Japanese statesman who served as the prime minister, Shigenobu Okuma founded Waseda University, then called Tokyo Senmon Gakko, on October 21, 1882. In the first class, 80 students enrolled in the Departments of Political Science, Law, English, and Physical Science.
The University was established with a focus on educating the common people, and Fostering of Good Citizens is one of the three founding principles. In today’s context of globalization, it also means Good Global Citizenship. The founding principles and the Waseda Spirit which has grown from them are our legacy and the culture which we embrace.
Waseda strives to conduct cutting-edge research that solves world problems and contributes to the greater good of society. Unorthodox thinking and intellectual curiosity are what drive research at Waseda.
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
By TopUniversities
Dropped 5 places compared to 2026
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 181 | 196 | 201 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By U.S. News & World Report
Climbed 38 places compared to 2026
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 586 | 578 | 540 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Times Higher Education
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2027 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 801 | 801 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2026 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 601 | 701 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Residence Life Center (RLC) has a university dormitory option to offer exchange students who are studying at Waseda University. We have three dormitories for exchange students; Waseda University International Student House, Waseda Hoshien, and Nishi-Waseda International Student House. All of those dormitories are located within a walking distance from Waseda Campus, Toyama Campus, and Nishi-Waseda Campus.
If students want workout on campus during class intervals or after class, they can consider using the gym on basement level 2 of the Student Center on Toyama campus. Not only is the gym equipped with changing and shower rooms, professional fitness trainers are also present to assist students.Students thinking of using the gym should take note that membership registration is required and it comes with an annual fee of 4,500 yen. For more information on registration, contact the Student Affairs Division.
WBS is one of the only two business schools in Japan that have been accredited by both EQUIS and AACSB. EQUIS is an institutional accreditation system for business and management schools. It is managed by EFMD, which is the internationally acknowledged accreditation body based in Brussels, Belgium.
Based on 10 reviews
Tell us about your experience Studying here has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. At first, everything felt new and even a bit overwhelming, but over time, I began to grow — not just in knowledge, but as a person. I gained not only academic skills, but also learned how to think critically, work with others, and believe in myself. It wasn’t always easy, but every challenge helped me become more confident and determined. What did you really like about it and what can be improved? What I appreciated most was the warm and supportive environment — it really felt like people cared about my growth. The teachers were approachable, always willing to help, and the learning material was practical, not just theory. That really helped me stay motivated. If I could suggest one thing to improve, it would be adding more opportunities to work on real-world projects or internships. I believe that kind of hands-on experience would make the learning journey even more powerful. How would you summarise your overall study experience? In short, I’m truly grateful. This experience gave me more than just knowledge — it gave me clarity about my future and the courage to chase my goals. I’ve grown so much, and I’ll carry these lessons with me wherever I go. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who wants not only to study, but to truly grow.
I like that the study at School of International Liberal Studies, Waseda University is great. It is because the people that gather here at SILS are very international and open.
I spend one and half year in Japanese Univ to learn the fundamentals of commerce and I’m recently studying marketing in French University, Université Toulouse lll.
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