Yamagata University is a national university in Yamagata Prefecture, in the Tohoku region of northern Honshu, Japan. It was established in 1949, and its main address is in the city of Yamagata, at Kojirakawa-machi. Yamagata is the prefectural capital, and the university publishes its website in Japanese and English.
The university operates four campuses: Kojirakawa and Iida in the city of Yamagata, plus Yonezawa and Tsuruoka. It has six faculties, among them science, medicine, engineering and agriculture alongside faculties for the humanities and social sciences and for education, art and science. Yonezawa and Tsuruoka are separate cities within the prefecture, so the campuses are spread across it rather than concentrated in one place. Postgraduate study is organised in six graduate schools.
The directory profile of the university lists engineering with mechanical, electrical and chemical and materials strands, science with physics, chemistry and biology, and agriculture as main areas. Prospective students and researchers can find faculty pages, exchange programmes and entrance information on the official English site, and should confirm current intake numbers, tuition fees and application dates there, since these are revised every year.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, Agriculture, 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, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Key university in Yamagata prefecture. Regional collaborations.
Research:
Organic electronics and materials, Advanced manufacturing and robotics, Forest science and sustainable agriculture, Medical engineering.
Famous Alumnis:
Kiyoshi Shiga (discovered Shigella dysenteriae, taught at predecessor)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1200
Current students***:
9000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Comprehensive national university serving Yamagata, strong in specific research areas like organic electronics.
Cons
Multi-campus university, more regional focus.
Best For
National university with programs in engineering, science, and agriculture, strong in organic electronics.
Saitama University pairs engineering with a science faculty spanning physics, chemistry and biology.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Chungbuk National University in South Korea lists engineering, life sciences and agriculture.
Università degli Studi di Perugia, in Italy, combines agricultural sciences with engineering and chemistry.
Newcastle University in the United Kingdom covers medicine, engineering and agriculture.
Washington State University, in the United States, lists agriculture, veterinary medicine and engineering.
Federal University of Ceará in Brazil offers engineering and life sciences.
*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 Yamagata University established?
The university was established in 1949 as a national university. Its official history describes the founding faculties and the later additions to the structure.
Which campuses does the university have?
It has four campuses: Kojirakawa and Iida in Yamagata city, Yonezawa and Tsuruoka. Which campus applies depends on the programme chosen, so applicants should check the faculty pages.
Which faculties are there?
There are six faculties, covering the humanities and social sciences, education, art and science, science, medicine, engineering and agriculture.
Where is the university located?
It is in Yamagata Prefecture in the Tohoku region, with its main address in Yamagata city. The prefecture lies in northern Honshu.
Can the university be explored in English?
Yes, the official website is available in both Japanese and English. It carries news, research overviews and information on international exchange.
What do the directory data list as strengths?
Engineering, science and agriculture appear as the main areas. Applicants should check the faculty pages for the departments that are open to new students each year.
Agriculture, Engineering, Medical, Organic, 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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