Getting to Know Keio University Closer

Interested in continuing higher education in Japan but confused about choosing a university?

Japan has always been famous for its quality of education, which has consistently remained in the ranks of the world’s best universities. Based on the list released by QS in 2023, there are at least 5 (five) universities in Japan which are in the top 100 best universities in the world. In addition to the qualified quality of education, international students who are interested in studying in Japan can also choose from 4 (four) different types of educational institutions in the higher education system in Japan, including  junior colleges, professional training colleges, colleges of technology  and of course, university. Currently, there are at least 800 universities in Japan and open various study programs in many fields of study that international students can choose from.

One of the universities in Japan that can be included in your dream university list is Keio University, a research-oriented private Japanese university located in the center of Tokyo. Keio University or commonly known as Keio or Keidai among the locals is one of the oldest private educational institutions in Japan. The founder of Keio University, Fukuzawa Yukichi who was also a writer, philosopher and samurai, founded Keio University for the first time in 1858 with Western Studies as the main focus. Since then, Keio University has continued to develop until it has become one of the top 10 (ten) best universities in Japan (ranked 9th) as well as being ranked 197th in the QS version of the 2023 list of the best universities in the world.

To find out more information about Keio University before deciding to enroll at the university that has the largest collection of books in Japan, see the full review about Keio University below.

General Info  About Keio University

As Japan’s oldest private university, Keio University has a long history as an institution of higher learning with the university’s many contributions to education, research and medicine in Japan. Keio University has a motto called  jitsugaku  or  empirical science , which means that the education system at Keio University is carried out using an objective approach, observation and verification. This motto encourages Keio University to continue to develop into one of the best research-oriented universities in Japan with 30  research centers and other academic support institutions, including university hospitals. Apart from that, Keio University also continues to produce many of the best graduates including 3 (three) prime ministers of Japan, 2 (two) astronauts and winners of the Nobel Prize in  Medical Science .

Keio University has 6 (six) main campuses, 12 student dormitories, several  town campuses  as well as high schools in New York. Apart from the campus, Keio University also provides various other facilities such as more than 400 student clubs and communities as well as 43 official sports clubs and teams that students can choose according to their individual interests. Other interesting facilities that can be found at Keio University are 3 (three) types of museums, the library which has the largest collection of books reaching 5.26 million volumes, to the  Mita Festival , the largest university festival in Japan, which is attended by around 200,000 visitors each year.

Finally, after graduating from Keio University, you can also continue to build relationships with other Keio University alumni scattered all over the world through  Mita-Kai,  the Keio University alumni association divided by year, location and alumni work.

Keio University Offers Study Programs

Currently, Keio University opens various study programs in many fields for all levels of education spread across 10 (ten) undergraduate faculties and 14 (fourteen) graduate faculties . Some of the fields of study offered at Keio University include  arts and humanities, business and management, engineering, life sciences and medicine, natural sciences  and  social sciences .

International students who are interested in continuing their education at Keio University also don’t need to worry about language barriers, because Keio University also opens many study programs and classes that use English as the main language of instruction. At least, there are 23 study programs and more than 940 classes at all levels of education which are conducted using English.

Interested in continuing your education at Keio University and want to consult further with an expert consultant? Schoters can help you, starting from preparing to choose a major at Keio University, scholarships that can be tried, document requirements to interviews. Please click the “Study Abroad Consultation” button below and you can freely ask anything.

Keio University Entrance Requirements

The entry requirements that must be met by prospective students at Keio University can vary, depending on the study program and the intended level of education at the university.

Undergraduate entry requirements

For undergraduate admission , the entry requirements and supporting documents needed vary depending on the study program. However, in general, considering that most study programs at Keio University are implemented using Japanese as the main language of instruction, prospective students must show evidence of good Japanese language skills.

Prospective students wishing to enroll in English-language study programs such as PEARL ( Programme in Economics for Alliances, Research and Leadership ) and GIGA ( Global Information and Governance Academic ), are also expected to be able to show evidence of good English proficiency.

Postgraduate entry requirements

For registration at the postgraduate level ( graduate admission ), the entry requirements and supporting documents needed vary depending on the study program. In general, the requirements that must be met to enter a study program at the postgraduate level include:

  1. Graduated from the previous level of education with good grades according to the provisions of the study program
  2. Show a certificate of Japanese/English proficiency according to the study program requirements

Tryable Scholarships

If you are interested in applying to enter Keio University, you also don’t need to worry about financial constraints because there are several scholarship programs that you can choose according to your needs and level of education at Keio University.

