📚 Waseda University: A Complete Guide for International Students | 早稻田大学完全指南
Waseda University is one of Japan's oldest and most prestigious private universities, founded in 1882 and based in the heart of Tokyo. For international applicants - including A-Level and IB students looking beyond the UK - Waseda offers a rare combination: deep academic tradition, a large English-taught portfolio, a globally connected alumni network, and one of the liveliest campus cultures in Asia. This guide walks through its history, faculties, international strategy, admissions routes, tuition, scholarships, campus life and career outcomes, so that you can judge whether it belongs on your shortlist.
早稻田大学创校于 1882 年，是日本历史最悠久、最负盛名的私立学府之一，主校区坐落于东京市中心。对于国际申请者——包括把目光投向英国以外地区的 A-Level 与 IB 学生——早稻田提供了一种罕见的组合：深厚的学术传统、规模可观的英文授课项目、遍布全球的校友网络，以及亚洲最具活力的校园文化之一。本文将系统梳理其历史沿革、学部设置、国际化战略、入学途径、学费与奖学金、校园生活与职业前景，帮助判断它是否值得进入你的选校名单。
1. Overview: What Kind of University Is Waseda? | 概览：早稻田是一所怎样的大学
Waseda University was founded in 1882 and stands today as one of Japan's oldest and most respected private institutions. Its main campus sits in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The university combines a strong sense of tradition with an outstanding academic reputation, and it has long committed itself to delivering high-quality education and producing leaders with a genuinely international outlook.
早稻田大学创校于 1882 年，是日本历史最悠久、最负盛名的私立学府之一。主校区坐落于东京新宿区，学校不仅拥有深厚的传统底蕴，更以卓越的学术声望著称，长期致力于提供优质教育，培养具备国际视野的领袖人才。
In practical terms, Waseda is a comprehensive, research-active university with a famously open and outward-facing character. It is widely regarded as the leading private university in Japan alongside Keio, and it attracts students who want academic rigour plus real-world engagement - internships, start-ups, journalism, politics, sport and the arts.
从实际定位来看，早稻田是一所学科齐全、科研活跃的综合性大学，以开放、面向社会的办学气质著称。它与庆应义塾大学并称日本私立双雄，吸引的是既追求学术严谨、又渴望真实世界参与感的学生——实习、创业、传媒、政治、体育与艺术，都能在这里找到入口。
For applicants used to the British system, the key question is usually fit: Waseda suits students who want a broad, interdisciplinary first degree, who are willing to study in a bilingual or English-taught environment, and who value an Asian hub city as a career platform.
对习惯英国教育体系的申请者而言，核心问题是"是否匹配"：早稻田适合希望本科阶段获得广博、跨学科训练，愿意在双语或全英文环境中学习，并把亚洲核心城市作为职业起点的学生。
2. Founding and History | 创校与历史
Waseda was established in 1882 by Okuma Shigenobu, a former Prime Minister of Japan, initially under the name Tokyo Senmon Gakko (Tokyo College). It was renamed Waseda University in 1902, taking its name from the Waseda district where the campus stands. From the beginning, the institution was designed as an independent, modern academy open to talent rather than birth.
早稻田大学由日本前首相大隈重信于 1882 年创办，最初名为"东京专门学校"。1902 年正式更名为早稻田大学，"早稻田"一名取自校区所在的早稻田地区。学校自创立之初便被设计为一所独立、现代的学府，向有才者开放，而非以门第取人。
Its founding principles remain central to its identity: independence of learning (gakumon no dokuritsu), the practical application of learning, and the cultivation of model citizens. These three ideas explain much of Waseda's culture - a strong tradition of student autonomy, a pragmatic streak, and a willingness to engage with public life.
其建校理念至今仍是学校的精神内核：学问的独立、学问的活用、模范国民的造就。这三条理念在很大程度上解释了早稻田的文化特质——浓厚的学生自治传统、务实的气质，以及积极介入公共生活的姿态。
Waseda also has a long connection with China and with international students generally. In the early twentieth century, large numbers of Chinese students studied in Japan, and figures such as Li Dazhao spent time at Waseda. That early openness to overseas students foreshadows today's internationalisation strategy.
