Yasuda Women’s University Guide for International Applicants: Programs, Tuition, Student Life, Exchanges, and Career Outcomes

Thinking about studying in Japan but want a friendly, student-centered campus where teaching and support are personal? Yasuda Women’s University (YWU) in Hiroshima offers a modern learning environment with over a century of tradition, strong teacher preparation, hands‑on professional programs, and approachable faculty. This overview gathers the essentials—admissions context, standout programs, student life, exchange options, weather and living, and career outcomes—so you can picture everyday life and your academic pathway at YWU. All facts and figures are cited with official sources you can check quickly in English or Japanese.

Quick‑Facts Table

Type	Private women’s university (Official English site)
Total Students	5,311 (as of May 1, 2024) — Number of Students & Full‑Time Faculty
Campuses	Main: Yasuhigashi Campus (6‑13‑1 Yasuhigashi, Asaminami‑ku, Hiroshima) — Access
Faculties / Schools	Faculty of Letters; Faculty of Education; Faculty of Psychology; Faculty of Current Business; Faculty of Human Ecology; Faculty of Pharmacy; Faculty of Nursing; Faculty of Science and Engineering (est. 2025). Full list: Faculties, Departments and Graduate School
Tuition Fees (Year 1, typical)	Most faculties: ¥1,249,000–¥1,499,000; Nursing: ¥1,739,000; Pharmacy: ¥1,989,000 (2026 entrants). Details by faculty: Tuition & Scholarships
Gender Ratio	Women only (undergraduate). See YWU English top
Intl‑Student %	~0.11% (6 / 5,311; current as of May 1, 2024). Source: Hiroshima Study Abroad Portal (YWU page) + YWU numbers
Students per Staff	≈25.4 : 1 (5,311 students / 209 full‑time faculty) — Official figures

Campus Maps

Yasuhigashi Campus (Main Campus, Hiroshima)

Address: 6-13-1 Yasuhigashi, Asaminami Ward, Hiroshima 731-0153, Japan

Mission, History & Founding Story

YWU’s guiding motto—“a Tender yet Firm Spirit”—captures how the university expects graduates to pair compassion with capability. That balance isn’t a slogan; it’s a habit delivered through homeroom‑style advising, small classes, and a campus culture that encourages initiative while keeping a supportive eye on student wellbeing. You can read the motto in English on the official site: “The Motto of Yasuda Educational Foundation”.

YWU traces its origin to 1915, when Ryo Yasuda founded an institution focused on practical education for young women in Hiroshima. Over the decades, the school steadily broadened its academic scope: the University (1966) grew from Letters into Education and Psychology, then added professional programs such as Pharmacy (2007) and Nursing (2014). Most recently, the Faculty of Science and Engineering was established in 2025, underscoring a push toward STEM education that complements the liberal arts foundation. A concise timeline is available at the official English page: “The History of Yasuda Women’s University, College and Graduate School”.

Why does the history matter for prospective international students? First, it signals institutional stability and a track record of graduating job‑ready professionals. Second, it explains the campus mix you will see today: humanities and social sciences working alongside labs and clinical education. That mix makes for an accessible, mid‑sized environment—5,311 students and 209 full‑time faculty—where you can build relationships with professors and find clear academic pathways into teaching, healthcare, business, design, and technology.

Key Strengths & Unique Features

Teacher Education & Licensure Support

YWU has a long reputation for producing school educators, especially through the Faculty of Education’s Department of Primary Education. The program regularly reports very high placement into teaching roles across multiple prefectures. You can review recent employer lists and outcomes on the department pages (JP): Primary Education—Careers and exam preparation details via Recruitment Exam Support. For overall graduate employment strength across the university, YWU publishes 10‑year employment trends consistently above 98%: Employment Performance (JP).

Pharmacy & Healthcare Training

Pharmacy is a flagship professional program with robust clinical preparation and transparent outcomes reporting. For example, results for the national pharmacist exam are posted annually; for the 110th exam (graduates March 2025), 78 took the exam and 50 passed (64.1%). See the department’s outcomes page (JP): Pharmacy—Follow‑up & Results. Nursing similarly emphasizes practice‑ready training with supervised clinical placements (tuition page highlights separate practical fees where applicable): Tuition & Scholarships (JP).

Global Programs, Exchanges & English‑Focused Study

YWU runs multiple exchange and study‑abroad tracks, with partner institutions across North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia. The English site consolidates program types and destinations: Study Abroad Programs. Some outbound programs are integrated into tuition: for instance, the English Language & Literature Department’s 5‑month North America study (STAYS) and the International Tourism Business Department’s 5‑month Hawaii program (HIBISCUS) include local tuition in the regular fees (see notes on the tuition page): Tuition & Scholarships. Department‑level career outcomes also show hospitality, airline, and education employers: English Language & Literature—Careers.

