GRIPS National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies: Tokyo Roppongi, Graduate-Only, Asia’s Training Hub for Government Officials, and a Major MEXT Scholarship Destination
Published on May 14, 2026
If you think all Japanese national universities look like the University of Tokyo or Kyoto University, with undergraduate through doctoral programs, massive scale, and coverage across nearly every discipline, then GRIPS (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies) will completely overturn that impression. GRIPS is Japan’s only national university that admits only graduate students, has no undergraduate faculty, teaches entirely in English, and specializes in public policy. Its 100% international orientation, deep ties with government institutions, and highly targeted admissions profile make it an anomaly within Japan’s higher education system.
GRIPS was established in 1997 (with roots in the Graduate School of Policy Science founded in 1977), with support from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Its mission is clear: to train central government officials from emerging Asian countries and supply talent for Japan’s international development assistance system. Its campus is in central Roppongi, Tokyo, and its faculty includes a former Japanese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, a former OECD Deputy Secretary-General, and a former World Bank Chief Economist. This is, in every sense, a professional school for government.
For Taiwanese families, GRIPS is not an option for high school students because it has no undergraduate programs. But it is one of the strongest choices for Taiwanese university graduates who want a master’s or doctoral pathway in public policy, international development, or economic policy, and who hope to work in government, international organizations, or think tanks.
1. Basic Information
2. World Rankings
GRIPS is a special type of national university. It does not participate in general university rankings because it has only about 400 students, no undergraduate programs, and a single focused research field. But in public policy and international development, its placement and network place it in the same league as Harvard Kennedy School, Singapore’s LKY School, Tsinghua’s School of Public Policy and Management, and UTokyo GraSPP. For anyone aiming to become a senior government official, international organization officer, or development assistance professional, GRIPS is Japan’s top choice.
3. Admissions Data (2024 Entry)
GRIPS uses an independent admissions system that is completely different from standard Japanese university admissions. About 80% of admitted students are government-nominated officials from Asia, Africa, and Latin America through MEXT scholarships and government agency nomination routes. About 20% are self-funded voluntary applicants.
Main Master’s Programs
Application Data (Overall Master’s Programs)
Application Requirements (Master’s)
4. Tuition and Financial Aid
2025 Tuition (Same as All Japanese National Universities)
GRIPS = A Major Hub for MEXT Scholarships
GRIPS is one of the largest recipient institutions in Japan for the MEXT Embassy Recommendation Scholarship and government-nominated scholarships:
- MEXT Embassy Recommendation Scholarship: full tuition waiver + monthly stipend of JPY 145,000-148,000 + round-trip airfare
- JICA Long-Term Training Program: full JICA support for Asian officials
- World Bank Joint Japan Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP): World Bank scholarship
- ADB-JSP (Asian Development Bank - Japan Scholarship Program)
About 80% of GRIPS international students receive full scholarships, a ratio that is unique in Japan. If you receive MEXT, your 1-2 year master’s degree can be completely cost-free.
5. Program Structure / Signature Programs
Flagship Master’s Programs
GRIPS master’s programs are highly precise and strongly targeted:
Master of Public Policy (MPP)
- Intensive 1-year program
- Suitable for: mid-career government officials and policy analysts
- Core areas: public economics, policy analysis, quantitative methods, leadership
- Comparable to: Harvard MPP, LKY MPP, UChicago Harris MPP
Master of Public Finance (MPF)
- 1-year program
- Suitable for: officials in ministries of finance, taxation, and budget departments
- Core areas: public finance, tax policy, government budget management
Master in Development Studies / Policy Analysis (MA in Public Policy)
- 1-year program
- Suitable for: officials in development departments of developing-country governments and JICA-system professionals
- Core areas: development economics, poverty analysis, aid effectiveness
MA in Economics
- 2-year program (academic-oriented)
- Suitable for: students planning to continue to a PhD
- Deep collaboration with economists from the IMF, World Bank, and ADB
Young Leaders Program (YLP)
- 1-year program for emerging young officials from various countries, usually under age 30
- Nominated through Japan’s Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Police Agency, Japan Coast Guard, and other agencies
Doctoral Programs
- Doctor of Public Policy (DPP)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Economics
- Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy
- Fully English-taught, 3-5 years
- Strict informal supervisor consent system: applicants must contact a prospective supervisor before applying
6. Campus Culture / Institutional Character
GRIPS can be summed up in a few words: elite, government, Asia-focused, intensive, and central Tokyo.
