Nihon University, often called Nichidai, is a private comprehensive university in Japan. It was founded in 1889 as Nihon Law School by Yamada Akiyoshi, who had served as Minister of Justice.
The university grew from that law school into a comprehensive institution with many colleges, graduate schools and research institutes. It reports 20 graduate schools, and its undergraduate colleges include science and technology, industrial technology, medicine, pharmacy and art, among others.
The directory profile lists science and technology, with mechanical, electrical, civil, architecture and other engineering fields, as well as industrial technology. It also runs affiliated schools and hospitals alongside its colleges. Because the organisation is large and decentralised, applicants should consult the page of the individual college for programmes and entrance procedures. The same applies to its 20 graduate schools, each of which sets its own admission calendar and requirements, and to the attached junior and senior high schools and hospital, which exist alongside the colleges.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Metrology, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Quality, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Largest university in Japan by student numbers. Extensive alumni network.
Research:
Aerospace engineering, Ocean engineering and architecture, Precision machinery and robotics, Materials science and nanotechnology, Sustainable infrastructure.
Famous Alumnis:
Many notable figures in various fields including politics, arts, and sports. For science/tech: Kinji Fukasaku (film director, but highlights breadth).
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
5000
Current students***:
70000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Very large university with a wide range of engineering and science programs, extensive alumni network.
Cons
Private institution with tuition fees, very large and can feel impersonal, quality can vary across many departments.
Best For
Largest private university in Japan with comprehensive science, technology, and engineering programs.
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Chuo University: A private university whose profile lists science and engineering with mechanical and electrical and electronics departments.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
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Hanyang University: A private university in South Korea with engineering and mechanical engineering among its fields.
Université catholique de Louvain: In Belgium, a private university whose profile combines engineering, biomedical sciences and computer science.
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*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Who founded Nihon University and when?
The university was founded in 1889 as Nihon Law School, with Yamada Akiyoshi, a former Minister of Justice, among its founders. The institution later adopted the name Nihon University.
What does the name Nihon University mean?
Nihon is the Japanese word for Japan, and the university is commonly abbreviated as Nichidai.
How is Nihon University organised?
It is a comprehensive institution with many colleges, graduate schools and research institutes, and 20 graduate schools are reported. Its colleges include science and technology, industrial technology, art, medicine and pharmacy.
Where are its campuses?
Individual colleges operate on their own campuses, and the School of Medicine is in Itabashi, Tokyo. The list of campuses and access information is published on the official site and on each college's pages.
Is Nihon University public or private?
It is a private university. Tuition therefore varies by college and is set and published by the university.
Does Nihon University have affiliated schools or hospitals?
Yes, it runs attached junior and senior high schools and an attached hospital in Itabashi, Tokyo. Details are published on the official site.
How can programmes be compared across colleges?
Each college has its own website with programme details and entrance procedures, linked from the central university site. The directory profile gives only the broad picture of science, technology and industrial fields.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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