Small‑Group Teaching, Advising & Campus Culture

YWU’s scale (5,311 students, 209 full‑time faculty) enables close advising and frequent instructor contact. The Tutor System and a dedicated Student Support Center help with course registration, learning support, and test preparation. See the English “Campus Life” page for descriptions and photos: Campus Life (EN). Leadership and community engagement begin from the first year through “Orizemi,” an orientation retreat organized by senior students (also introduced on the Campus Life page).

Student Organizations & Hands‑On Experiences

YWU lists 20+ athletic clubs and 45+ cultural circles. For students seeking language practice or community work, highlights include E.S.S. (English Speaking Society), “Hiroshima Tour Guide,” “KOREA circle,” and a Japanese‑education volunteer circle (JFL). These are catalogued with names and categories here (JP): Clubs & Circles.

Flagship Areas in Brief

• Education (Primary Education): teacher licensure prep and high placement performance (JP sources: careers, exam support).
• Pharmacy: transparent national exam outcomes and structured clinical readiness (JP: results).
• English & International Tourism Business: integrated outbound study tracks; employer lists in airlines, hospitality, and education (JP: careers).

Student Life for Internationals

Clubs & Circles Welcoming Overseas Students

Looking for quick ways to make friends and practice Japanese or English? Start with E.S.S., Hiroshima Tour Guide, and language/culture circles listed on the official page (JP): Clubs & Circles. These are good entry points for conversation, peer mentoring, and weekend exploration around the city.

Support Offices: Learning, Housing & Daily Life

The English “Campus Life” page introduces the Student Support Center (learning and test support) and the Tutor System. For housing, the university arranges student‑only apartments and offers practical services such as free weekday breakfast on campus—described (JP) in the one‑stop student life page: One‑person Living Support. English overview: Campus Life (EN).

Language‑Exchange/Buddy Options

YWU does not publicly list a single university‑wide “buddy program” in English; instead, international students typically connect through circles like E.S.S., course cohorts, and lab seminars. The university’s small‑group teaching style and tutor system make it easy to build academic and social networks organically (see Campus Life).

Partner Institutions & Exchange Options

YWU partners with universities across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Oceania, and Asia. Program formats range from semester exchanges to short‑term language or field experiences, with department‑specific options integrated into tuition for certain majors. Consult the official list and program descriptions here: Study Abroad Programs (EN).

Local Climate & Lifestyle

Weather at a Glance (Hiroshima)

Hiroshima has a temperate climate with warm, humid summers and cool, relatively dry winters. Using the Japan Meteorological Agency’s station for Hiroshima (WMO ID 47765), recent years typically see winter daytime highs around 10–12°C and summer peaks above 30°C in July–August; winter nighttime lows can dip near 2–3°C, while summer nights hover around the mid‑20s. For tables and long‑term monthly means (including maximum and minimum), see JMA’s English database: JMA—Monthly Climate Statistics (Hiroshima).

Lifestyle, Safety & Cost of Living

Hiroshima is a mid‑sized, student‑friendly city with reliable transit (bus, tram, and suburban rail) and a calm residential neighborhood around YWU. The prefectural portal for international students covers housing basics, part‑time work rules, living expenses, and emergency contacts: Hiroshima Study Abroad Portal. Pair that with YWU’s housing support and free breakfast to manage costs: One‑person Living Support (JP).

International Student Statistics

According to Hiroshima Prefecture’s official portal (as of May 1, 2024), YWU reports 6 international students. With 5,311 total students on the university’s English site for the same date, that’s approximately 0.11%. Sources: YWU page—Hiroshima Study Abroad Portal; Number of Students & Full‑Time Faculty (EN).

Career & Graduate Prospects

YWU emphasizes employability through mandatory advising, skills workshops, and close collaboration with employers. University‑wide employment performance has remained very high for a decade; the official page summarizes results and on‑campus recruitment events: Employment Performance (JP) and the detailed Employment Data (JP). Department pages show typical employers: for example, English & American Language and Literature—Careers (airlines, hospitality, education) and Primary Education—Careers (municipal and prefectural school boards).

Essential Links (English)

• Official English Top
• Faculties, Departments and Graduate School
• Study Abroad Programs
• Campus Life
• Number of Students & Full‑Time Faculty
• Access