Founded in 1881, Tokyo Tech is a leading national university dedicated to science and technology, renowned for its research and education in engineering, materials science, and computer science. It is merging with Tokyo Medical and Dental University to become Institute of Science Tokyo in Oct 2024.
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo Tech, was founded in 1881 as the Tokyo Vocational School and grew into Japan’s leading national university for science and technology. Its main campus is at Ookayama in Meguro, in the south-west of Tokyo, with other campuses at Suzukakedai in Yokohama and Tamachi in Minato. It has about 10,000 students and 1,500 staff, and around one student in ten comes from abroad. In October 2024 it merged with Tokyo Medical and Dental University to form the Institute of Science Tokyo, so students should check the current name and admissions pages.
Tokyo Tech teaches engineering, science, materials, information technology, life sciences and the study of the environment. Its schools cover materials and chemical technology, computing, engineering, and the life sciences. Most students go directly to a master’s programme, and a large share of graduates join manufacturing, electronics and information firms. Hideki Shirakawa, who received the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for conductive polymers, graduated from the institute.
Yoshinori Ohsumi, awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on autophagy, carried out research at Tokyo Tech and is an honorary professor. The campus houses the Tsubame supercomputers, which have been among the fastest in Japan and were used for work in simulations and artificial intelligence. Research strengths include materials science, robotics, nuclear engineering, space science and energy technology.
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. Tokyo Tech has a long record of graduate programmes in English, and the Japanese government scholarship supports international students.
The Ookayama campus is only a few minutes from the station, and Tokyo’s rents are high. Many students use university dormitories to reduce costs.
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, 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:
Member of RU11, AEARU. Numerous international partnerships and strong industry collaborations (e.g., with electronics, automotive, and materials companies).
Research:
Advanced materials & Nanotechnology, AI & Robotics, Sustainable energy & Environment, Quantum computing, Earth & Space sciences.
Famous Alumnis:
Hideki Shirakawa (Nobel laureate), Satoru Iwata
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1500
Current students***:
10000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
Pros
Top-tier science and technology university, strong research focus, excellent career prospects in tech industries, innovative environment.
Cons
Highly competitive, very specialized in science and technology, intense workload.
Best For
Premier science and technology university with a strong focus on research and innovation.
UTokyo takes a similar route through astroscience, aerospace and bioinformatics, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers marine science and transportations as well.
A good alternative in the same country is Tokyo Metropolitan University, which likewise covers astroscience, aerospace and bioinformatics; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers transportations and geotechnics as well.
For students who like the nanotechnologies, microbiology and genetics and optics focus of this school but want another option nearby, Tokyo City University fits well: it is private, whereas this school is public, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
University of Hyogo offers a comparable education in bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics: it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Where this school leans on astroscience, aerospace and bioinformatics, Tokyo University of Science does the same, and it covers food science and transportations as well, and is larger, enrolling about 20,000 students against roughly 10,000 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
USTC, based in China, is built around astroscience, aerospace and bioinformatics much like this institution, and it is larger, enrolling about 25,000 students against roughly 10,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Beyond national borders, Southern University of Science and Technology stands out as a comparable school for bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Looking internationally, Université PSL in France is where astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies get a comparable treatment; it covers geotechnics as well, and is larger, enrolling about 17,000 students against roughly 10,000 here.
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, in Switzerland, takes a similar route through astroscience, aerospace and bioinformatics; it covers metrology and food science as well, and is larger, enrolling about 24,500 students against roughly 10,000 here.
In Poland, AGH University of Science and Technology teaches much the same core subjects, aerospace, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers sound engineering and metrology as well.
*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 Tokyo Tech?
The main campus is at 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
When was it founded?
In 1881, as the Tokyo Vocational School.
What happened in 2024?
Tokyo Tech merged with Tokyo Medical and Dental University to form the Institute of Science Tokyo. Check the current name and admissions pages.
How large is it?
About 10,000 students and 1,500 staff.
What is it best known for?
Engineering, materials science, computing, robotics, nuclear engineering and space science.
Which Nobel laureates are linked to it?
Hideki Shirakawa graduated there, and Yoshinori Ohsumi carried out research there.
What is Tsubame?
A series of supercomputers at the campus used for simulations and artificial intelligence.
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.
Are there courses in English?
Yes. There is a long record of graduate programmes in English.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Materials, Robotics, 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.
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