Founded in 1881, TUS is one of the oldest and largest private universities in Japan specializing in science and technology, with strong programs in physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, and pharmaceutical sciences.
Tokyo University of Science traces its origin to 1881, when twenty-one young graduates of the University of Tokyo founded the Tokyo Academy of Physics, Tokyo Butsuri Gakko, to spread knowledge of science and train teachers at a time when Japan was modernising fast. The school took its present name in 1949. It is one of the oldest and largest private universities of science and technology in Japan, with about 20,000 students and 1,500 staff, and it is often abbreviated as Tokyo Rika Daigaku, or Tokyo Rika.
The original Kagurazaka campus is in Shinjuku, close to Iidabashi station, in a district known for narrow streets and old restaurants. Other campuses are located at Katsushika in eastern Tokyo, Noda in Chiba Prefecture, and Hokkaido, and a business-oriented campus operates at Kuki. The faculties include science, engineering, advanced engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, science and technology and business administration. The wide range lets the university offer physics, chemistry, mathematics, architecture, informatics, pharmacy and management in one organisation.
The university has a tradition of supplying science teachers to secondary schools, and graduates have long worked in industry, research institutes and the public service. A distinctive school, the Graduate School of Management with a programme in management of technology, brings engineering and business together. The university also runs research centres for photocatalysis, space and nuclear technology, and it has partnerships with companies in electronics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Admission is through the national entrance system and the university’s own exams, and the exams are competitive. Foreign students can apply through special selection and exchange programmes, and some graduate courses are offered in English. Most undergraduate courses are taught in Japanese. Private universities in Japan charge tuition that differs by faculty, so check the current tariff. Scholarships exist.
Tokyo offers extensive public transport, and student housing is limited and expensive. The Kagurazaka campus is reached by the JR Chuo-Sobu line, the Tokyo Metro and the Toei Oedo line.
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, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Numerous industry partnerships and research collaborations.
Research:
Photocatalysis and environmental science, Advanced materials and nanotechnology, AI and data science, Pharmaceutical sciences and drug delivery.
Famous Alumnis:
Satoshi Ōmura (Nobel laureate, professor emeritus)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1500
Current students***:
20000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Leading private science and technology university, strong research focus, wide range of disciplines, good career prospects.
Cons
Private institution with tuition fees, large student body.
Best For
Leading private university for science and technology, strong in physics, chemistry, and engineering.
Fukuoka University overlaps with this institution on aerospace, transportations and bioinformatics, so the two are easy to compare, and it has almost the same size, at about 20,000 students, and is also a private institution.
Another national school that puts aerospace, food science and transportations at the centre is Meijo University, and it covers agriculture and quality as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 15,000 students against roughly 20,000 here.
Toyama University follows much the same lines as this university, with astroscience, food science and transportations as common ground, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and is smaller, enrolling about 9,000 students against roughly 20,000 here.
Another national school that puts aerospace, food science and transportations at the centre is Meiji University, and it is larger, enrolling about 33,000 students against roughly 20,000 here, and is also a private institution.
Where this university leans on astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies, Keio University does the same, and it is larger, enrolling about 33,000 students against roughly 20,000 here, and is also a private institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg in Germany pursues a similar profile in aerospace, food science and bioinformatics, and it has almost the same size, at about 20,000 students, and is public, whereas this university is private.
The closest overseas parallel on aerospace, food science and transportations is University of Rzeszów, located in Poland; it is slightly smaller, at about 17,000 students against roughly 20,000 here, and is public, whereas this university is private.
The closest overseas parallel on astroscience, aerospace and transportations is Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, located in Germany; it is slightly larger, at about 23,000 students against roughly 20,000 here, and is public, whereas this institution is private.
If this university is on your list for astroscience, food science and bioinformatics, Université de Strasbourg in France deserves a comparison, because it is larger, enrolling about 57,000 students against roughly 20,000 here, and is public, whereas this university is private.
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń in Poland shares the astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies orientation of this university, and it has almost the same size, at about 20,000 students, and is public, whereas this university is private.
*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 University of Science?
The original Kagurazaka campus is in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Other campuses are at Katsushika, Noda, Kuki and in Hokkaido.
When was it founded?
In 1881, as the Tokyo Academy of Physics, by twenty-one young graduates of the University of Tokyo.
How large is it?
About 20,000 students and 1,500 staff.
What was the original aim?
To spread knowledge of science and train teachers.
When did it take its present name?
In 1949.
What faculties does it have?
Science, engineering, advanced engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, science and technology and business administration.
What is it known for?
A tradition of supplying science teachers and graduates for industry and research.
Is it a private university?
Yes. It is one of the oldest and largest private universities of science and technology in Japan.
Are courses in English?
Most undergraduate courses are in Japanese, and some graduate courses are in English.
What does it cost?
Tuition differs by faculty. Check the current tariff.
*: 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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