Meiji University (明治大学, Meiji Daigaku), abbreviated as Meiji (明治) or Meidai (明大), is a private research university located in the heart of Tokyo, Chiyoda City. Established in 1881 as Meiji Law School (明治法律学校, Meiji Hōritsu Gakkō) by three Meiji-era lawyers, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao, Meiji University is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher learning in Japan.
The university has a total of approximately 33,000 students on all four campuses around the Greater Tokyo Area: Surugadai, Izumi, Ikuta, and Nakano. Meiji is organized into 10 undergraduate, 12 graduate, 4 professional graduate schools; and operates 15 world-class research centers and a museum. It began its first partner agreement in 1986 with York University, and currently partners with 363 universities and institutions in 56 countries. Some of the university's partners include: Stanford University, Columbia University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, National University of Singapore, and The University of Hong Kong.Meiji University is one of Japan's leading private universities. It has highly selective admissions, with an acceptance rate averaging around 15%. It is known to be Japan's most popular university with applications exceeding 100,000 annually, and in 2020, was named the top institution for attractive courses and subjects of study. Meiji is a part of the Top Global University Project of Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The university is a sporting powerhouse with memberships in top-tier intercollegiate athletic associations in Japan, consistently winning national competitions. As of 2021, 270 Meiji alumni have competed in the olympics and garnered 40 medals, 14 gold, 13 silver, and 13 bronze.
From its founding, it has sent out 570,000 graduates around the world, with alumni in diverse fields such as world politics, business, culture, entertainment, sports, and mass media. Meiji University's alumni have included: Japan's first female lawyer, 2 Japan prime ministers, 48 national politicians, 380 professional athletes, 115 company presidents, and 264 artists.