading to a decline in applicants for mid-term and late rounds at national and public universities. The acceptance rate for medical departments has been on a downward trend for the past 10 years. This release provides key points from the analysis of these general selection entrance exam results and the main topics for the 2027 entrance exams.

2026 General Selection Entrance Exam Results: Impact of a More Difficult Common Test and Application Trends

The population of 18-year-olds in 2026 was similar to the previous year (approximately 1.103 million), but the increased difficulty of the Common Test influenced applicants' decisions. Social science fields such as law and economics were popular, while medical fields like pharmacy and nursing saw sluggish growth in popularity.

●National and Public Universities: While the number of applicants for the early round remained unchanged year-on-year (100%), there was a tendency for students who struggled to improve their scores on the Common Test to refrain from applying for the mid-term and late rounds, which have higher competition ratios.

●Private Universities: The total number of applicants increased significantly year-on-year by 110% (Figure 1). While the trend of increasing the number of concurrently applied universities to diversify risk strengthened, universities tightened their acceptance of successful candidates due to the expansion of early admissions and management of enrollment capacity, leading to higher competition ratios and fierce competition.

Private University General Selection Entrance Exam Results (A notable group of universities tightened admissions despite an increase in applicants)

Medical Departments: Continued Trend of Decreased Applicants and Lower Acceptance Rates at National and Public Universities

Medical departments, which have seen a cooling of popularity in recent years, continued to face difficulties attracting applicants this spring.

●Decrease in Acceptance Rate: The acceptance rate for the early round at national and public universities has decreased from 4.8 in the 2017 academic year to 4.0 this spring, showing a downward trend over the past 10 years (Figure 2).

●Background: In addition to the cooling of popularity for medical departments, the increased difficulty of the Common Test made applicants more cautious. Even at private university medical departments, the increase in applicants was only 104% compared to the previous year, a more modest increase compared to private universities overall (110%).

Trend of Applicants and Acceptance Rates (Applicants ÷ Successful Candidates) for National and Public University Medical Departments in General Selection

Outlook for 2027: Advancing "Science and Engineering Shift" and Emergence of New Educational Programs

The main topics for next spring's entrance exams are as follows:

●Expansion of Science and Engineering Fields with an Eye on 2040: The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has set a goal of making science, engineering, agriculture, digital, and health-related fields approximately half of university enrollments by 2040. In response, 2027 will see the establishment of new faculties and academic programs with trending keywords such as information technology, sustainability, and semiconductors.

●New Faculties and Programs to Watch: New faculties and educational programs that break away from existing frameworks are emerging, such as the University of Tokyo's (UTokyo College of Design) and Tohoku University's (Gateway College).

●Changes in Entrance Exam Rules: For open recruitment-based comprehensive and school-recommended selection, "interviews" will become mandatory from the 2027 academic year. Detailed information, including the above, as well as regional, faculty/departmental, and university group-specific situations, can be viewed for free on the information site for educators, "Kei-Net Plus."

【Related Articles】

・2026 Entrance Exam Results Summary: Private University Entrance Exams Face Harsh Environment with Increased Applicants and Decreased Successful Candidates

https://www.keinet.ne.jp/teacher/report/kjreport/26/260615.html

・2026 Medical Department Entrance Exam Results Summary

https://www.keinet.ne.jp/teacher/report/kjreport/26/260623.html

・2027 Entrance Exam Outlook: New Faculties and Departments Continue to Be Established; Pay Attention to Changes in Enrollment Capacity

https://www.keinet.ne.jp/teacher/report/kjreport/26/260629.html

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