Kogakuin University

Key Highlights

• Founded as Koshu Gakko in 1887 and certified as Kogakuin University in 1949
• Private university accredited through Japan’s recognized university-accreditation system
• Four undergraduate schools and a Graduate School of Engineering
• Two Tokyo campuses in Shinjuku and Hachioji

Student Life & Environment

Student life is distributed across two campuses with different characters. Hachioji is the larger, more spacious site and contains substantial experimental and research facilities, classrooms, a student center, dining facilities, learning spaces, and workshops. Shinjuku is a high-rise urban campus near one of Tokyo’s principal transport hubs, with flexible study and exhibition areas. Because students generally move from Hachioji in the first two years to Shinjuku in the third, the daily setting and commute can change during the degree. The university supports technical student projects that allow students to apply classroom knowledge collaboratively. Its English-language student-activities page specifically identifies the Kogakuin Solar Team, Robot Project, and Birdman Project. These activities are particularly relevant to students who want design, fabrication, testing, and team experience beyond formal courses. Sports and cultural participation is also available through clubs, with archery and soccer among the examples presented by the university. Learning and welfare facilities include the Hachioji learning commons, library services, group-study areas, a fabrication workshop used by engineering projects, student consultation facilities, and health-support space. The university also provides apartment-search information for students living away from home, but its housing page describes referral and rental support rather than guaranteeing a university residence. Students should budget independently for accommodation and confirm contract conditions, commuting time, and which campus they will use in each year.

Location & Surroundings

Kogakuin University operates in western and central Tokyo. The Shinjuku Campus is at 1-24-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, about five minutes on foot from the west exit of Shinjuku Station and about three minutes from Tochomae Station. This location places students near major rail and subway connections, offices, shops, and cultural amenities. The campus itself is a high-rise building connected to the underground pedestrian network. The Hachioji Campus is at 2665-1 Nakano, Hachioji. It is reached by bus from Hachioji, Keio-Hachioji, or Haijima stations; the university gives typical bus journeys of roughly 15 to 25 minutes depending on the station and service. Compared with Shinjuku, Hachioji offers more space for laboratories, workshops, sports, and large-scale project activity. This split offers access to both central Tokyo and a more expansive suburban campus, but it also creates practical tradeoffs. Students should compare housing locations against the expected campus pattern: first- and second-year teaching is generally at Hachioji, third-year teaching generally at Shinjuku, and fourth-year attendance depends on the research laboratory. A home convenient for one campus may produce a long journey to the other.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For students entering in 2027, the official fee page lists first-year undergraduate totals of JPY 1,826,160 for Advanced Engineering and JPY 1,806,160 for Engineering, Architecture, and Informatics. These totals include a JPY 200,000 admission fee and listed miscellaneous charges. Later annual totals differ by year and school, so students should build a multi-year budget from the official table rather than multiplying the first-year figure. Living costs, housing, commuting, equipment, and personal expenses are additional and were not quantified in the reviewed official sources. For 2027 graduate entrants, the published first-year total is JPY 1,320,430 for a master’s program and JPY 1,229,620 for a doctoral program, each including the JPY 200,000 admission fee. The university lists internal merit and need-related awards, graduate tuition reductions, a doctoral research incentive, and Japan Student Services Organization aid. Eligibility is scheme-specific, and applicants should not assume that an award is automatic or open to every international student. Career support is provided on both campuses through the Employment and Career Support Center. Services include individual consultations, employment information, seminars, opportunities for interaction with companies, and booths for online recruitment activity. The university publishes 2025 destination examples across mechanical, chemical, electrical, information, and architecture-related fields, showing employment across manufacturing, technology, infrastructure, construction, transport, and related sectors. These are examples of employers, not guarantees of placement or earnings. No supported salary figure is presented here.