Saku University

What Saku University does

Saku University (学校法人佐久学園, Saku Gakuen) is a private healthcare and welfare education institution located in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Established in 1988 as the Welfare Department of Shinshu Junior College, the institution currently operates a four-year Faculty of Nursing, a four-year Faculty of Human Welfare (opened 2021), a Graduate School of Nursing with thesis and nurse practitioner tracks, a Midwifery Specialty Course, and a Junior College Welfare Department. It serves primarily high school graduates entering undergraduate nursing and welfare programs, working nurses pursuing graduate-level NP credentials, and midwifery trainees, with clinical placements supported by Saku's advanced community medicine ecosystem.

The university has invested in digital learning infrastructure including electronic textbooks (the first among nursing universities in Nagano Prefecture, introduced 2024), integration with manaba LMS, Zoom, and Microsoft Office 365, and an MEXT-certified AI & Data Science Education Literacy Program. Generative AI Usage Guidelines were issued in July 2025. Revenue derives from tuition fees, entrance examination fees, certification test fees, and donations; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The institution recruits through entrance examinations, open campus events, and digital pamphlets, and engages internationally through partnerships with institutions in Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Brazil, plus a JICA training program. Notable credentials include a 98.8% nursing national examination pass rate, MEXT Research Branding designation (2018), MEXT AI/Data Science certification (2024), and a 2024 Best Paper Special Prize. A merger with 学校法人信学会 was announced on January 23, 2026, effective June 1, 2026, and the institution was removed from the MEXT Higher Education Study Support System in 2024.

Name

Saku University

Legal name

学校法人佐久学園

Website

https://saku.ac.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Saku University is a private Japanese university in Nagano Prefecture offering undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing, human welfare, and midwifery, preparing healthcare professionals through classroom instruction and clinical placements in an advanced community medicine region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Junior Colleges (6112), Junior Colleges (611210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Schools of Nursing (EDAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Allied Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Schools (PT/OT/SLP, etc.) (EDAHAGAH)

Keywords

• Nursing education
• Higher education
• Welfare studies
• Midwifery training
• Community medicine

Headquarters

HQ city

Saku

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Saku University is a private Japanese higher education institution offering nursing, midwifery, and welfare education programs from junior college through graduate school. Its core offerings include a four-year Faculty of Nursing, a four-year Faculty of Human Welfare, a Master's-level Graduate School of Nursing (with thesis and Nurse Practitioner tracks), a one-year Midwifery Specialty Course, and a two-year Junior College Department of Welfare with majors in Elderly Care, Child Welfare, and Business Personnel Training. Programs emphasize small-class practical training supported by regional healthcare partnerships in Nagano Prefecture's advanced community medicine area.

