New students pose with Temple’s mascot, Hooter the Owl (center), at the Welcome Week reception on August 29, 2025, at TUJ in Tokyo.
The Japan campus of Temple University (TUJ) has surpassed 3,500 degree-seeking students for the first time ever during the fall 2025 semester, even as admissions standards and competitiveness continue to rise each year. This new milestone marks a sharp increase of about 30 percent compared with the same period last year. In comparison with five years ago, undergraduate enrollment has nearly tripled.
TUJ, the oldest and largest branch campus of a foreign university in Japan, is experiencing the most robust period of its 43-year history. In January 2025, the university formally opened its second location in Kyoto nearby the world-famous Fushimi Inari Shrine. Enrollment at TUJ Kyoto has since tripled, reaching around 300 this fall semester. To accommodate this growth, TUJ Kyoto has added even more space and several new classrooms.
The university is steadily promoting academic excellence and student success by expanding curricula, hiring experienced faculty, and improving facilities to meet students’ needs. During this period of expansion, the full-time undergraduate faculty have essentially tripled in size.
TUJ is also introducing new programs and opportunities this semester that reinforce its mission to develop globally ready students and strengthen its position as a leading international institution in Japan.
“The momentum we are experiencing at TUJ is unprecedented in our 43-year history,” TUJ Dean Matthew Wilson said. “Surpassing 3,500 degree-seeking students reflects not only the growing demand for a truly global education in Japan, but also the incredible work of our faculty and staff in building an inclusive, dynamic, and academically rigorous community. Temple University is a top American public university that shines in the global rankings. TUJ students can earn a degree from Temple University while studying in English and spending time in an incredible country. They can earn their university degree entirely in Japan, or by studying at a combination of Temple campuses in Japan, Europe (Rome), and our home campus in Philadelphia. The opportunities are unparalleled. As TUJ continues to grow, we remain committed to putting our students first while providing innovative programs and transformative opportunities that prepare our students to thrive in today’s interconnected world.”
New Academic Features
This fall semester, TUJ extended Temple’s Honors Program from Philadelphia to Kyoto. It also added new minors, expanded offerings in psychology, and extended specialized courses in teaching to undergraduate students. These developments build on recent curriculum additions, including Temple’s top10* globally ranked Tourism & Hospitality Management Program and full Computer Science degree, which have drawn growing student interest.
Leveraging Temple’s multi-campus system, with its main campus in Philadelphia in the U.S. and branch campuses in Tokyo and Rome, TUJ newly introduced the “Fly to Rome Program” this fall. The initiative significantly reduces the cost of studying abroad while enhancing TUJ’s global attractiveness. First launched in 2022, the “Fly to Philly Program” has already generated strong interest, enabling students based in Japan to study more flexibly, gain valuable international experience, and broaden their academic opportunities at TUJ’s affordable tuition prices.
Starting this semester, students majoring in International Business Studies now have the option to complete their degree entirely at TUJ Kyoto. This provides students with the opportunity to study in the historic city of Kyoto, an appropriate setting as the curriculum integrates economics, culture, language, and technology with practical business skills.
At the graduate level, TUJ introduced the Master of Science in Communication Management this fall at TUJ Kyoto. Designed for entry- and mid-level professionals, the one-year program is offered in collaboration with Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication in Philadelphia. The program aims to develop leaders who are effective communicators, strategic managers, and adaptable professionals prepared to navigate the complexities of a globalized world.
Enrollment Climbs Steadily
TUJ’s student body continues to reach record highs, even as many Japanese and overseas universities face enrollment challenges amid demographic headwinds. Temple Japan now hosts students from about 90 countries and regions, with about 25 percent coming from Japan, 47 percent from the United States, and the remainder from around the world.
TUJ’s undergraduate enrollment has grown steadily over the past decade, rising from 940 students in the fall 2015 semester to 1,254 in fall 2020. Just five years later, TUJ undergraduate enrollment has reached more than 3,300 students.
About Temple
TUJ is a branch campus of Temple University, one of only 21 universities in the U.S. to hold both the highest research rating of Research-1 (R1) status and the Opportunity College and University designation in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications.
In 2005, TUJ was officially recognized by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and designated as a Foreign University, Japan Campus. TUJ offers undergraduate programs in 12 majors, serves more than 200 graduate students through the Graduate College of Education, the Master in Management Program, the Law School, and the Master of Science in Communication Management at TUJ Kyoto, and provides non-degree programs for over 2,000 learners of all ages with a community focus on elevating the English language education of elementary through high school learners.
*Shanghai Ranking (ARWU) for academic subjects in 2024. https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/gras/2024
Other related stories
- Temple University, Japan Campus Accelerates Academic Innovation with Honors Program and New English Teaching Certificate (May 22, 2025)
- Temple University, Japan Campus Establishes Comprehensive Partnership with Kyoto Prefecture and Kyoto City After TUJ Kyoto Launch (February 14, 2025)
- Temple University Marks Historic Opening of New Kyoto Location (January 24, 2025)