Osaka Metropolitan University was founded in April 2022 through the merger of Osaka City University and Osaka Prefecture University, two public universities of the Osaka area. Each predecessor looked back on a history of about 140 years, and the combined university enrols about 16,000 students.
Osaka City University traced its origins to the Osaka Commercial Training Institute, founded in 1880 with donations from local merchants. Osaka Prefecture University went back to a Veterinary Training Institute set up by the prefectural government in 1883. The later main campus of the prefectural university is at Nakamozu in Sakai, on the site of a former national college of engineering.
The merger joined a tradition run by the city with one run by the prefecture. Among the people linked to the predecessor institutions is Shinya Yamanaka, who completed his doctorate at Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine in 1993 and received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012. Current faculties, graduate schools and campuses are listed on the university’s official 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, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Quality, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Merger of two established public universities. Strong regional links in Kansai.
Research:
Advanced materials and nanotechnology, Aerospace engineering and robotics, Sustainable energy and environmental science, AI and data science, Plant factory systems.
Famous Alumnis:
Shinya Yamanaka, Yoichiro Nambu
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2500
Current students***:
16000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Large public university with comprehensive engineering and science faculties, strong research potential from merged entities.
Cons
Recent merger, still consolidating its identity and operations, multiple campuses.
Best For
Large public university formed by merger, strong in engineering, aerospace, and computer science.
Osaka University is a public research university in the same prefecture with physics and chemistry plus several engineering branches, making it the closest regional peer.
Kobe University is a public university in nearby Kobe that pairs maritime sciences with mechanical engineering, comparable to the engineering focus of Osaka Prefecture University's heritage.
Kyodai in Kyoto is a public university with chemistry, physics and life sciences, a science-led profile close to Osaka.
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology is a public university combining agricultural science with engineering, like OMU's union of agricultural and technical fields.
Hiroshima University is a public university with engineering and applied biological science, similar in its mix of fields.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands) is a public university with food science, environmental sciences and life sciences, matching OMU's agricultural and life-science side.
Tsinghua (China) is a public university with engineering, computer science and materials science, a technical profile close to the engineering side of OMU.
Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain) is a public university covering civil engineering, architecture and industrial engineering.
*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
What is Osaka Metropolitan University and how did it form?
It is a public university created in April 2022 through the merger of Osaka City University and Osaka Prefecture University. The two predecessors were run by the city and the prefecture of Osaka respectively.
How old are its predecessor institutions?
Osaka City University began in 1880 as a commercial training institute, and the origins of Osaka Prefecture University date to 1883. Both therefore have roots of about 140 years.
Why was the university's English name controversial?
The name first announced in English was changed after Osaka University objected that it was too similar to its own name. The final English name is Osaka Metropolitan University.
How many students does it have?
Around 16,000 students study at the university according to figures cited for recent years. Check the official site for the current year's count.
Where is the Nakamozu campus?
Nakamozu is in Sakai, south of Osaka City, and was the main campus of Osaka Prefecture University. It is on the site of the former Osaka National College of Engineering.
Which Nobel laureate studied at a predecessor university?
Shinya Yamanaka, awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012, earned his doctorate in pharmacology at Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine in 1993. He is known as the discoverer of induced pluripotent stem cells.
Where do I find current programmes and fees?
The university's official site lists faculties, graduate schools and admission information. Since the university was formed only in 2022, check current academic-year pages rather than material from the former universities.
*: 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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