Keio University facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Keio University

慶應義塾大学

Latin: Universitas Keio

Motto

ペンは剣よりも強し Calamus Gladio Fortior

Motto in English

'The pen is mightier than the sword'

Type

Private; Research University

Established

23 April 1858; 167 years ago

Founder

Fukuzawa Yukichi

Affiliation

AACSB, APRU, CEMS – The Global Alliance in Management Education, COBS, ASAIHL

President

Kohei Itoh

Academic staff

2,791 full-time (As of May 1, 2022)

Administrative staff

3,252 full-time (As of May 1, 2022)

Students

33,437 (As of May 1, 2022)

Undergraduates

28,641 (As of May 1, 2022)

Postgraduates

6,222 (As of May 1, 2022)

Location

Minato

Tokyo

Japan

Campus

Urban

Flag

Colors

Gold, Navy Blue, and Red

Mascot

Keio Unicorn

Athletics

43 Varsity Teams

Japanese name

Kanji

慶應義塾大学

Hiragana

けいおうぎじゅく

Transcriptions
Romanization	Keiōgijuku Daigaku

Keio University (慶應義塾大学, Keiō Gijuku Daigaku), often called Keio (慶應) or Keidai (慶大), is a private research university in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It is the oldest place for Western higher education in Japan.

The university was started by Fukuzawa Yukichi in 1858. He first opened it as a school for learning about Western studies. Keio became a university in 1920. It was one of the first private universities in Japan. Keio is part of important groups like the Top Global University Project. It is also a member of the World Economic Forum's Global University Leaders Forum.

About Keio University

A statue of Keio's founder, Fukuzawa Yukichi, at Hiyoshi campus.

The East Research Building in Mita.

Keio University began in 1858. Its founder, Fukuzawa Yukichi, had studied in the United States. He started teaching Dutch in Japan. In 1868, he changed the school's name to Keio Gijuku. He then focused on education.

At first, Keio was a private school for Western studies. But it grew and added its first university department in 1890. In 2008, Keio was the first Japanese university to celebrate its 150th birthday.

Keio has about 30 research centers. These are on its five main campuses and other places in Japan. The Keio University Research Institute at SFC (KRIS) works with big international groups. These include MIT and the French INRIA. They help host the W3C.

As of June 2022, Keio University has the largest money fund among all Japanese universities. It has ¥78 billion. This shows how strong its financial support is.

Keio's History

Keio Gijuku in Tsukiji in 1869.

Keio University started in 1858. It was a school for Western studies in Tsukiji. Its founder was Fukuzawa Yukichi. The school changed its name to "Keio Gijuku" in 1868. "Keio" was the name of the era. "Gijuku" means "private school."

The school moved to its current main spot in 1871. It opened a medical school in 1873. By 1890, it had university departments for Economics, Law, and Literature.

Here are some important moments in Keio's history:

1858: Keio Gijuku is founded.
1879: Keio decides to stay a private school. It turns down an offer to become a national university.
1890: Departments for Economics, Law, and Letters are created.
1906: Programs for graduate studies begin.
1917: The School of Medicine is established.
1920: Keio officially becomes a university.
1944: The School of Technology is established.
1949: Keio is approved as a university in the post-war system.
1957: The School of Business and Commerce is established.
1962: The Graduate School of Business Administration is established.
1981: The Department of Science and Technology is established.
1990: New schools for Environmental and Information Studies and Policy Management are created.
2001: The School of Nursing and Medical Care is established.
2004: The School of Law is established.
2008: The School of Pharmacy and the Graduate School of Media Design are established.

In 1886, a Keio University person, Hiromoto Watanabe, became the first head of the Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo). In 1899, Keio sent six students to study abroad. It also welcomed three international students from India, China, and Thailand. In 1946, Keio University started accepting female students.

Famous people have visited Keio. In 1916, poet Rabindranath Tagore came. In 1922, physicist Albert Einstein gave a special talk about his theory of relativity. In 2008, Prince Charles visited. In 2023, Sam Altman gave a lecture on campus.

Keio University in May 1912.

Keio's Leaders

Since 1881, Keio University has had 20 presidents. The current president is Kohei Itoh.

Students at Keio

In 2021, Keio University had 33,469 students. Most were undergraduate students (28,667). There were 4,802 graduate students. About two-thirds of the students are male. However, some subjects have more female students. For example, 56% of students in the Faculty of Letters are female.