Product overview

Saku University is a healthcare-focused educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs: the Faculty of Nursing provides undergraduate nursing education with emphasis on regional community medicine; the Faculty of Human Welfare trains social welfare professionals; the Graduate School of Nursing offers master's-level advanced nursing research programs including a Nurse Practitioner (NP) course and thesis track; the Midwifery Specialty Course provides specialized one-year midwifery training; and the Junior College Department of Welfare offers associate degrees in Elderly Care, Child Welfare, and Business tracks. The university operates as a platform of specialized healthcare education programs supported by group tutoring systems, digital learning materials, and open campus recruitment events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Faculty of Nursing (看護学部看護学科) Four-year undergraduate program training students to become nurses, located in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, an advanced area for regional medicine. Emphasizes self-directed learning through lectures and clinical practice to develop future healthcare professionals, achieving a 98.8% national nursing examination pass rate.
• Faculty of Human Welfare (人間福祉学部人間福祉学科) Four-year undergraduate program focusing on social welfare, nursing, and regional healthcare. Trains professionals with rich human qualities based on community society who can contribute to welfare and healthcare sectors.
• Graduate School of Nursing (大学院看護学研究科) Graduate program offering master's degree in nursing with thesis and Nurse Practitioner (NP) course tracks. Features thorough small-class education to develop abilities to solve problems arising from practical experience and complete research based on nursing theory.
• Midwifery Specialty Course (助産学専攻科) Specialized one-year program training students to become midwives who provide professional care for new life birth and maternal-child health with solid knowledge and technology.
• Junior College Department of Welfare (短期大学部福祉学科) Two-year associate degree program with three majors: Elderly Care Welfare, Child Welfare, and Business Personnel Training. Develops welfare professionals with broad knowledge and human qualities.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• JICA日系社会研修 (ブラジル)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025As part of JICA Nikkei Social Training Program, Brazilian trainees receive lectures from Saku University nursing students on healthcare and welfare systems in Japan and Brazil.
• SPARC (信州大学・長野大学との連携)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Saku University collaborates with Shinshu University and Nagano University through SPARC to strengthen education and research functions and develop human resources needed by the region.
• C-SNET (長野県内11大学連携)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Saku University is a member of C-SNET, a network of 11 universities in Nagano Prefecture conducting various initiatives including credit transfer and student exchange.
• 岩村田高等学校coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Iwamurada High School and Saku University have a comprehensive partnership agreement, with high school students visiting the university for research activities and receiving guidance from faculty members.
• ブラパ大学 (タイ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Burapha University in Thailand conducted a one-month training program with Saku University nursing students. Students from both universities engaged in cultural exchange and shared educational activities.
• Our Lady of Fatima University (フィリピン) および Burapha University (タイ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Saku University conducted online and in-person exchange programs with nursing universities in the Philippines (Our Lady of Fatima University) and Thailand (Burapha University) for 4th-year nursing students.
• 佐久医療センター・佐久総合病院看護専門学校coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Saku University collaborates with Saku Medical Center and Saku Sogo Byoin School of Nursing in training programs, with international exchange activities conducted among students from all three institutions.
• 聖路加国際大学minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2019Exchange event held with St. Luke's International University students at the Nobeyama Station, involving joint seminars and health education presentations.
• Pham Ngoc Thach医科大学 (ベトナム)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2016Saku University signed an academic exchange agreement with Ho Chi Minh City Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine in Vietnam. Both universities conduct joint research and faculty/student exchange programs, with a focus on community health nursing and geriatric nursing.

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• International University of Health and Welfare: Large private health-sciences university group with multiple faculties (nursing, welfare, medicine, pharmacy) across Japan. Broader incumbent offering overlapping nursing and welfare programs with significantly larger scale and brand recognition.
• Shinshu University (School of Medicine / School of Health Sciences): National university in Nagano Prefecture with medicine and health sciences programs. Saku University's SPARC partner for regional education/research collaboration; competes for healthcare talent in the same catchment.
• Nihon Fukushi University: Large private welfare-focused university in Aichi Prefecture with broad social welfare and health sciences programs. Adjacent incumbent in the welfare-education space that Saku University's Faculty of Human Welfare competes with on a national basis.

Regional players

• University of Fukui - Faculty of Nursing: Public regional university offering 4-year nursing and graduate nursing programs. Comparable in scale and mission to Saku University, delivering nursing education in a regional Japanese setting.
• Yamanashi Prefectural University - Faculty of Nursing: Public nursing university in neighboring Yamanashi Prefecture. Similar regional Japanese nursing-education model with 4-year programs and clinical placement networks.

Direct peers

• Tokyo Ariake University of Medical and Health Sciences: Private nursing and health sciences university in Tokyo. Comparable institution offering undergraduate nursing and welfare programs, competing for the same prospective student demographic.
• Nagano College of Nursing: Public nursing university located in Nagano Prefecture (Komagane), offering 4-year nursing and graduate programs. Most direct geographic and functional peer to Saku University, both educating nurses for the regional healthcare workforce.
• Saku Sogo Byoin School of Nursing (佐久総合病院看護専門学校): Hospital-affiliated nursing school in the Saku region. Saku University explicitly partners with this institution for training and international exchange; both produce nurses for the same Saku-area healthcare system.
• Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing: National nursing university in Tokyo offering undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. Direct peer in nursing education mission, with a stronger national brand and broader recruitment reach.
• St. Luke's International University: Private nursing and public health university in Tokyo with a strong international focus. Saku University already partners with St. Luke's for student exchanges, and both share a mission of nursing education with international exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saku-university

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saku University