Keio University Scholarship

Keio University Scholarship  is a scholarship program given by Keio University to undergraduate students in all study programs at Keio University in their second year who show good academic performance, but have financial difficulties. This scholarship, which has a value of 500,000 or 250,000 Yen per year, is valid for a 1 (one) year study period (if necessary, students can re-register for the same scholarship program).

This scholarship opens in September – October each year.

Yamaoka Kenichi Memorial Scholarship for New Undergraduate Students

The Yamaoka Kenichi Memorial Scholarship for New Undergraduate Students scholarship program   is a scholarship program provided by Keio University to new undergraduate students from Asia who have just been accepted into Keio University. This scholarship is worth 700,000 yen per year for students from  the Faculties of Letters, Economics, Law and Business and Management , and 900,000 yen per year for students from other faculties. These scholarships generally open in April each year.

Goldman Sachs Scholars Fund

Just like the previous scholarship program, the  Goldman Sachs Scholars Fund  scholarship program is a scholarship program provided by Keio University to undergraduate and postgraduate students who have good academic results but have financial difficulties. This scholarship is valid for 1 (one) year and has a value of 500,000 Yen per year (if required, students can enroll in the same scholarship program). These scholarships generally open in April each year.

MEXT Top Global University Scholarship

The MEXT Top Global University Scholarship program   is a scholarship program provided by the Government of Japan to prospective students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels who are interested in pursuing higher education in various study programs at Keio University This scholarship covers tuition fee waiver and a monthly stipend of 117,000 – 145,000 Yen.

Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) Honors Scholarship

The JASSO Honors Scholarship program   is a scholarship program provided by JASSO to promote educational and friendship exchanges between many countries, including Indonesia, and Japan. This scholarship is given to students at all levels of education who have good academic achievements, but have financial difficulties. This scholarship has a value of 48,000 Yen per month and is generally opened every April every year.

Design The Future Award For International Students

The Design The Future Award For International Students scholarship program   is a scholarship program opened by Keio University every year for students who are interested in taking a Masters, Doctoral or  Professional Degree program  at Keio University. The registration period, entry requirements and supporting documents needed to register for this scholarship program may vary depending on the intended study program. This scholarship is valid for 2 (two) years for Masters study programs and 3 (three) years for Doctoral study programs.

For the financing component, this scholarship is in the fully funded scholarship category   and includes the following:

  1. Full tuition waiver
  2. Monthly living allowance of 200,000 Yen
  3. A study preparation allowance of 150,000 Yen is given once during the study period (including flight fees)

Keio University Graduate School Scholarship

Keio University Graduate School Scholarship  is a scholarship program provided by  Keio University to post-graduate students in all study programs at Keio University who show good academic performance, but have financial difficulties. This scholarship with a value of 500,000 Yen per year is valid for a 1 (one) year study period (if necessary, students can re-register for the same scholarship program). This scholarship opens in September – October each year.

Yamaoka Kenichi Memorial Scholarship for Student In Their Third Year of The Doctoral Program

The Yamaoka Kenichi Memorial Scholarship  for Student In Their Third Year of The Doctoral Program  is a scholarship program given by Keio University to Doctoral students from Asia who are in their final year of the Doctoral program and need funding to complete their studies. This scholarship is worth the fee required for the dissertation guidance fee , with a scholarship period of 1 (one) year. This scholarship usually opens in April each year.

The Kubota Fund

The Kubota Fund  is a scholarship program provided by  The Kubota Fund Foundation  which was opened by Yutaka Kubota, founder and former chairman of the Nippon Koei Co. Ltd. This scholarship is given to applicants from developing countries who have been accepted into one of the higher education institutions in Japan, including Keio University. In addition, scholarship recipients must also be enrolled in study programs related to  engineering development , including:

  1. Civil Engineering
  2. Electrical Engineering
  3. Mechanical Engineering
  4. Agriculture
  5. Environment Engineering
  6. Energy Engineering
  7. Architecture
  8. Development Economics

This scholarship is worth 80,000 – 100,000 Yen per month with a study period of 1 (one) year. If necessary, students can apply for an extension of the scholarship in the following year.