Study at Yokohama City University (YCU): Admissions, Tuition, Student Life & Careers
Thinking about studying in Japan but want a campus that blends serious research with a livable, seaside city? Yokohama City University (YCU)—a leading public (municipal) university just south of Tokyo—hits that sweet spot. With compact class sizes, strengths in medicine, data science, biology, and urban studies, plus an active exchange network, YCU gives international students practical pathways into Japan’s academic and professional worlds. This guide pulls together the essentials—programs, costs, support, exchange options, climate, lifestyle, and career outcomes—so you can judge whether YCU is a fit for your goals.
Kanazawa-Hakkei Campus — Main Complex & Courtyard — A bright, low-rise academic wing facing a reflective pond and small greenhouse, capturing the airy feel of YCU’s main campus by the sea. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC0 (Public Domain). Photographer: Hasec.Kanazawa-Hakkei Campus — Clock Tower & Ginkgo Avenue — A signature autumn view of YCU: golden ginkgo leaves lining the approach to the campus clock tower. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: Public Domain (PD-self). Photographer: Hasec.Fukuura Campus — School of Medicine Complex — The medicine campus near Tokyo Bay, home to clinical training and biomedical research facilities. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC0 (Public Domain). Photographer: Hasec.Yokohama City University Hospital (Fukuura) — The university’s teaching hospital adjacent to the Fukuura campus, providing advanced clinical care and education. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC0 (Public Domain). Photographer: Waka77 / edited by DAJF.YCU Medical Center (General Medical Center, Urafune) — A major hub for emergency and specialized care affiliated with YCU, located in Urafune-cho, Minami-ku. Source: Wikipedia (File page). License: Public Domain (PD-self). Photographer: Hasec.Tsurumi Campus — Graduate School of Nanobioscience Entrance — The gateway to YCU’s nanobioscience programs, situated next to RIKEN’s research facilities. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC0 (Public Domain). Photographer: Hasec.Maioka Campus — Kihara Institute for Biological Research — The life-science–focused campus featuring the Kihara Institute’s research facilities in a leafy setting. Source: Wikipedia (File page / Commons). License: CC0 (Public Domain). Photographer: Hasec.Kanazawa-Hakkei Campus — Camellia Hall — A multipurpose hall used for lectures, ceremonies, and student events such as the university festival. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC0 (Public Domain). Photographer: Hasec.
Quick Facts: Yokohama City University (YCU)
Type
Public (Municipal) — Yokohama City’s public university official info hub
Total Students
Undergraduate: 4,279 Graduate: 960 Total: 5,239 (as of May 1, 2024; source: YCU Data Book) YCU Data Book (PDF) | Overview (JP): Students page
School of International Liberal Arts; School of Economics & Business Administration; School of Science; School of Data Science; School of Medicine See Academics (EN): official page
Học phí
Undergraduate (most programs): ¥557,400/year; Medicine (MD): ¥573,000/year Graduate: ¥535,800/year; Admission fee: ¥141,000 (Yokohama City resident/alumni) or ¥282,000 (non-resident) UG fees (JP): source | Grad fees (JP): source | Payment schedule (JP): source
Gender Ratio
Female: 55.7% (2,918) Male: 44.3% (2,321) — total 5,239 students (as of May 1, 2024; Data Book) source
Intl-Student %
2.6% (= 137 international students / 5,239 total) as of May 1, 2024; female intl-students 72 Intl-student counts (JP): source | Total (Data Book): source
Students per Staff
≈ 6.4 : 1 (5,239 students ÷ 822 full-time faculty) Full-time faculty totals in Data Book; YCU overview also states ~820. Data Book | Info hub
Note: All yen figures are the latest posted by YCU and may be revised by the university. Admission fees and certain charges can differ by residency and program.
