Try putting “top universities in Japan” on the search engine, I am pretty sure that you can find Waseda University, which Japanese name is 早稲田大学 (waseda daigaku) and sometimes being abbreviated to be 早大 (soudai), on the list. Or, those who have already done basic research on Waseda University must have put this charming university on their college list. In this article I’ll bring you information about school ranking, acceptance rate, and other information about Waseda University before you get started to send your application.
Introduction to Waseda University
Situated in Shinjuku in Tokyo, known as a multicultural area, Waseda University is a private university. The history of Waseda University can be traced back to October 21, 1882, when it was named under “Tokyo Senmon Gakko”. This institution was founded by Shingenobu, a Japanese statesman who served as the prime minister. It was not until 1902 that this institution was renamed Waseda University.
Basic information
- Waseda University has nine campuses, eight of the campuses are in the Tokyo area, one of them is in Fukuoka. Waseda Campus (Main), Toyama Campus, Nishiwaseda Campus, Kikuicho Campus, Nihonbashi Campus, Higashifushimi Campus, Tokorozawa Campus, Honjō Campus and Kitakyūshū Campus.
- Waseda University has approximately 50,000 students
- 10 faculty, including 13 undergraduate and 21 graduate schools.
| Faculty | Undergraduate school |
| Faculty of Political Science and Economics | School of Political Science and Economics |
| Faculty of Law | School of Law |
| Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences | School of Culture, Media and Society |
| School of Humanities and Social Sciences | |
| Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences | School of Education |
| Faculty of Commerce | School of Commerce |
| Faculty of Science and Engineering | School of Fundamental Science and Engineering |
| School of Creative Science and Engineering | |
| School of Advanced Science and Engineering | |
| Faculty of Social Sciences | School of Social Sciences |
| Faculty of Human Sciences | School of Human Sciences |
| Faculty of Sport Sciences | School of Sport Sciences |
| Faculty of International Research and Education | School of International Liberal Studies |
Mission
The reason why Waseda University can have many notable alumni can be found on the three principles of the institution, which are independence of scholarship, practical application of scholarship and fostering of good citizenship.
Independence of scholarship means they encourage students to challenge what is being taught or to the current society.
Practical application of scholarship means they encourage students to practice the knowledge and even bring influence on the society.
Fostering of good citizenship means after students acquire skill or knowledge, they hope the student can bring those back and make a contribution to society.
There is also a part of lyrics from Waseda University’s anthem, which has been translated to English as below.
Her students change from year to year,
Meet and part with youth’s delight,
Yet all alike we seek to share
These ideals and their light.
In this lyrics, Waseda wished the students to be altruistic and provide assistance to those in need, while students step into the society.
Waseda University Alumni Association: 稲門会Toumonkai
One of reasons that makes Waseda charming is that the university has outstanding alumni active on the global stage across various fields. The famous actor Masato Sakai, founder of UNIQLO Tadashi Yanai, co-founder of SONY Masaru Ibuka and renowned novelist Haruki Murakami are all notable alumni from Waseda University.
Until now, there are over 600,000 Waseda alumni playing important roles in various field.The association is not only located in Japan, it has spots all over the world.
The ranking and acceptance rate of Waseda University
World Ranking
Although Waseda University is a private university in Japan, we can see that the university has earned its reputation with numerous accomplishments. According to QS Global World Ranking, Waseda University is ranked 203. As to the information provided by Times Higher Education (2021), Waseda University is ranked as the 13th best university in Japan.
Based on a survey released by TOKYO SHOKO RESEARCH on Oct.14, 2021, presenting the leading universities based on the number of alumni who are company presidents, Waseda University ranked number three among the top 20 universities with 10,441 company leaders nationwide.
TOP 20 Universities by Number of Company Presidents Among Alumni
| University | University | ||||
| 1 | Nihon University | 20,890 | 11 | Kansai University | 3,861 |
| 2 | Keio University | 10,625 | 12 | Aoyama Gakuin University | 3,620 |
| 3 | Waseda University | 10,441 | 13 | Senshu University | 3,488 |
| 4 | Meiji University | 8.339 | 14 | Rikkyo University | 3,465 |
| 5 | Chuo University | 7,656 | 15 | Ritsumeikan University | 3,380 |
| 6 | Hosei University | 6,157 | 16 | Fukuoka University | 3,149 |
| 7 | Kindai University | 5,886 | 17 | Kwansei Gakuin University | 3,012 |
| 8 | Tokai University | 5,818 | 18 | Aichi Gakuin University | 2,671 |
| 9 | Doshisha University | 4,932 | 19 | Toyo University | 2,606 |
| 10 | University of Tokyo | 4.104 | 20 | Kyoto University | 2,504 |
Created based on data from TOKYO SHOKO RESEARCH.
https://www.tsr-net.co.jp/news/analysis/20211014_04.html
Acceptance rate and admission information: English-based Undergraduate Programs
As regards the official website of Waseda University, they offer English-based programs at seven undergraduate schools. Let me show you the acceptance rate of the English-based undergraduate programs in the statistics below.