Here's a quick look at the students in 2021:

Total Students: 33,469
Undergraduate: 28,667
Graduate (Master): 3,034
Graduate (Doctor): 1,408
Professional: 360
Male Students: 21,603
Female Students: 11,866
International Students: 1,735

In 2021, there were 1,908 international students. Most of them (1,016) were from China. Other countries with many students included South Korea, France, and Taiwan.

Student Life and Activities

Mita Sai, a festival at Keio University.

Student Groups

At Japanese universities, student groups are called "circles." Keio University has over 410 circles. These include official and unofficial groups. Students can join many different clubs.

Sports at Keio

Keio students have loved baseball for a long time. In 1913, American baseball teams played against Keio. In 1932, Keio's team beat the University of Michigan team. Keio's baseball team plays in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League.

Kei-So Rivalry

A rugby match during the Kei-So Sen.

Keio University has a big sports rivalry with Waseda University. They have many games each year in different sports. These include baseball, rugby, and soccer. These games are called "Kei–So Sen" or "So–Kei Sen."

The baseball rivalry is very famous. It has been going on for over 100 years. A famous game from 1943 was even made into a movie. It was called "The Last Game – the Final So-Kei Sen."

American Football

Keio also has an American football team. They are known as the Keio Unicorns.

University Rankings

Keio University is known as a top university. It ranks highly in different global lists. For example, it is ranked 53rd in the world by the Times Higher Education's Alma Mater Index. The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) places it 34th globally and 3rd in Asia.

Reuters ranks Keio as the 58th most innovative university worldwide. QS World University Rankings placed Keio 192nd in the world in 2017/18. It was also 45th for how well its graduates find jobs. Keio is one of the top private universities in Japan. Getting into Keio University is very competitive.

Research Achievements

Keio is a strong research university. According to Thomson Reuters, it is the 10th best research university in Japan. It is the only private university in the top 15. Keio is known for its research in many fields.

For example, in economics, Keio's department was ranked 6th best in Japan in 2011. In engineering, Keio was placed 8th in a 2004 ranking. This shows its strong research in science and technology.

Business Studies

Keio University is a leader in business. Many of its graduates become CEOs of big companies. It ranks second in Japan for alumni who are CEOs in Fortune Global 500 companies. Keio Business School (KBS) was the first business school in Japan. It is one of the best in the country.

Keio graduates also have high employment rates. They often earn good salaries in Japan.

Accounting

For over 30 years, Keio graduates have been number one in Japan. They have the most successful applicants for the national CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam.

Medicine

Keio University's medical school is very respected. Its alumni have led the Japan Medical Association. Keio is one of only two Japanese universities to have provided a president for the World Medical Association.

Law

Keio University Law School has a high success rate for the Bar Exam. This means many of its students pass the exam to become lawyers. Many members of Japan's Parliament also graduated from Keio.

Popularity

Keio University is very popular. In 2011, about 11.7 people applied for each spot in undergraduate admissions. It is considered one of the hardest private universities to get into in Japan.

Keio University has also been ranked highly for its reputation. In 2014, it was placed 1st in the Greater Tokyo Area. It was 2nd in 2015 and 2016.

University Finances

Keio University has a large amount of money. In 2010, it had an operating revenue of 197 billion yen. Its main sources of income were tuition fees, medical care, and capital gain. The university also has a very large financial fund.

The biggest expenses were for staff pay, education, and research. In 2010, the total value of Keio's assets was about 364 billion yen.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees at Keio University change depending on the course.

Social Science & Humanities: About 1,110,000 yen per year.
Natural Science & Engineering: About 1,570,000 yen per year.
School of Medicine: About 3,610,000 yen per year.

Graduate school fees are usually lower than undergraduate fees. For example, graduate studies in Social Science & Humanities cost about 690,000 yen per year.

There is also an "entrance fee" that students pay before starting. For undergraduate study, it is 200,000 yen. For graduate study, it is 310,000 yen.

Scholarships and Loans

In 2008, about 30% of all students (9,764 students) used scholarships or loans. Keio University itself provides scholarships to over 3,000 students. On average, these scholarships are about 300,000 yen.

International students also receive support. In 2008, almost all international undergraduate students (397 students) received about 259,942 yen in aid. About 75% of international graduate students (359 students) received about 517,473 yen.

How Keio is Organized

The New South building on Mita Campus.

The Jukukankyoku building on Mita Campus.

The Mita speech house on Mita Campus.

Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall on Hiyoshi Campus.

Yagami Campus.

