Address: 1-1-1 Tennodai, 305-8577 Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Physics & Materials Science, Computer Science & Information Engineering, Life & Environmental Sciences
Established in 1973 as a new concept university in Tsukuba Science City, it is a leading research-intensive national university with strengths in sciences, engineering, medicine, and humanities.
The University of Tsukuba was established in 1973 as a new kind of university in Tsukuba Science City, in Ibaraki prefecture, about 50 kilometres north-east of Tokyo. It continues the tradition of the Tokyo University of Education, one of the oldest teacher-training institutions in Japan, which dates to 1872. It has about 17,000 students and 2,500 staff, and around one student in ten comes from abroad. The campus covers a large green area with cycle paths, and many students get around by bicycle.
The university was designed to break the rigid structure of Japanese faculties. It has schools and colleges rather than the traditional departments, and it integrates teaching and research across subjects. Its fields include natural sciences, engineering, life and environmental sciences, humanities and social sciences, medicine, physical education and art. It is especially known for physical education and sport science, and it has trained many Olympic athletes.
Tsukuba Science City hosts dozens of national research institutes, including the high-energy accelerator organisation KEK, the space agency JAXA’s Tsukuba centre and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, and the university works closely with them. Leo Esaki, who received the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physics for tunnelling in semiconductors, served as president, and Hideki Shirakawa, Nobel laureate in chemistry in 2000, is a professor emeritus. Yoshiyuki Sankai, a professor, founded the robotics company Cyberdyne.
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. Tsukuba has one of the larger offerings of English-taught degrees among Japanese national universities, and the Japanese government scholarship supports international students.
Living costs are lower than in Tokyo, and the Tsukuba Express train links the city with Akihabara in under an hour.
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:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of RU11, AEARU. Located in Tsukuba Science City with access to numerous national research institutes.
Research:
AI & Robotics, Medical sciences & Health technology, Nanoscience & Materials, Environmental science & Sustainability, Particle physics.
Famous Alumnis:
Leo Esaki (former president, Nobel laureate), Hideki Shirakawa (Nobel laureate, former faculty), Sin-Itiro Tomonaga (Nobel laureate, former president of predecessor).
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2500
Current students***:
17000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Strong research environment in Tsukuba Science City, innovative and interdisciplinary approach, good sports science programs.
Cons
Campus located outside major metropolitan areas (though well-connected to Tokyo).
Best For
Research-intensive university in Tsukuba Science City, strong in physics, computer science, and life sciences.
For students who like the astroscience, transportations and bioinformatics focus of this university but want another option nearby, Kanazawa University fits well: it is smaller, enrolling about 10,000 students against roughly 17,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Another national school that puts astroscience, aerospace and transportations at the centre is Waseda University, and it is private, whereas this institution is public, and also offers mba programmes.
Also strong in astroscience, food science and transportations, Yamaguchi University makes a sensible second look at home; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Both schools build their programmes around astroscience, aerospace and food science, and Nagoya University is the one to compare first within the country, since it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
For students who like the astroscience, aerospace and food science focus of this institution but want another option nearby, Osaka Metropolitan University fits well: it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers marine science and agriculture as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on astroscience, aerospace and food science is Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg in Germany, and it is slightly larger, at about 24,000 students against roughly 17,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Beyond national borders, Universität Hamburg stands out as a comparable school for astroscience, aerospace and food science; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
University of Rzeszów in Poland is the nearest foreign match on aerospace, food science and transportations; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Université Grenoble Alpes brings a France setting to the same core fields, astroscience, aerospace and food science, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on astroscience, aerospace and bioinformatics is USTC in China, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and is slightly larger, at about 25,000 students against roughly 17,000 here.
*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 the University of Tsukuba?
In Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan, about 50 kilometres north-east of Tokyo.
When was it established?
In 1973, continuing the tradition of the Tokyo University of Education.
How large is it?
About 17,000 students and 2,500 staff.
What makes it different?
It uses schools and colleges instead of traditional departments, and integrates teaching and research across subjects.
What is it known for?
Physical education and sport science, natural sciences, engineering, life sciences and robotics.
Which Nobel laureates are linked to it?
Leo Esaki served as president, and Hideki Shirakawa is a professor emeritus.
What is Cyberdyne?
A robotics company founded by Tsukuba professor Yoshiyuki Sankai.
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.
How do you reach Tokyo?
The Tsukuba Express links the city with Akihabara in under an hour.
*: 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 <.