Admission information
- Various types of standardized test scores are accepted (SAT, ACT, IB, A-Level, GAOKAO, GSAT, CSAT, HKDSE, AISSCE, O-NET, Baccalaureat, Abitur, Provincial Exams of Canada, etc)
- The documents that required differ depending on the school
- Japanese language ability is not required for application.
- Application period: Jan 7, 2022 ～ 17:00, Feb 24, 2022 (JST)
Application Period for 2022 September Entry
| School Name | Major / Program | Application Period | Announcement of Results |
| School of Political Science and Economics | 1. Political Science 2. Economics 3. Global Political Economy | Jan 7, 2022 – Feb 24 (5 pm), 2022 | Apr 28, 2022 |
| School of Social Sciences | Transnational and Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Innovation Program (TAISI) | First round: Jan 7 – 17, 2022 | Mar 3, 2022 |
| Jan 18, 2022 – Feb 24 (5 pm), 2022 | Apr 15, 2022 | ||
| School of International Liberal Studies (SILS) | International Liberal Studies | Early Admission: Jan 7, 2022 – Jan 17, 2022 | Apr 15, 2022 |
| Regular Admission: Jan 18, 2022 – Feb 24 (5 pm), 2022 | Apr 15, 2022 | ||
| School of Culture, Media and Society | Transcultural Studies Global Studies in Japanese Cultures Program (JCulP) | Jan 7, 2022 – Feb 24 (5 pm), 2022 | Apr 21, 2022 |
| School of Fundamental Science and Engineering | 1. Mathematical Sciences 2. Computer Science and Communications Engineering | Jan 7, 2022 – Feb 24 (5 pm), 2022 | Apr 28, 2022 |
| School of Creative Science and Engineering | 1. Mechanical Engineering 2. Civil and Environmental Engineering | Jan 7, 2022 – Feb 24 (5 pm), 2022 | Apr 28, 2022 |
| School of Advanced Science and Engineering | 1. Physics 2. Chemistry 3. Bioscience | Jan 7, 2022 – Feb 24 (5 pm), 2022 | Apr 28, 2022 |
The links go directly to the admission page of the school. More detailed admission information (requirements, application documents, academic fees) , please check the links.
Acceptance rate
Below are the statistics derived from Statistics Data of English-based Undergraduate Programs, with acceptance rate calculated by the writer of this article.
| School of Political Science and Economics | Applicants | Acceptance | Acceptance Rate(approximately) |
| 2019 entry | 394 | 202 | 51.2% |
| 2020 entry | 378 | 76 | 20.1% |
| 2021 entry | 444 | 146 | 32.8% |
| School of Social Sciences | |||
| 2019 entry | 273 | 63 | 23% |
| 2020 entry | 194 | 76 | 39.1% |
| 2021 entry | 292 | 57 | 19.5% |
| School of International Liberal Studies | |||
| 2019 entry | 671 | 279 | 41.5% |
| 2020 entry | 602 | 146 | 24.2% |
| 2021 entry | 868 | 344 | 39.6% |
| School of Culture, Media and Society | |||
| 2019 entry | 88 | 36 | 40.9% |
| 2020 entry | 78 | 34 | 43.5% |
| 2021 entry | 99 | 35 | 35.3% |
Fundamental / Creative / Advanced Science and Engineering | |||
| 2019 entry | 267 | 72 | 26.9% |
| 2020 entry | 315 | 130 | 41.2% |
| 2021 entry | 377 | 164 | 43.5% |
Created based on data from Waseda University Official Website.
From the form above, it is easy to see that School of International Liberal Studies (SILS) is the school with the most applications, while School of Culture, Media and Society is the opposite.
The schools that have the most significant increase in applicants within the three years are School of International Liberal Studies, with around 200 people increased, and Fundamental / Creative / Advanced Science and Engineering, with around 100 increased.
The School of Political Science and Economics has no large difference in the number of applicants, however, this school has an obvious decrease in the acceptance rate, dropping 18.4% compared to the percentage of 2021 to 2019.
Summary
Waseda University is not only a prestigious university in Japan, this institution is also a popular choice among international students. Being a university with so many outstanding alumni, Waseda University is for sure a great place that provides students with great resources. Hoping the information above about the history background, admission information, world ranking, and acceptance of Waseda University can fit your needs!
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