Saitama University is a national university in Saitama Prefecture, with its main campus at Okubo, in Sakura-ku, Saitama City. It was founded in 1949 by merging the former Urawa Higher School, Saitama Normal School and Saitama Youth Normal School.
Five undergraduate faculties are open to students: Liberal Arts, Education, Economics, Science, and Engineering. Graduate education is organised in the Graduate Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences, Education, and Science and Engineering.
The student body is about 8,500, according to the university’s figures for May 2026 and the Japanese university data portal’s figures for May 2025. The university reported more than 500 international students in May 2026.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, 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:
Located in Saitama prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. Regional industry links.
Research:
Materials science and engineering, Environmental science and engineering, Information and communication technology, Applied mathematics and data science.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
800
Current students***:
8000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Comprehensive national university near Tokyo, offers a range of science and engineering disciplines.
Cons
Smaller engineering faculty compared to specialized tech universities.
Best For
National university offering programs in science and engineering in the Greater Tokyo Area.
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Tokyo Tech is a public institute in Meguro-ku whose directory entry stresses mechanical, electrical and computer engineering.
Shizuoka University is public, located in Shizuoka, with engineering in mechanical, electrical and applied chemistry fields.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Universität Kassel in Germany is a public university with environmental engineering, nanoscience and electrical engineering.
Politecnico di Bari in Italy is public and lists mechanical engineering, ICT and civil engineering.
South Korea's Pusan National University is a public institution offering engineering, life sciences and materials.
In the United Kingdom, Heriot-Watt University is public and lists engineering, business and design.
Sweden's Linköping University is public and is listed for engineering, computer science and education.
*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 was Saitama University founded?
It was founded in 1949 as a national university. It was formed from Urawa Higher School, Saitama Normal School and Saitama Youth Normal School.
Where is the campus?
The main campus is at Okubo, in Sakura-ku, Saitama City.
Which faculties does the university have?
There are five: Liberal Arts, Education, Economics, Science, and Engineering. Admission information is published on the university website.
How many students attend?
About 8,500 students are enrolled, according to figures for May 2025 and May 2026. More than 500 international students were reported for May 2026.
What graduate programmes exist?
The graduate schools are Humanities and Social Sciences, Education, and Science and Engineering. The university website lists programmes and entry requirements for each.
Is Saitama University public?
Yes, it is a national university. The official site publishes current admission and tuition information.
*: 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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