Campus Maps
Kanazawa-Hakkei Campus (Main)
Address: 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0027, Japan
Fukuura Campus (School of Medicine / University Hospital)
Address: 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
Maioka Campus (Kihara Institute for Biological Research)
Address: 641-12 Maioka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-0813, Japan
Tsurumi Campus (Graduate School of Medical Life Science)
Address: 1-7-29 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
Mission, History & Founding Story
Yokohama City University (YCU) is the public (municipal) university of Japan’s second‑largest city. Its origins go back to the late 19th century when modern Yokohama—Japan’s historic “gateway to the world”—was expanding rapidly as an international port. Over time, specialized schools in commerce, medicine, and science that served the city’s needs were reorganized and integrated, eventually becoming today’s YCU. That heritage still shapes YCU’s identity: pragmatic, globally minded, and deeply connected to city government, industry, and local communities.
YCU’s mission pairs a liberal‑arts core with strong specialized training. The university emphasizes small seminars, problem‑based learning, and mentorship to help students grow from broad literacy into focused expertise. In parallel, YCU invests heavily in research strengths that align with urban society: preventative and community healthcare, infectious disease, genomic medicine, data science, environmental biology, and sustainable city design. You can see those pillars in its research hubs—such as the Advanced Medical Research Center (AMRC) (EN) and the Kihara Institute for Biological Research (KIBR) (EN)—and in the Global Cooperation Institute for Sustainable Cities (GCI) (EN), which drives cross‑border collaboration for resilient, low‑carbon urban futures.
Today, YCU offers five undergraduate schools—International Liberal Arts, Economics & Business Administration, Science, Data Science, and Medicine—plus six graduate schools. The English “Academics” portal summarizes each school’s focus and degree structure (EN). YCU’s student experience is intentionally compact: fewer students per class than at mega‑universities, and a rhythm of labs, fieldwork, clinics, and workshops that connects knowledge to real‑world challenges in Yokohama and beyond.
Key Strengths & Unique Features
Biomedical & Life‑Science Powerhouse
YCU’s medical and bioscience ecosystem is anchored by the Advanced Medical Research Center (AMRC) và Kihara Institute for Biological Research (KIBR). AMRC integrates basic and clinical research with university hospitals to translate discoveries into patient care, while KIBR advances frontier biology from molecular genetics to biodiversity. Both centers run English pages for prospective researchers and students—AMRC (EN) and KIBR (EN)—detailing facilities, labs, and collaborations.
Data Science across the Curriculum
YCU’s School of Data Science is a national‑level differentiator: it combines statistics, AI/ML, and domain practice (healthcare, business, public policy, environmental science) to prepare “data‑literate” professionals. Undergraduates build from fundamentals into applied analytics projects with local partners, while graduate programs extend into advanced modeling and real‑world deployments. See the School of Data Science overview (EN). Even outside that school, YCU threads data science and quantitative reasoning into liberal‑arts and science curricula (Academics, EN).
Urban Solutions & Global Engagement
From climate resilience to transport and public health, YCU’s Global Cooperation Institute for Sustainable Cities (GCI) convenes city‑to‑city learning with international universities and agencies. Through the International Academic Consortium for Sustainable Cities (IACSC), YCU co‑hosts workshops and student studios that tackle real metropolitan challenges. Review the GCI overview, activities, and IACSC pages on YCU Global (EN).
Small‑Group Teaching, Strong Mentorship
Compared with Japan’s mega‑campuses, YCU deliberately keeps class sizes manageable—especially in seminars and labs—so students can receive detailed feedback. The university’s own overview emphasizes careful supervision and advisory systems enabling students to move from foundational liberal‑arts to advanced research (EN).
Flagship Schools (Undergraduate)
School of International Liberal Arts
Liberal arts + urban science for globally engaged careers; seminar‑driven, with optional overseas study modules. Program page (EN).
School of Economics & Business Administration
Economics, management, and quantitative training with internship links across the Greater Tokyo/Yokohama economy. Program page (EN).
School of Science
From chemistry and biosciences to environmental sciences, students connect fundamentals with applications in labs and field sites. Program page (EN).
School of Data Science
A distinctive program blending statistics, AI/ML, and domain problem‑solving—often with city and industry partners. Program page (EN).
School of Medicine
Medical education embedded in a research hospital network with strong public‑health and community‑medicine orientation. Overview via YCU’s Academics & Research portals (EN).
