Address: 2-15-45 Mita, Minato-ku, 108-8345 Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Science & Technology (Applied Chemistry; Physics; Biosciences), Information Technology, Systems Design Engineering
Founded in 1858 by Fukuzawa Yukichi, Keio University is Japan’s oldest private comprehensive university, renowned for its excellence in economics, law, medicine, and also strong programs in science and technology.
Keio University is the oldest private university in Japan. Its origins go back to 1858, when Fukuzawa Yukichi opened a school of Western learning in Edo, the old name of Tokyo, and the school took the name Keio Gijuku in 1868. It has about 33,000 students and 3,500 staff. The main Mita campus stands in Minato, central Tokyo, with the red-brick Old Library of 1912 and a historic lecture hall, while other campuses are Hiyoshi, Yagami, Shinanomachi and Shonan Fujisawa.
Fukuzawa is one of the most influential thinkers of the Meiji period, and his portrait appeared on the ten thousand yen note for decades. His call for independence of mind and for practical learning shaped the culture of the university, and the emblem of crossed pen and sword shows the belief that the pen is mightier than the sword. Keio’s alumni network, the Mita Kai, is famous in Japan for its strength in business and politics.
The university covers letters, economics, law, business and commerce, medicine, science and technology, policy management, environment and information studies, nursing and pharmacy. The Keio University Hospital is one of the best-known in Japan, and the medical school is recognised for research on regenerative medicine. The Shonan Fujisawa Campus, founded in 1990, pioneered programmes in policy and information technology and is known for early work on the Japanese internet. Keio Business School launched the first MBA programme in Japan in 1978.
As a private university, Keio charges tuition well above national universities, and amounts depend on the faculty, with medicine and science above the humanities. Check the current tariff. Admission uses the university’s own examinations by faculty. Programmes in English exist at graduate level and in some undergraduate courses, and scholarships are offered to international students.
Campus life is active, with clubs and an annual baseball match with Waseda. Tokyo rents are high, but dormitories and shared houses lower costs for some students.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, 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
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Member of APRU, Global U7+ Alliance. Strong alumni network in business and politics. Collaborations with industry and international universities.
Research:
AI & Data science, Life sciences & Health technology, Advanced materials & Nanotechnology, Sustainable systems & Environment.
Famous Alumnis:
Many Prime Ministers including Junichiro Koizumi, Ryutaro Hashimoto; Akio Toyoda.
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
3500
Current students***:
33000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Oldest private university in Japan, highly prestigious, strong alumni network, particularly in business, innovative research in specific tech areas.
Cons
Private university with higher tuition fees, emphasis on well-rounded education, engineering faculty is one among many strong faculties.
Best For
Prestigious private comprehensive university with strong science, technology, and IT programs.
Ritsumeikan University offers a comparable education in astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies: it has almost the same size, at about 36,000 students, and is also a private institution.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics can consider Doshisha University, and it does not run the mba programmes found here, and is slightly smaller, at about 28,000 students against roughly 33,000 here.
Waseda University shares the core fields of this university, namely astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies; it is larger, enrolling about 50,000 students against roughly 33,000 here, and is also a private institution.
A good alternative in the same country is Teikyo University, which likewise covers bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics; it does not run the mba programmes found here and covers transportations as well.
For students who like the bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics focus of this institution but want another option nearby, Meiji University fits well: it covers aerospace and agriculture as well, and has almost the same size, at about 33,000 students.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
On content, Tsinghua in China and this university are close, as both teach bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics; it is public, whereas this university is private, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
The closest overseas parallel on bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics is SJTU, located in China; it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers marine science and aerospace as well.
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium pursues a similar profile in bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics, and it covers aerospace and food science as well, and is larger, enrolling about 62,000 students against roughly 33,000 here.
Warsaw University of Technology in Poland is the nearest foreign match on bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and optics; it is public, whereas this institution is private, and does not run the mba programmes found here.
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, in Germany, takes a similar route through astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies; it covers aerospace and agriculture as well, and has almost the same size, at about 30,000 students.
*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
Where is Keio University?
The main Mita campus is at 2-15-45 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
When was it founded?
Its origins go back to 1858, when Fukuzawa Yukichi opened a school of Western learning in Edo. It took the name Keio Gijuku in 1868.
Is Keio public or private?
It is a private university, the oldest in Japan.
How large is it?
About 33,000 students and 3,500 staff.
Who was Fukuzawa Yukichi?
A leading thinker of the Meiji period whose portrait appeared on the ten thousand yen note for decades.
What does the emblem show?
Crossed pen and sword, which expresses the belief that the pen is mightier than the sword.
What is the Mita Kai?
Keio's alumni network, known for its strength in business and politics.
What is the Shonan Fujisawa Campus?
A campus founded in 1990 that pioneered programmes in policy and information technology.
What does it cost?
Private tuition is well above national universities and depends on the faculty. Check the current tariff.
Are there courses in English?
Yes, at graduate level and in some undergraduate courses.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information Technology (IT), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Sustainable Development, User-Centered Design
*: 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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