Chuo University began in 1885 as the English Law School (Igirisu Horitsu Gakko) in Kanda, Tokyo, set up by 18 young lawyers that included Rokuichiro Masujima. The school took the name Chuo University in 1905 and was accredited as a university in 1920. It is a private university, and in 2010 it marked its 125th anniversary.
Teaching expanded well beyond law over the twentieth century. An Economics Department opened in 1905 and a Commerce Department in 1909, engineering was reorganised as the Faculty of Science and Engineering in 1962, and the Faculty of Policy Studies followed in 1993. The Faculties of Global Management and Global Informatics were added in 2019, so the university now lists eight undergraduate faculties: Law, Economics, Commerce, Science and Engineering, Letters, Policy Studies, Global Management and Global Informatics.
The Tama Campus in Hachioji, in western Tokyo, is the largest campus, and the headquarters moved there in 1978. Science and Engineering is taught at the Korakuen Campus in Bunkyo, while the Ichigaya-Tamachi Campus opened in 2010. Beyond the graduate schools attached to the faculties, Chuo runs two professional graduate schools, Chuo Law School and the Chuo Graduate School of Strategic Management, and it has affiliated junior and senior high schools.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Large alumni network, particularly in law and business. International partnerships.
Research:
Robotics and mechatronics, Information and communication systems, Materials science and nanotechnology, Civil and environmental engineering.
Famous Alumnis:
Toshiki Kaifu
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1200
Current students***:
26000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Well-established private university, offers a range of engineering disciplines, located in Tokyo (though main campus is suburban Hachioji).
Cons
Private university with tuition fees, more known for law and social sciences.
Best For
Large private university with a significant Faculty of Science and Engineering.
Hosei University is a private university in Chiyoda, Tokyo, whose profile likewise pairs mechanical, electrical and electronics engineering with a broad range of other faculties.
Meiji University, also private and based in Tokyo, offers science and technology programmes in mechanical, electrical and information engineering.
Waseda University, a private institution in Shinjuku, Tokyo, is comparable through its engineering and computer science teaching.
Kansai University is a private university in Suita, Osaka, with engineering departments in mechanical, electrical, chemical and civil fields.
Ritsumeikan University is private as well, and its science and engineering side covers information science, mechanical engineering and robotics.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Korea University in South Korea is a private institution combining law, business, medicine and engineering, a spread similar to Chuo's mix of law and science.
Hanyang University, also in South Korea, is private and strong in engineering fields such as mechanical engineering.
Lehigh University, a private university in the United States, pairs engineering with business and finance.
Drexel University in the United States is private too, with engineering, health sciences and business as its main fields.
Université libre de Bruxelles in Belgium covers physics, engineering and computer science alongside its wider disciplines.
*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 and how was Chuo University founded?
It began in 1885 as the English Law School in Kanda, Tokyo, founded by 18 young lawyers. It was renamed Chuo University in 1905 and received university accreditation in 1920.
Which faculties can students choose from at Chuo?
The undergraduate faculties are Law, Economics, Commerce, Science and Engineering, Letters, Policy Studies, Global Management and Global Informatics.
Where are the Chuo campuses located?
The Tama Campus in Hachioji is the largest campus, and the headquarters moved there in 1978. Others in Tokyo include Korakuen in Bunkyo and Ichigaya-Tamachi, which opened in 2010.
Where do science and engineering students study?
The Faculty of Science and Engineering and its graduate school are based at the Korakuen Campus. The faculty took its present form in 1962, when the earlier engineering faculty was reorganised.
Does Chuo offer professional graduate programmes?
Yes. Chuo Law School and the Chuo Graduate School of Strategic Management are the two professional graduate schools, alongside the regular graduate schools.
Is Chuo University a public or a private institution?
It is a private university, according to its own English-language profile. The same profile lists its faculties, graduate schools and campuses.
Civil Engineering, Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), Environmental Engineering, Information Technology (IT), Manufacturing, Materials, Mechanical Engineer, Robotics
*: 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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