UWC ISAK Japan

What the one independent source says

The Good Schools Guide International, a review platform, presents UWC ISAK Japan as a non-profit IB boarding school in Karuizawa with 199 students. The directory states its review is updated annually while also noting that it uses data reported by the school.

Because this listing draws on school-reported figures, it is only partly independent, and no ranking, award, or third-party assessment of standing is available in the evidence provided.

Entry routes and stages

According to the school, it accepts approximately 40 direct Grade 10 entrants and approximately 40 Grade 11 entrants through UWC national committees. Grade 10 applicants who pass Stage 1 proceed to an online interview and group assessment.

The school states that waitlisting is a real part of the process: late applicants are considered alongside waitlisted applicants who did not request financial assistance, while waitlisted applicants who requested assistance are considered separately if more funding becomes available.

Financial assistance is decided separately

The school's Financial Assistance Policy states that awards are decided by the Financial Assistance Office independently of admissions decisions, and that awards are communicated at the same time as final admissions decisions.

What could not be verified independently

The school does not publish an acceptance rate or application volume. A targeted search of IB and other public listings did not yield independent evidence specifying the entry assessment, interview criteria, English-test cutoff, priority rules, waiting-list size, or acceptance rate. No acceptance rate should be inferred.

Size and nationality mix

The school's 2024–25 profile reports 199 students: 49 Japanese and 150 international, across 89 nationalities, with all students boarding. Its 2024–25 annual report similarly states 199 students representing 89 countries.

The Good Schools Guide International's public overview lists 199 students and 90 nationalities.

Independent corroboration of size

Nagano Prefecture's private-high-school return records 194 students on May 1, 2025: 41 in Grade 10, 80 in Grade 11, and 73 in Grade 12, against a stated capacity of 204. This is the one independent source and it corroborates the small scale of the roll, with a figure close to the school's own count.

Language and Grade 10 composition

The school states that approximately 30% of Grade 10 students are Japanese citizens or residents of Japan and the remaining 70% join from around the world; this 30/70 figure applies only to Grade 10. Classes are conducted in English except for Japanese and foreign-language studies.

What the school reports

This section rests entirely on the school's own 2024–25 university-advising profile; there is no independent source in the evidence. The profile lists university enrollment destinations for graduates across the combined 2024, 2023 and 2022 cohorts, including Brown University, Princeton University, Cornell University, University College London, National University of Singapore, Keio University and Waseda University.

The profile does not state the number of students at each institution or allocate destinations to an individual academic year, so these are listed destinations rather than a verified matriculation breakdown.

Fees

According to the school, the 2026–27 annual fee total is 7,225,000 JPY, comprising a Tuition Fee of 4,900,000 JPY, a Boarding Fee of 1,825,000 JPY and a Facilities Fee of 500,000 JPY. The school states the 2025–26 total was 6,690,000 JPY.

Alumni Action Fund

The school reports that its Alumni Action Fund launched during the 2024–25 reporting year, described as an initiative to invest in graduates as they begin post-school projects and careers. This is drawn from the school's own annual report.

Residential-only and no mid-year entry

The school states it is a full-residential programme: direct applicants cannot attend as day students, all enrolled high-school students must live in on-campus residences, and the school does not accept mid-year transfer students. Families needing a day-school or flexible-entry option should note this.

This section relies on the school's own material, so these constraints are as described by the school rather than independently verified.

Location

The school reports its campus is about 25–30 minutes by taxi from Karuizawa Station, while Tokyo Station to Karuizawa by Hokuriku Shinkansen takes approximately 65–75 minutes. The public-bus route involves a further 15-minute walk from the Ohinata stop.

Cost and financial-assistance timing

The school's published 2026–27 annual total is 7,225,000 JPY before incidental expenses. It states that need-based financial assistance is available only through the normal Grade 10 admissions cycle, and that late applicants must be able to pay full fees and are not eligible for financial assistance.