The Kitasato Memorial Medical Library on Shinanomachi campus.

The 3rd Building on Shiba Kyoritsu campus.

Faculties (Undergraduate Schools)

Keio University has ten undergraduate schools. Each one works on its own. They offer different studies and research. Here are some of them:

Faculty of Letters
Faculty of Economics
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Business and Commerce
School of Medicine
Faculty of Science and Technology
Faculty of Policy Management
Faculty of Environment and Information Studies
Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care
Faculty of Pharmacy

Graduate Schools

Keio has fourteen graduate schools. Many professors teach in both undergraduate and graduate programs. Some of these schools are:

Graduate School of Letters
Graduate School of Economics
Graduate School of Law
Graduate School of Medicine
Graduate School of Science and Technology
Graduate School of Business Administration
Law School
Graduate School of Media Design

Media Centers (Libraries)

Keio's Media Centers are like big libraries. They have over 4.58 million books and publications. This makes them one of the largest academic information places in Japan. There are several Media Centers, including:

Mita Media Center
Hiyoshi Media Center
Shinanomachi Media Center
SFC Media Center

Information Technology Centers

These centers help with computers and technology. They are located on different campuses.

Hospital

Keio University Hospital is one of the biggest hospitals in Japan. It was started in 1920. It has over 1,000 beds. It also has top laboratories and research divisions.

Keio Campuses

Keio University has eleven campuses. Here are some of the main ones:

Mita Campus in Mita, Minato, Tokyo.
Hiyoshi Campus in Yokohama, Kanagawa. This campus is known for its Hiyoshi tunnels.
Yagami Campus, also in Yokohama.
Shinanomachi Campus in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) in Fujisawa, Kanagawa. This campus was designed by Fumihiko Maki.
Shiba Kyoritsu Campus in Minato ward, Tokyo.

Famous People from Keio

Keio University has many famous alumni. These are people who graduated from the university.

Politicians

Former Japanese Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai (1931–1932).

Former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto (1996–1998).

Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi (2001–2006).

Several Japanese Prime Ministers studied at Keio. These include:

Junichiro Koizumi (Prime Minister from 2001–2006)
Ryutaro Hashimoto (Prime Minister from 1996–1998)
Tsuyoshi Inukai (Prime Minister from 1931–1932)

Many other alumni have been government ministers and governors.

Public Servants and International Organizations

Takeshi Kasai, a director for the WHO.
Kiyoko Okabe, the first female justice of Japan's Supreme Court.
Taro Takemi, president of the World Medical Association.

Central Bank Governors

Some alumni have become leaders of central banks. These include:

Shigeaki Ikeda, Governor of The Bank of Japan.
Tarisa Watanagase, Governor of the Bank of Thailand.

Astronauts

Keio has also produced astronauts!

Chiaki Mukai, a JAXA astronaut.
Akihiko Hoshide, another JAXA astronaut.

Finance Leaders

Many Keio graduates work in finance. They include leaders of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Media Personalities

American sociologist Ted Nelson.

Tōru Shōriki, owner of The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.
Akira Ikegami, a famous journalist.
Motoaki Tanigo, CEO of Hololive Production.

Business Leaders

Many Keio alumni are top business leaders.

Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation.
Yutaka Katayama, the first president of Nissan Motors in the U.S.
Hidetaka Miyazaki, President of FromSoftware, a game designer.
Ichizō Kobayashi, founder of Hankyu Railway.
Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics.

Academics

JAXA astronaut Chiaki Mukai.

Many Keio alumni have become important scholars and professors.

Toshihiko Izutsu, a famous literature scholar.
Junzaburo Nishiwaki, a poet nominated for the Nobel Prize.
Ken Sakamura, who created the TRON operating system.
Jun Murai, known as "The Father of The Internet" in Japan.
Joi Ito, former director of the MIT Media Lab.

Artists and Writers

Keio has also produced many talented artists and writers.

Shusaku Endo, a famous novelist.
Fumihiko Maki, a well-known architect.
Sho Sakurai, a singer, actor, and newscaster. He is a member of the group Arashi.

Notable Faculty Members

Some famous people have also taught at Keio University.

Fukuzawa Yukichi, the founder of Keio University. His picture is on the 10,000-yen banknote.
Kitasato Shibasaburō, the first dean of Keio University School of Medicine. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize.
Ryogo Kubo, a physicist who won the Boltzmann Medal.
Jun Murai, also a faculty member, known as "The Father of The Internet" in Japan.