Konan University

Key Highlights

• Private university opened in 1951 within the older Konan Gakuen educational organization
• Recognized in Japan as awarding bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees
• Operates Okamoto, Nishinomiya, and Port Island campuses
• Regular degree instruction is predominantly in Japanese

Student Life & Environment

Student life is distributed across three main campuses, so activities and services may feel different by program. At Okamoto, iCommons functions as a central student hub with club offices, study and lounge areas, dining options, a convenience store, a café, project rooms, a fitness room, and several student-support offices. The university also lists cultural and athletic clubs and holds the student-organized Settsu Festival in November. Support services include career guidance, health-related services, and confidential counseling. The university says counseling is available to Japanese and international students, with consultation also offered at the Nishinomiya and Port Island campuses. Career support includes individual advising, internships, and access to employment information. These services are useful, but prospective students should confirm availability and language support for their particular campus. International students can engage through the Global Zone Porte, language-partner activities, cultural events, and peer-support schemes. Some of these arrangements are designed specifically for exchange or Year-in-Japan participants rather than all degree students. Konan states that it has no dormitory facilities on campus. For its international programs, off-campus privately operated dormitories and homestays may be arranged or supported, subject to program rules and availability; degree-seeking students should confirm which assistance applies to them before budgeting for housing.

Location & Surroundings

Konan’s principal address is in Okamoto, Higashinada Ward, Kobe, in Japan’s Kansai region. The Okamoto campus is approximately a 10-minute walk from Hankyu Okamoto Station and 12 minutes from JR Settsu-Motoyama Station. It hosts most of the university’s academic fields and provides rail access toward central Kobe and Osaka. The Nishinomiya campus is about three minutes on foot from Hankyu Nishinomiya-kitaguchi Station; it houses the management faculty. The Port Island campus, used for frontiers-of-science study and research, is about three minutes from Computational Science Center Station on the Port Liner. Campus assignment is therefore a practical factor in housing and commuting decisions. Kobe is a major port city between the Rokko mountain area and Osaka Bay. Its position gives students access to the wider Kansai urban region, including Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Himeji, although journey times and costs depend on the starting campus. International students seeking off-campus housing should evaluate rail connections to their own faculty rather than treating “Kobe” as a single campus location.

Costs & Career Outcomes

The university’s published fee page currently labels its figures as applying to students entering in 2026 and notes that 2027 information was expected separately. For 2026 entrants, the listed first-year total for Letters, Economics, Law, and Business Administration was JPY 1,186,000, including a JPY 250,000 admission fee. The Hirao School of Management and the interdisciplinary global liberal-arts unit were listed at JPY 1,222,000. Other faculties can have different charges, and separate association or academic-society fees may apply. These amounts should be used only as 2026 reference figures until the university publishes the relevant 2027 table. Privately financed international degree students may apply annually for a tuition reduction of up to 30% of annual tuition, subject to academic review and other conditions; the reduction is not automatic. Exchange-program scholarships and housing arrangements have separate eligibility and should not be assumed to apply to degree students. Because Konan has no on-campus dormitories, applicants should budget independently for rent, transportation, meals, insurance, and setup costs. Career support includes advising, internships, and job-search resources. The university reports a 99.0% employment rate for its 2025 graduates, with outcomes varying by faculty and industry. This is an institutional employment measure, not a guarantee of an individual result or salary. Prospective students should review field-specific outcomes and consider the Japanese-language proficiency commonly needed for recruitment in Japan.