The Acceptance Rate of Waseda University: All Important Things You Need to Know

The Acceptance Rate of Waseda University: All Important Things You Need to Know - EDOPEN Japan

Try typing “Top Universities in Japan” into the search engine, I am pretty sure you will find Waseda University, whose Japanese name is 早稲田大学 (waseda daigaku) and is sometimes abbreviated to 早大 (soudai), on the list.

Or, those who have already done some basic research on Waseda University must have put this charming university on their college list. In this article, I’ll give you information about school ranking, acceptance rate, and other important information about Waseda University before you start to send your application.

Introduction to Waseda University

Introduction to Waseda University - EDOPEN Japan

Located in Shinjuku, 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 “Tokyo Senmon Gakko”. This institution was founded by Shingenobu, a Japanese statesman who served as prime minister. It was not until 1902 that this institution was renamed Waseda University.

Brief Overview

  • Waseda University has 9 campuses, 8 of which are in the Tokyo area and 1 in Fukuoka. Waseda Campus (main campus), Toyama Campus, Nishi-Waseda 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. 
FacultyUndergraduate school
Faculty of Political Science and EconomicsSchool of Political Science and Economics
Faculty of LawSchool of Law
Faculty of Letters, Arts and SciencesSchool of Culture, Media and Society
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and SciencesSchool of Education
Faculty of CommerceSchool of Commerce
Faculty of Science and EngineeringSchool of Fundamental Science and Engineering
School of Creative Science and Engineering
School of Advanced Science and Engineering
Faculty of Social SciencesSchool of Social Sciences
Faculty of Human SciencesSchool of Human Sciences
Faculty of Sport SciencesSchool of Sport Sciences
Faculty of International Research and EducationSchool of International Liberal Studies

Mission of the Waseda University

The reason why Waseda University has many distinguished alumni lies in the institution’s three principles: independence of scholarship, practical application of scholarship, and promotion of good citizenship. Independence of scholarship means that they encourage students to question what is being taught or the current society.

Practical application of scholarship means that they encourage students to put knowledge into practice and even have an impact on 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 the lyrics of Waseda University’s anthem, which has been translated into 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 lyric, Waseda wanted students to be altruistic and help those in need as they enter society.

Waseda University Alumni Association: 稲門会Toumonkai

One of the reasons for Waseda’s appeal is that the university has outstanding alumni who are active on the world stage in various fields. The famous actor Masato Sakai, the founder of UNIQLO Tadashi Yanai, the co-founder of SONY Masaru Ibuka, and the famous novelist Haruki Murakami are all notable alumni of Waseda University.

To date, there are more than 600,000 Waseda alumni who play important roles in various fields, and the association is not only located in Japan, but also has branches all over the world.

The Ranking and Acceptance Rate of Waseda University

The Ranking and Acceptance Rate of Waseda University - EDOPEN Japan

World Ranking 

Although Waseda University is a private university in Japan, we can see that the university has earned its reputation with numerous achievements. According to QS Global World Ranking, Waseda University is ranked 203. According to Times Higher Education (2021), Waseda University is ranked as the 13th best university in Japan.

According to a survey released by TOKYO SHOKO RESEARCH on October 14, 2021, which ranks the leading universities based on the number of alumni who are company presidents, Waseda University ranked third among the top 20 universities with 10,441 company presidents nationwide.

Top 20 Universities by Number of Company Presidents Among Alumni:

UniversityUniversity
1Nihon University20,89011Kansai University3,861
2Keio University10,62512Aoyama Gakuin University3,620
3Waseda University10,44113Senshu University3,488
4Meiji University8.33914Rikkyo University3,465
5Chuo University7,65615Ritsumeikan University3,380
6Hosei University6,15716Fukuoka University3,149
7Kindai University5,88617Kwansei Gakuin University3,012
8Tokai University5,81818Aichi Gakuin University2,671
9Doshisha University4,93219Toyo University2,606
10University of Tokyo4.10420Kyoto University2,504

Created based on data from TOKYO SHOKO RESEARCH.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Information: English-based Undergraduate Programs

According to the official website of Waseda University, they offer English-based programs in 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 required documents vary 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 NameMajor / ProgramApplication PeriodAnnouncement  of  Results
School of Political Science and Economics1. Political Science
2. Economics
3. Global Political Economy
Jan 7, 2022  – 
Feb 24 (5 pm), 2022
Apr 28, 2022
School of Social SciencesTransnational 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 StudiesEarly 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 SocietyTranscultural Studies Global Studies in Japanese Cultures Program (JCulP)Jan 7, 2022  – 
Feb 24 (5 pm), 2022
Apr 21, 2022
School of Fundamental Science and Engineering1. Mathematical Sciences
2. Computer Science and Communications Engineering
Jan 7, 2022  –
Feb 24 (5 pm), 2022
Apr 28, 2022
School of Creative Science and Engineering1. Mechanical Engineering
2. Civil and Environmental Engineering
Jan 7, 2022  – 
Feb 24 (5 pm), 2022
Apr 28, 2022
School of Advanced Science and Engineering1. 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 EconomicsApplicantsAcceptanceAcceptance Rate(approximately)
2019 entry39420251.2%
2020 entry3787620.1%
2021 entry44414632.8%
School of Social Sciences
2019 entry2736323%
2020 entry1947639.1%
2021 entry2925719.5%
School of International Liberal Studies
2019 entry67127941.5%
2020 entry60214624.2%
2021 entry86834439.6%
School of Culture, Media and Society
2019 entry883640.9%
2020 entry783443.5%
2021 entry993535.3%

Fundamental / Creative / Advanced Science and Engineering
2019 entry2677226.9%
2020 entry31513041.2%
2021 entry37716443.5%
*Created based on data from Waseda University Official Website.

From the form above, it is easy to see that the School of International Liberal Studies (SILS) is the school with the most applications, while the School of Culture, Media and Society is the opposite.

The schools with the largest increase in applicants over the three years are the School of International Liberal Studies, with an increase of about 200 people, and Fundamental / Creative / Advanced Science and Engineering, with an increase of about 100 people.

The School of Political Science and Economics did not see a significant difference in the number of applicants, but the school did see an apparent drop in acceptance rate, which dropped 18.4 percent compared to the 2021-2019 rate.

Summary 

Waseda University is not only a prestigious university in Japan, but also a popular choice among international students. As a university with so many outstanding alumni, Waseda University is certainly a great place that provides students with great resources.

We hope that the above information about the history background, admission information, world ranking and acceptance of Waseda University can meet your needs!

Read Also:
Top 10 Universities with the Best Arts Program in Japan
Top 10 Medical Universities in Japan
The Acceptance Rate of Sophia University: All Important Things You Need to Know

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ABOUTこの記事をかいた人

Representative Director of Reboot Japan Co., Ltd., which operates EDOPEN JAPAN. Founded the company in 2018, which provides Japanese language education and assistance for studying in Japan. Started the company after living with international students at a Japanese language school. He enjoys learning about new people and cultures and has lived in Australia and Malaysia. Graduated from the Faculty of Economics, Sophia University.