- Average student age is 30: most students have work experience and many are serving government officials
- The classroom feels like the United Nations: students from 60+ countries study together, and discussions may include a Bangladeshi minister, a Myanmar cabinet secretary, and a deputy governor from Kenya’s central bank
- The faculty is exceptionally strong: it includes a former Japanese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, a former OECD Deputy Secretary-General, a former World Bank Chief Economist, and a former IMF representative in Japan
- Dual track of policy practice + academic theory: every course is structured around theory, cases, and policy recommendations
- Mandatory capstone: students must complete a policy recommendation report within one year, often connected to real policy issues in their home country
- Its alumni network is the most “Asian government” among Japanese national universities: your classmates may become deputy governors of Vietnam’s central bank or Indonesia’s finance minister five years later
GRIPS is the Japanese school that most resembles an international organization and least resembles a traditional Japanese university.
7. Location / Campus Environment
Roppongi Campus
The GRIPS campus is a single high-rise building in Roppongi 7-chome, Tokyo. It is not a traditional campus, but rather an office-building-style university.
- 3-minute walk from Roppongi Station
- Next to The National Art Center, Tokyo, Tokyo Midtown, and Roppongi Hills
- 5-minute walk to the policy research hub area (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Finance are not far away)
- On campus: classrooms, seminar rooms, library, conference hall, student lounge areas
The Roppongi Area
- One of Tokyo’s most international districts, with many diplomatic missions nearby
- Cluster of premium office towers, five-star hotels, and foreign company headquarters
- Rent and dining costs are 30-40% higher than in ordinary Tokyo neighborhoods
- Students usually live around Roppongi: Azabu, Hiroo, Shirokane, Aoyama, and Ebisu
Distance to Tokyo Government Institutions
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kasumigaseki): 10 minutes by subway
- Ministry of Finance and METI: 10 minutes by subway
- National Diet Building: 8 minutes by subway
- Prime Minister’s Office: 8 minutes by subway
- Bank of Japan headquarters: 15 minutes by subway
GRIPS students can walk into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Finance on weekdays for interviews and internships. No other university in Japan can match this location advantage.
8. Research and Resources
GRIPS is a three-in-one institution: graduate school + policy think tank + international training center.
Library
- Specialized policy research library with about 80,000 volumes
- Strong holdings in policy research journals, government documents, and World Bank / OECD reports
- Electronic resources: JSTOR, ProQuest, World Bank Database, OECD Statistics
Research Institutes
- GRIPS Policy Research Center: a core policy research think tank in Japan
- GRIPS Innovation, Science and Technology Policy Program
- National Policy Center: works directly with Japanese government agencies
- Disaster Management Policy Program (in cooperation with JICA)
International Cooperation Network
- Deep collaboration with the OECD, World Bank, IMF, ADB, and UNDP
- Joint programs with Harvard Kennedy School, LKY, Tsinghua School of Public Policy and Management, and KDI (Korea Development Institute)
- Central governments from 30+ countries send officials to GRIPS for training
- Alumni network across central governments in 60+ countries
9. Notable Alumni
GRIPS alumni placement is concentrated among senior government officials and international organizations:
- Dozens of current and former ministers and vice ministers across Asia, Africa, and Latin America
- Multiple deputy central bank governors and senior finance ministry officials in Asian countries
- Japanese officials at JICA, UNDP, World Bank, ADB, and OECD
- Multiple senior officials at section-chief level or above in Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and METI
- University professors: faculty members in public policy and economics departments at national, public, and private universities in Japan
GRIPS does not have the kind of alumni profile centered on Nobel laureates or world-class scientists. Its alumni are the future governing class of emerging Asian countries. If you want to have dinner with Vietnam’s finance minister or meet with the deputy governor of Bangladesh’s central bank ten years from now, your GRIPS classmates may be the ones who open those doors.
10. Lesser-Known Facts About GRIPS
- GRIPS is Japan’s only national university with no undergraduate faculty. You cannot study for a bachelor’s degree at GRIPS because it simply does not admit undergraduates.
- The GRIPS campus is one office building. There is no athletic field, no large cafeteria hall, and no space for picnics under cherry blossom trees. That is because its identity is a professional school for policy research, not a traditional university.
- About 60% of GRIPS professors have government or international organization backgrounds. No other university in Japan has such a practice-oriented faculty.
