The biggest obstacle to college enrollment in the US is not a student’s GPA or extracurricular activities — it’s the cost.
According to the College Board, over the past 30 years, inflation-adjusted tuition at public four-year colleges has roughly doubled, while tuition at private nonprofit four-year colleges has increased by about 75%.
Before finalizing their college lists, students and their families should have a serious conversation about how they will finance a college education.
To avoid taking on significant student debt, many American families have begun looking at colleges overseas — not for short-term study abroad, but for full four-year degrees. Anglophone countries like Canada and the UK are natural first choices, since students feel more comfortable studying in English.
More recently, however, families are also exploring colleges in Asia, where both tuition and living expenses tend to be significantly lower than in the US. Some students have family ties to the countries they are considering, but not all of them are fluent in the local language. The good news is that a growing number of colleges in South Korea and Japan now offer degree programs taught entirely in English.
These programs are not limited to lesser-known institutions. Top-tier universities such as Yonsei University in South Korea and Keio and Waseda Universities in Japan all offer English-taught degree options. At Waseda, for example, the School of Political Science and Economics admits roughly 17–30% of applicants to its Japanese-language programs. But its English-language program has a somewhat higher admission rate of 30–40%. Tuition for a first-year student entering in fall 2026 is ¥1,288,000 (approximately $8,079).
By comparison, the average published tuition and fees at top-tier US private colleges this year is $45,000. That is a sticker price, and the actual cost will vary depending on grants and scholarships. Even as a rough comparison, however, the difference is striking. For families who are mindful of cost, Japanese universities deserve a serious look. If your child is open to a different kind of college experience, adding one or two Japanese universities to the list is well worth considering.