早稻田与中国以及国际学生之间也有长久渊源。二十世纪初，大批中国学生赴日求学，其中李大钊等人曾在早稻田就读。这种早期对海外学生的开放，正是今日国际化战略的历史前身。
3. Location and Campuses | 地理位置与校区
Waseda's main campus is in Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo - a central location minutes from the city's transport network and close to the cultural and business districts of central Tokyo. The symbolic heart of the campus is the Okuma Auditorium, completed in 1927 and designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
早稻田主校区位于东京都新宿区西早稻田，地处市中心，步行数分钟即可接入城市轨交网络，前往东京核心文化与商务区十分便利。校园的精神地标是大隈讲堂，1927 年落成，现为日本重要文化财。
Facilities on and around the main campus include the Central Library, which holds several million volumes, and the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, a unique research museum dedicated to the performing arts. Other major sites include the Toyama campus, which hosts literature, international liberal studies and language education, and the Okuma Garden.
主校区周边的设施包括藏书数百万册的中央图书馆，以及专门从事演剧与表演艺术研究的坪内逍遥纪念演剧博物馆。其他重要校区包括文学部、国际教养学部与语言教育所在的户山校区，以及大隈庭园。
Beyond central Tokyo, Waseda operates the Tokorozawa campus in Saitama Prefecture, focused on science and engineering, plus satellite and specialised sites including the Honjo campus, the Kitakyushu campus and the Nihonbashi campus used for business and executive education.
在东京市中心之外，早稻田还设有埼玉县所泽校区，主要用于理工科教学与研究，并拥有本庄校区、北九州校区以及用于商学与高层管理教育的日本桥校区等多个卫星与专业校区。
4. Academic Structure and Educational Philosophy | 学术架构与育人理念
Waseda's academic strength and breadth have earned wide recognition from both the international scholarly community and industry. The university comprises 13 undergraduate faculties and 23 graduate schools, covering core fields such as commerce, the humanities, the social sciences, engineering and the natural sciences, supported by a well-developed and flexible curriculum.
早稻田大学凭借扎实的学术实力和多样的学科门类，赢得了国际学术界与产业界的广泛认可。全校设有 13 个学部、23 个研究科，覆盖商学、人文科学、社会科学、工学、自然科学等核心领域，课程体系完善且灵活。
The university places particular emphasis on developing creativity, leadership and practical competence, aiming to shape outstanding graduates who can meet the challenges of globalisation. Seminars are typically small, and students are expected to write, present and argue rather than only sit examinations.
学校格外注重创造力、领导力和实践能力的养成，着力塑造能应对全球化挑战的拔尖人才。其研讨课（seminar）通常规模较小，学生需要写论文、做发表、参与辩论，而不只是应付考试。
In the broadest terms, the curriculum is organised across three clusters: humanities and social sciences; commerce, economics and law; and science and engineering. Within these clusters, students can often combine majors, minor fields and language study, and cross-faculty course registration is comparatively generous.
总体上，课程大致分为三大板块：人文与社会科学；商学、经济学与法学；以及理工科。在这些板块内部，学生通常可以组合主修、辅修与语言课程，跨学部的选课自由度在日本高校中相对较高。
| Category | 类别 | Examples | 示例领域 |
|---|---|
| Humanities | 人文学科 | Literature, philosophy, history, linguistics | 文学、哲学、历史、语言学 |
| Social sciences | 社会科学 | Political science, economics, law, sociology | 政治学、经济学、法学、社会学 |
| Commerce and management | 商学与管理 | Business, accounting, finance, marketing | 商学、会计、金融、市场营销 |
| Science and engineering | 理工科 | Mechanical, electrical, applied chemistry, mathematics | 机械、电气、应用化学、数学 |
5. Internationalisation Strategy and Global Collaboration | 国际化战略与全球协作
Waseda pursues internationalisation energetically, maintaining close partnerships with many of the world's leading universities. Students are actively encouraged to take part in exchange programmes, international internships and cross-border research projects in order to broaden their horizons and strengthen intercultural communication skills.