- GRIPS has an “Asian finance minister alumni cluster”: among recent finance ministry officials in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, GRIPS alumni make up a significant share.
- GRIPS is not on the HSP +10 point list, but a GRIPS master’s degree + government agency / international organization work creates an extremely strong HSP point profile: an MPP / MPF degree + annual income above JPY 8 million + English-Japanese bilingual ability can reach 80 HSP points in 1-3 years.
11. Typical Admitted Student Profile (International Master’s Students)
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.3/4.0 or above
- 2-5 years of work experience (public sector, NGO, or international organization experience preferred)
- TOEFL iBT 90+ or IELTS 6.5+
- GRE for some programs
- Most applicants have nominations from their home government or scholarships from JICA, the World Bank, ADB, etc.
- Clear career plan in public policy, international development, or economic policy
- Recommendation letters from a current supervisor and an academic advisor
- Clear pathway for promotion after returning home or for entering an international organization
Typical Taiwanese family pathway: usually NTU / NCCU / NTHU public administration, economics, or national development graduate + 2-3 years of work experience in the public sector, NGOs, think tanks, or diplomacy-related fields
12. What Kind of Student Is It Best For?
✓ Suitable for:
- Students who have already graduated from university and want to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree (no undergraduate programs)
- Students with a clear career plan in public policy, international development, economic policy, or development assistance
- Students aiming for MEXT / JICA / World Bank scholarships (GRIPS is one of the first stops for national-level scholarships in Japan)
- Students who want a learning environment in Tokyo Roppongi with government institutions nearby
- Students aiming to enter Japanese or Asian government agencies or international organizations such as UNDP, World Bank, ADB, OECD, or JICA
- Students who want to build a network of senior government officials from emerging Asian countries
- Students who prefer small classes, multinational classmates, and practice-oriented government teaching
✗ Not necessarily suitable for:
- High school students applying to university (GRIPS has no undergraduate faculty)
- Students who want pure academic theory or hope to become research-focused professors (GRIPS is practice-oriented)
- Students interested in private-sector business, engineering, or natural sciences
- Students looking for a traditional campus atmosphere, sports leagues, and club life
- Students seeking professional degrees in medicine, law, accounting, or similar fields
- Students for whom budget is not an issue and who do not want scholarships (GRIPS placement is mainly along the government pathway)
13. HSP Highly Skilled Professional Permanent Residency Pathway
GRIPS is not on the HSP “+10 point bonus” list (that list targets flagship research universities such as UTokyo and Kyoto University), but a GRIPS master’s degree + a government agency or international organization position → high HSP points is a widely recognized fast pathway.
The most common HSP pathways for GRIPS graduates are:
- GRIPS MPP / MPF / MA → Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JICA, UN ESCAP, or foreign think tanks (annual salary of JPY 6-10 million or above)
- Accumulate 80+ points within 2-3 years → HSP Highly Skilled Professional No. 1 status (points from salary, English, and education)
- Apply for permanent residency after 1 year
In practice, MEXT master’s degree + national university credential + civil service / international organization position + English-Japanese bilingual ability usually reaches 80-85 points in the HSP calculation. One-year permanent residency is not difficult.
For detailed strategy, see Dr. G.’s internal guide, Post-Graduation Visa Strategy / 05_Japan_Visa_Strategy. The GRIPS pathway is one of the most highly recommended complete trails in the Master Grad School Database / Japan section: full MEXT scholarship + 1-year master’s + government employment + fast permanent residency.
Conclusion
GRIPS is a graduate-only institution designed for people who want to work in government, international organizations, or public policy. It is not an option for high school students, not ideal for those who want to become research professors, and not designed for those aiming at foreign investment banks. But for people who want to use 1-2 years to earn a fully funded MEXT scholarship, enter a Japanese national university, and later take on important roles in Asian governments or international organizations, GRIPS is Japan’s strongest answer.
For Taiwanese families on this route, the pathway is very clear: study public administration at NCCU or politics / national development / economics at NTU → work 2-3 years in the public sector / NGO field → GRIPS MPP / MPF with full MEXT funding → return to Taiwan for promotion / enter ADB / enter Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is an exceptionally clear and high-value career path.
In one sentence: GRIPS is Japan’s ceiling for government professional schools, an Asian version of the Kennedy School, and one of the largest national-university recipients of full MEXT scholarships. If your goal is a public policy career, this school is irreplaceable.
