Japan Prioritizes STEM Over Humanities, Requiring Its Humanities-Dominated Private Universities to Restructure

Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has finalized plans to accelerate the expansion of science and engineering programs at private universities that currently emphasize humanities and social sciences. 

The initiative aims to address the nation’s projected shortage of STEM talent, as government projections indicate that by 2040, Japan may face a shortfall of 3.3 million workers with STEM expertise, while fields dominated by humanities graduates could see an excess of 3.2 million workers. Despite these trends, a 2024 national school survey shows that nearly half of the two million students at private universities are enrolled in humanities programs, while fewer than 30% study in STEM-related fields. The government has set a target of raising the share of STEM majors to around 50% by 2040.

Under the new policy, the ministry will offer up to approximately ¥4 billion per university to large private institutions – primarily those located in major urban regions – seeking to restructure their academic programs. Eligible schools are expected to create new science and engineering faculties or redesign existing humanities curricula to incorporate interdisciplinary, “liberal arts + STEM” models.

Japan currently has 51 large private universities with enrollment capacities of over 8,000 students. Of these, 47 are located within the Tokyo metropolitan area, Kansai region, and Aichi Prefecture, and the ministry expects roughly 40 universities to qualify for the new funding program.

To finance the effort, MEXT plans to supplement its existing ¥300 billion STEM Transition Fund, established in 2022, by adding about ¥110 billion through the current fiscal year’s supplementary budget.