早稻田大学大力推行国际化办学，与全球众多顶尖高校建立了密切的合作网络。学校积极鼓励学生参加交换留学、国际实习和跨国研究项目，以此拓展国际视野，提升跨文化沟通素养。
In addition, the university regularly invites internationally renowned scholars and industry experts to give lectures and take part in academic exchange, creating a learning environment where diverse viewpoints genuinely collide. Visiting professors, joint degree tracks and short-term summer programmes all contribute to this.
此外，校方常年邀请国际知名学者和业界专家来访讲学、开展学术交流，营造多元观点碰撞的学习氛围。客座教授、联合学位项目与短期暑期课程，都是这一生态的组成部分。
The practical results are measurable: thousands of international students from a wide range of countries study at Waseda each year, and a large proportion of Japanese students spend time abroad. For an international applicant, this means an environment that is used to multilingual classrooms and to students arriving from different examination systems.
其成果是可量化的：每年有来自众多国家与地区的数千名国际学生在早稻田就读，同时很大比例的日本学生也有海外学习经历。对国际申请者而言，这意味着这里习惯于多语种课堂，也习惯于接收来自不同考试体系的学生。
6. English-Taught Degree Programmes | 英文授课学位项目
One of Waseda's biggest attractions for A-Level and IB students is its portfolio of English-based degree programmes, in which the entire degree can be completed in English without prior Japanese proficiency. The best known is the School of International Liberal Studies (SILS), a broad interdisciplinary liberal arts programme established in 2004.
对 A-Level 与 IB 学生而言，早稻田最大的吸引力之一是其英文授课学位项目：学生无需具备日语基础，即可全程用英文完成本科学位。其中最知名的是国际教养学部（SILS），2004 年设立，属于广域跨学科的博雅教育项目。
Other English-based routes include the School of Political Science and Economics, the School of Social Sciences (TAISI), the School of Culture, Media and Society, and several science and engineering schools that offer English-taught tracks. Japanese-taught faculties admit students through the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) plus an internal examination.
其他英文授课路径还包括政治经济学部、社会科学部（TAISI）、文化构想学部，以及若干提供英文课程的理工学部。日语授课的学部则通过"日本留学考试"（EJU）加校内考的方式招收国际学生。
- SILS | 国际教养学部 - interdisciplinary liberal arts, strong in social sciences and cultural studies | 跨学科博雅教育，社科与文化研究见长
- SPSE | 政治经济学部 - political science and economics taught in English | 全英文政治学与经济学
- TAISI | 社会科学部 - transnational and interdisciplinary social innovation | 跨国与跨学科社会创新
- Engineering tracks | 理工英文课程 - fundamental and advanced science and engineering | 基础与前沿理工方向
Applicants should check the current list each cycle, because programmes are periodically revised and new English tracks are added.
申请者应逐年核对最新项目清单，因为项目会定期调整，也会新增英文授课方向。
7. Admissions: How A-Level Students Apply | 入学要求：A-Level 学生如何申请
For English-based undergraduate programmes, Waseda assesses applicants holistically. A-Level qualifications are accepted as an entry qualification, and students typically submit predicted or final grades, a school transcript, an English proficiency score, essays or a statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation. Some programmes also require a short interview or an online assessment.
申请英文授课本科项目时，早稻田采用综合评估。A-Level 成绩被认可为入学资格，学生通常需提交预估或最终成绩、在校成绩单、英语能力成绩、文书或个人陈述以及推荐信。部分项目还会安排短面试或线上测评。
English proficiency is a hard requirement rather than a soft preference. Typical benchmarks are IELTS around 6.5 or above, or TOEFL iBT around 80 or above, although competitive programmes and applicants may need noticeably higher
更多咨询请联系16621398022（同微信）
或截图后用「扫一扫 → 相册」选择本图