Address: Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, 464-8601 Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Physics & Chemistry, Engineering (Automotive; Materials), Life Sciences
Established in 1871 and designated an Imperial University in 1939, Nagoya University is a leading comprehensive research university in Japan, known for its contributions to physics, chemistry, and automotive-related research.
Nagoya University was established in 1871 as a temporary hospital and medical school, and it became an Imperial University in 1939, the seventh in the empire. It has about 16,000 students and 4,000 staff, and around one student in ten comes from abroad. The Higashiyama campus lies on a green hill east of central Nagoya, in Aichi prefecture, within reach of Toyota’s home region. The university is part of the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System.
Nagoya has an exceptional record in physics and chemistry. Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano developed the blue light-emitting diode there, and they shared the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for it, which made energy-saving white light possible. Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa received the physics prize in 2008 for their theory of quark mixing. Ryoji Noyori won the 2001 chemistry prize for work on asymmetric catalysis, and Osamu Shimomura worked on the green fluorescent protein at the university.
The university covers humanities, law, economics, sciences, engineering, agriculture, medicine and informatics. The Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability and the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research support work on semiconductors, climate and space physics. Because of the region, Nagoya works closely with Toyota and other manufacturers on materials, mobility and engineering.
Admission relies on a national common test and the university’s own examination. National universities charge standard tuition set by the government, roughly in the range of five to six hundred thousand yen a year, plus an entrance fee. Check the current tariff. Nagoya has a growing number of English-taught degrees, especially at graduate level, and the Japanese government scholarship supports international students.
Nagoya is cheaper than Tokyo and has a large industrial base. The Higashiyama subway line runs to the campus, and the Shinkansen reaches Tokyo and Kyoto in under two hours.
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, Food Science, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of RU11, AEARU. Strong ties with Toyota and other manufacturing industries in the Chubu region.
Kyodai offers a comparable education in astroscience, aerospace and food science: it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Think of Tokyo University of Science when astroscience, aerospace and food science is the priority: it covers industrial design and project management as well, and is slightly larger, at about 20,000 students against roughly 16,000 here.
Hiroshima University takes a similar route through astroscience, aerospace and food science, and it has almost the same size, at about 15,000 students, and is also a public institution.
Both schools build their programmes around astroscience, aerospace and food science, and Osaka Metropolitan University is the one to compare first within the country, since it covers marine science and agriculture as well, and has almost the same size, at about 16,000 students.
Another national school that puts astroscience, aerospace and food science at the centre is University of Tsukuba, and it has almost the same size, at about 17,000 students, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Seen from abroad, Université de Strasbourg (France) is a close relative on subject matter, since astroscience, food science and bioinformatics are central to both, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Germany) works on the same fields as this university, chiefly astroscience, aerospace and food science; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Universität Zürich in Switzerland pursues a similar profile in astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and is larger, enrolling about 28,000 students against roughly 16,000 here.
The closest overseas parallel on astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies is Universität Konstanz, located in Germany; it is slightly smaller, at about 11,000 students against roughly 16,000 here, and is also a public institution.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics is Université PSL in France, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and has almost the same size, at about 17,000 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 Nagoya University?
On Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku in Nagoya, Aichi prefecture, Japan.
When was it established?
In 1871 as a temporary hospital and medical school, and it became an Imperial University in 1939.
How large is it?
About 16,000 students and 4,000 staff.
What is Nagoya known for?
Physics, chemistry, materials, engineering, medicine and space-earth sciences.
Which Nobel laureates are linked to it?
Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano for the blue LED, Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa for quark mixing, and Ryoji Noyori for asymmetric catalysis.
Who worked on the green fluorescent protein there?
Osamu Shimomura.
Does it work with industry?
Yes, especially with Toyota and other manufacturers in the region.
How do you enter?
Through a national common test and the university's own examination.
What does it cost?
National universities charge standard tuition set by the government, roughly five to six hundred thousand yen a year, plus an entrance fee. Check the current tariff.
How far is Nagoya from Tokyo?
Under two hours by Shinkansen.
Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), Automotive, Chemistry, Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Physics, Sustainable 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.
Innovation.world is not affiliated with this school/university. We recommend to contact them directly on their website for any special request.
To complete or correct any information here or share your opinion, please comment below or > send us a direct message <.