Student Life for Internationals
Clubs & Circles that Welcome Overseas Students
Expect dozens of cultural, sports, volunteer, and academic circles. The Practical English Center (PEC) and its lounge often host casual English‑friendly events and meetups, a simple way to make friends across schools. See recent activity examples (JP) PEC lounge page.
Dedicated Support (Visa, Housing, Counselling)
The International Affairs Office offers guidance on admissions, visas, dorms/housing, and daily life. Check the English support hub for forms and FAQs (EN). For broader city‑life help, Yokohama runs 10+ International Lounges with multilingual consultations and Japanese classes—handy if you need help with city paperwork or want to join community events City of Yokohama (EN).
Language‑Exchange & Buddy‑Style Spaces
Beyond formal classes, the PEC lounge and student circles host conversation tables and seasonal events, which function like informal buddy programs. Combine those with city‑run lounges to quickly build daily‑life Japanese and a local network (JP)(City page, EN).
YCU maintains bilateral exchange with partner universities across Europe, North America, and Asia. If your home university is on the list, inbound exchange is straightforward; if not, you can still apply as a degree‑seeking international student. See the official exchange page and partner list here: Exchange Program (EN) Và Partner Institutions (EN).
For concrete timelines and documentation, a good reference is a current partner’s fact sheet (e.g., Julius‑Maximilians‑Universität Würzburg’s PDF for YCU exchange), which includes nomination/application deadlines, visa steps, and course list pointers: 2025 Fall Fact Sheet (PDF). Always verify the latest dates on YCU’s own Exchange page above.
Local Climate & Lifestyle
Yokohama has a temperate, ocean‑moderated climate with humid summers and mild winters compared to inland Kanto. Based on Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) station data for Yokohama (47670), summers typically see monthly mean daily maximums in the low 30s °C, while mid‑winter monthly mean daily minimums hover a few degrees above freezing; precipitation is fairly evenly spread with a distinct rainy season in early summer. Explore station‑level monthly tables (EN) for Yokohama here: JMA Monthly (EN), and Japanese detailed tables here: JMA Monthly (JP).
Lifestyle‑wise, Kanazawa‑Hakkei (YCU’s main campus) gives you easy access to the sea, parks, and quiet residential areas, while central Yokohama (Minato Mirai, Motomachi/Chinatown) is 20–30 minutes away for shopping, music, and food. The city provides multilingual support through its International Lounges và Foreign Residents Information Center—good to know for housing, healthcare registration, and community activities City pages (EN).
International Student Statistics
Because YCU is a focused, mid‑sized public university, its international cohort is smaller than at Japan’s mega‑campuses and fluctuates year‑to‑year. The most common sending regions are East & Southeast Asia (China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand), plus exchange flows from Europe and North America via bilateral partners. For the freshest quantitative breakdowns (e.g., total enrolled, category splits), refer to YCU’s official statistical compilations and career/education data books: YCU Data Book (PDF), and admissions/statistics pages on the YCU site (JP hub). Third‑party snapshots are also available on THE’s YCU profile (EN).
Career & Graduate Prospects
YCU’s Career Support Center runs guidance seminars, resume/CV clinics, industry talks, and alumni networking to help students compete in the Kanto job market and beyond. Graduate outcomes vary by school: Data Science/Science students often enter tech, analytics, pharmaceuticals, and environmental roles; Economics & Business grads move into finance, trading, logistics, and consulting; Medicine/Nursing grads advance into clinical placements and specialist training. For the latest faculty‑by‑faculty results and employer lists, YCU publishes year‑specific outcomes on its site (Japanese): department pages and archives aggregate the most recent data, e.g., the outcomes archive (JP) and school‑specific summaries (e.g., Data Science) (JP). A comprehensive, annually updated Data Book also includes employment and progression indicators (PDF).
Admissions & Tuition Quick Pointers
Undergraduate admissions (EN overview) here. Graduate admissions (EN overview) here. For current year charges, see undergraduate fees (JP) here, the university’s central expenses page (JP) here, and graduate costs (JP) here.
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