So many universities, so few new students

The result of a recent survey conducted by an organization of private schools raises a question: Does Japan really need so many universities?

According to Promotion and Mutual Aid Corp for Private Schools of Japan, a record 47.1 percent of four-year private universities in the country were under-enrolled this year.

Among 565 private universities surveyed, excluding schools that stopped accepting new students this academic year, as many as 266 schools were under-enrolled. Of the 266, 29 private universities had filled less than 50 percent of their enrollment goal.