At Kyoto University and Doshisha,
do 4,000+ students look for housing each year?

Bottom line | A simple estimate is about 4,700 students

Universities do not publish the actual number of students who search for rentals each year. However, combining2026 undergraduate entrantswith university-publishedshare commuting from outside the family homeshows that even Kyoto University and Doshisha alone generate substantial spring housing demand.

1. Kyoto University admitted 2,942 undergraduates in 2026

Kyoto University reports its 2026 undergraduate entrant count as2,942 students. This is the actual number entering undergraduate programs that year, not just general-admission exam seats.

In Kyoto University’s older student-life survey (FY2001),69.5% of undergraduate respondents commuted from somewhere other than the family home. It is too old to treat as today’s exact rate, but remains an official reference showing that living away from home has historically been significant at Kyoto University.

In the same survey, 46.4% of away-from-home undergraduates lived in apartments and 45.0% in condominiums—over 90% combined. This is also historical data, but it shows how important private student rentals have been around Kyoto University.

2. At Doshisha, 41.2% of undergraduates lived away from home in 2025

In its 2026 entrance-ceremony address, Doshisha states that it welcomesabout 6,500 new undergraduate students each year.

In Doshisha’s 2025 basic data, among 26,853 undergraduates,11,065, or 41.2%, commute from outside the family home. The university’s student-life page also says roughly 40% of students live away from home.

3. Together, the two universities imply a housing-demand pool of about 4,700 new students a year

Applying the same rates to incoming students gives about 2,045 for Kyoto University and 2,678 for Doshisha, for a total ofabout 4,723 students.

So the headline “do around 4,000 students search for rooms each year?” more precisely means“these two universities alone may generate away-from-home housing demand in the 4,000+ range each year.”.

4. Demand is not concentrated only in central Kyoto

Kyoto University students often consider Yoshida, Hyakumanben, Demachiyanagi, Mototanaka and Kitashirakawa around Yoshida Campus. Doshisha has faculties at both Imadegawa and Kyotanabe; the university notes that many students live near their teaching campus, while some choose Uji, Joyo, Fushimi or areas along the subway.

In other words, “Kyoto student demand” does not gather around one station; it issplit into several rental markets by campus, faculty, rail line and bicycle radius—a more realistic way to understand the market.

5. From a real-estate perspective, student demand turns over every year

Student rentals see major spring turnover because new students arrive as graduates leave. Around universities, it matters not only how many students exist, buthow much new housing demand is replenished each year.

At large universities such as Kyoto University and Doshisha, the university itself helps support nearby studio/1K markets, student housing, and demand for furniture and appliances.

6. For parents, renting for four years is not the only option

With this many students arriving in Kyoto each year, paying rent for four years is not the only housing option. Parents may also compare buying a condominium after considering price, management fees, repair reserves, property tax and resale after graduation.