On March 10, 2025, the University of Tokyo announced its entrance exam results, showing notable changes and trends among successful applicants. A total of 2,997 candidates successfully passed the general selection process. This year marks an important milestone as the percentage of female students among successful candidates rose to 20.0%, reflecting a 0.6 point increase from the previous year and reaching the 20% threshold for the first time in two years.
Despite this progress, the female representation remains below the peak of 21.8% achieved in 2023. The number of successful female applicants increased to 598, up from 582 last year; nonetheless, it still falls short of the 653 women who were successful two years prior. This fluctuation indicates the challenging dynamics of female representation within higher education.
Looking closer at academic divisions, the statistics show percentage distributions of female candidates as follows: 28.3% from the Faculty of Letters I, 20.7% from Faculty of Letters II, and a significant 39.2% from Faculty of Letters III. Conversely, the ratios from the science faculties indicate fewer successful female students: 8.5% from Faculty of Science I, 20.2% from Faculty of Science II, and 20.4% from Faculty of Science III. This disparity highlights the uneven gender representation across disciplines, particularly as it pertains to fields traditionally viewed as male-dominated.
Overall, the percentage of female candidates among applicants reached 23.3%, marking the highest rate ever recorded. This could suggest shifting societal norms and increasing female participation in higher education, albeit still subject to scrutiny. The statistics also indicate the distribution of successful applicants by geographical location: 35.8% hailed from Tokyo, 25.9% from the greater Kanto area outside Tokyo, and 38.3% from other regions.
Among the successful candidates, the number of current students graduating from high school this spring represented 74.5%, signaling a slight increase from the previous year’s figure of 73.3%. This trend appears promising for the university, reflecting the increasing number of immediately matriculating high school graduates. To put this success rate in perspective, the figure was 67.2% back in 2020, but has consistently remained above 70% since 2021. Notably, last year’s graduates accounted for 22.4% of those who were successful.
The diversity of the student body is another point of focus for the University of Tokyo. Fujieda Yuko, Vice President of the university, elaborated on initiatives aimed at enhancing this diversity. She emphasized, "We must not take pleasure or sorrow over the fluctuactions of ratios, but continue our efforts to increase female students. To secure student diversity, it is important to include women, students from rural areas, and foreign students. A thorough discussion about diversifying entrance examinations is necessary, encompassing not just female selection but also recommendations and general selections."
On the same day, the entrance exam information site "Inter-Edu.com" provided provisional rankings of high schools based on the number of successful candidates applying to the University of Tokyo. Leading the list was Kaisei High School from Tokyo, with 146 successful applicants, followed by Seiko Gakuin High School from Kanagawa with 95, and Ashano from Kanagawa with 51. Other notable rankings included Shibuya Education Academy, which secured 50 successful placements, and Kaijo from Tokyo with 48.
Following these were Prefectural Urawa (Saitama) at 41, Waseda (Tokyo) at 30, and Todaiji Gakuen (Nara) at 26. Schools like Hiroo Gakuen (Tokyo), Shonan (Kanagawa), and Nishi (Tokyo) saw 18 successful candidates each, with Ikikawa from Chiba closing the rankings with 17. It's important to note, though, the ranking from Inter-Edu.com is provisional as data accumulation continues. The organization conducted surveys directed at schools with documented success rates, but many schools have yet to finalize their tallies.
This assessment of student demographics and high school performance provides insight not just about the entrance exam results, but also about broader educational trends and societal changes within Japan. It reveals persistent challenges and growth opportunities along with the compelling narrative of how academia evolves with time.