Located in Nagano Prefecture, Shinshu University is a national university established in 1949 by integrating seven higher-education institutions of the prefecture, among them Matsumoto Higher School, Nagano Technical College and Matsumoto Medical College. It works from several campuses, including Matsumoto, Nagano and Ueda.
Eight undergraduate faculties are listed: Arts, Education, Economics and Law, Science, Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture, and Textile Science and Technology. The last gives the university an unusual academic line, since fibre and textile science is taught in a faculty of its own at the Ueda campus. Graduate education is organised in five graduate schools, covering humanities and social sciences, education, science and technology, medicine, and a doctoral programme in medicine, science and technology.
The student body is about 11,000: the Times Higher Education profile lists 10,780 in its 2027 rankings edition, and an encyclopaedic profile gives about 10,970. The university also lists an Ina campus for agriculture. Prospective students and researchers can find the programmes, campus locations and application steps on the university’s English pages, where entry rules for each faculty and graduate school are kept up to date.
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, 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
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Leading institution for textile science and engineering in Japan. Regional collaborations.
Research:
Advanced fibers and smart textiles, Functional materials and nanotechnology, Environmental science and alpine studies, Information and communication technology.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1500
Current students***:
11000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Unique strength in textile science and technology, beautiful mountain location, interdisciplinary research.
Cons
Multi-campus university spread across Nagano prefecture.
Best For
National university renowned for textile science and technology, with strong engineering and science programs.
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, public and in Tokyo, couples agricultural science with engineering, echoing Shinshu's agriculture and technology faculties.
Niigata University teaches engineering, agricultural sciences and brain science as a public university in Niigata.
In Maebashi, Gunma University offers engineering, chemistry and computer science and is public.
Yamaguchi University is a public institution in Yamaguchi where mechanical, electrical and civil engineering stand beside science.
Chiba University, public, lists horticultural science, design and image science and engineering.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Poland's Łódź University of Technology is public and lists textile engineering and materials science as its first specialty, the closest match for Shinshu's textile line.
Technische Universität Chemnitz in Germany is a public technical university with mechanical engineering and lightweight construction plus microelectronics.
Mines Saint-Étienne, in France, is an engineering school whose main fields are materials science and industrial engineering.
Sweden's Chalmers University of Technology, private and in Göteborg, treats nanotechnology, materials science and sustainable energy as key areas.
Universiteit Twente, a public technical university in the Netherlands, includes nanotechnology, biomedical engineering and robotics among its fields.
*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 Shinshu University founded and where is it?
It was established in 1949 as a national university in Nagano Prefecture.
What campuses does the university have?
Matsumoto, Nagano and Ueda are among the principal sites, and the university also lists an Ina campus. The Faculty of Textile Science and Technology is located in Ueda.
Which subject distinguishes it from other national universities?
Its Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, located at the Ueda campus, covers fibre and textile science.
How many students study there?
About 11,000, since the Times Higher Education profile gives 10,780 and an encyclopaedic profile about 10,970.
Does it offer graduate study?
Yes. Graduate schools are listed for humanities and social sciences, education, science and technology and medicine, as well as a doctoral programme in medicine, science and technology.
How can an international applicant find entry conditions?
The English website of the university lists programmes and campuses, and application procedures and fees are published there for each intake. Check the specific graduate school or faculty page before applying.
*: 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 <.
