Higher school (Japan)

Higher school (高等学校, Kōtō Gakkō or 旧制高等学校, Kyūsei Kōtō Gakkō) was an institution of higher education in Japan, which was a preparatory institution for imperial universities and national medical colleges until the educational reform in occupied Japan.

Apart from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy and the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, higher schools were the most prestigious pre-university higher education institutions in Japan and provided liberal arts education based on Kyōyōshugi instead of specialised education.

The higher schools have now been converted or mergerd into universities. Despite the same name, Kōtō Gakkō (高等学校), higher schools are completely different to high schools (新制高等学校, Shinsei Kōtō Gakkō) after WW2.