Chiba University is a national university in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1949 by unifying several former national colleges and schools, among them Chiba Medical College and Chiba Normal School. Teaching and research take place on four campuses in the prefecture: Nishi-Chiba, Inohana, Kashiwa-no-ha and Matsudo.
Undergraduate education is organised in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Faculties of Letters, Law, Politics and Economics, Education, Science, Engineering, Informatics and Horticulture, the School of Medicine, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the School of Nursing. At graduate level the university has schools for Science and Engineering, Informatics, Horticulture, Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Nursing, together with a Global and Transdisciplinary Studies degree programme and a professional Law School.
In May 2025 the university counted about 14,000 students, most of them undergraduates. In the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ShanghaiRanking) its 2026 edition places Chiba University in the 601-700 band. Course catalogues and entry requirements are published on the university’s English-language website.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Ergonomics and UX, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Sound Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Strong in horticulture and design. Collaborations with local industries and research centers.
Research:
Plant factory systems & Urban agriculture, Medical engineering & Imaging technology, Advanced materials & Nanotechnology, Industrial design & Ergonomics.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2000
Current students***:
14000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Unique strengths in horticulture and design, strong research in specific engineering fields, located in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo.
Cons
Comprehensive university with diverse faculties.
Best For
Comprehensive university with strengths in horticulture, design, and engineering.
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology is a public university whose listed strengths are agricultural science and technology, engineering and life sciences, a mix close to Chiba's horticulture and engineering focus.
Saitama University, a public university in the Tokyo region, combines engineering (mechanical, electrical, applied chemistry, civil) with science departments, a broad national-university profile similar to Chiba.
Yokohama National University is a public institution with engineering, materials science and computer science as main fields.
Shizuoka University offers engineering, informatics and agriculture within one public university, echoing Chiba's engineering and applied life science combination.
Gunma University, public and based in Maebashi, pairs engineering with computer science and is comparable in its technical orientation.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
In Canada, University of Guelph is a public university focused on agriculture and food science, veterinary medicine and environmental sciences, which parallels Chiba's horticultural tradition.
South Korea's Chungbuk National University is a public university combining engineering, life sciences and agriculture, a profile close to Chiba's.
Ireland's University College Dublin is a public university with agriculture, food science and engineering among its listed strengths.
In the Netherlands, Wageningen University & Research is a public institution known in the directory for food science, environmental sciences and life sciences.
*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
When was Chiba University founded?
The university was established in 1949 through the unification of several earlier national colleges and schools, including Chiba Medical College and Chiba Normal School. Some of these predecessors are older than the university itself.
Where are the campuses of Chiba University?
There are four campuses within Chiba Prefecture: Nishi-Chiba, Inohana, Kashiwa-no-ha and Matsudo. Each hosts different faculties, so applicants should check which campus their programme uses.
What subjects can I study at Chiba University?
Undergraduate options include letters, law, politics and economics, education, science, engineering, informatics, medicine, pharmaceutical sciences and nursing, plus a liberal arts college. Horticulture has its own faculty and its own graduate school.
How many students attend Chiba University?
As of May 2025 the university reported about 14,000 students, with roughly three quarters at undergraduate level and the rest in master's, doctoral and professional programmes. Staff numbers are published in the same data summary.
Does Chiba University offer postgraduate degrees?
Yes. Graduate schools cover science and engineering, informatics, horticulture, medical and pharmaceutical sciences, nursing and other fields, and there is a professional Law School for those seeking legal training.
How is Chiba University ranked internationally?
The 2026 Academic Ranking of World Universities places it in the 601-700 band. Rankings differ by method, so they are best read together with programme-level information.
Where can I find admission requirements and tuition fees?
The English pages of the university website list admission routes, application periods and fee information for international and domestic applicants. Figures change from year to year, so the current page should be consulted directly.
Agriculture, Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), Ergonomics, Industrial Design, Innovation, Product Development
*: 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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