Meiji University traces its origin to January 1881, when Tatsuo Kishimoto, Kozo Miyagi and Misao Yashiro opened the Meiji Law School in Tokyo. The institution that grew out of that school now occupies four campuses in the Tokyo area: Surugadai, which serves as the main campus, Izumi in Suginami Ward, Nakano, and Ikuta in Kanagawa Prefecture.
The teaching structure consists of 10 undergraduate schools, 12 graduate schools and 4 professional graduate schools, including a Juris Doctor course in law. The undergraduate list reaches well beyond the legal studies of the founding years: it includes commerce, political science and economics, arts and letters, business administration, science and technology and agriculture, so that a single institution covers both the social sciences and technical subjects.
About 34,900 students are enrolled: the Times Higher Education profile lists 34,896 in its 2027 rankings edition, which matches the sum of 32,261 undergraduates and 2,635 postgraduates reported for May 2023. Its own English-language pages speak of a history of about 140 years. Applicants and researchers who need current details on schools, admission procedures and exchange arrangements should consult the university’s international pages, since programmes and intake numbers are revised from year to year.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, 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, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Numerous international partnerships. Large and influential alumni network.
Research:
Robotics and mechatronics, AI and data science, Sustainable agriculture and food systems, Advanced materials and nanotechnology.
Famous Alumnis:
Takeshi Kitano, Tatsuro Yamashita
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1800
Current students***:
33000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Leading private comprehensive university, strong alumni network in various fields, located in central Tokyo.
Cons
Private university with tuition fees, engineering/science is one part of a large comprehensive university.
Best For
Leading private comprehensive university with strong science, technology, and agriculture programs.
Waseda University, also private and in Tokyo, pairs engineering and physics with a broad range of other schools, which makes it a natural comparison for Meiji's science and technology side.
Among private Tokyo institutions, Keio University offers science and technology fields such as applied chemistry, physics and information technology.
Chuo University (private, Tokyo area) adds science and engineering programmes covering mechanical, civil and information subjects.
With a science and engineering faculty next to many other schools, Hosei University is a private Tokyo counterpart.
Rikkyo University is private and based in Tokyo; its science programmes include physics, chemistry, mathematics and life sciences.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
In South Korea, Sungkyunkwan University is a private Seoul institution listed with engineering, AI and machine learning and materials, a mix comparable with Meiji's science side.
Another South Korean comparison is Hanyang University, a private university in Seoul with engineering, mechanical engineering and computer vision among its specialties.
Sweden's Lund University, a public university in Lund, spans engineering, law and medicine, a similar breadth between technical and legal studies.
Aarhus University in Denmark is a public comprehensive university whose fields include natural sciences, bioscience and nanoscience.
*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 Meiji University and in what year?
The university began in January 1881 as the Meiji Law School, established by Tatsuo Kishimoto, Kozo Miyagi and Misao Yashiro. Its English-language pages refer to a history of about 140 years.
Where do students attend classes at Meiji?
There are four campuses in the Tokyo area: Surugadai (the main campus), Izumi, Nakano and Ikuta. Izumi lies in Suginami Ward and Ikuta is in Kanagawa Prefecture, so travel between campuses can be part of a student's week depending on the school.
How is the university organised academically?
It has 10 undergraduate schools, 12 graduate schools and 4 professional graduate schools, with a Juris Doctor course offered in law. The schools cover law, commerce, political science and economics, arts and letters, science and technology, agriculture and business administration, among others.
What is the size of the student body?
About 34,900 students are enrolled. The Times Higher Education profile lists 34,896 in its 2027 rankings edition, which matches the sum of 32,261 undergraduates and 2,635 postgraduates reported for May 2023.
Is it only a law school today?
No. Law remains one of its schools, but the university also runs schools of science and technology and of agriculture, among others, alongside commerce and the humanities.
Where can a prospective student find admission requirements and fees?
Admission rules, tuition and application dates are published by the university on its official English and Japanese websites. They vary by school and by course, so the page for the intended programme and entry year is the one to rely on.
*: 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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