MARCH (Japanese universities)

MARCH is the collective name of 5 private universities located in Tokyo, Japan. The name comes from the initial letters of the Japanese Roman characters of each school:

Overview

Combined, MARCH universities' alumni include 5 world leaders, 2 Supreme Court Justices, and 6 Olympic medalists. Meiji, Hosei and Rikkyo universities are part of the Top Global University Project of Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Extensions

JMARCH

A former extension, Sophia University, alongside the rest of MARCH, were called JMARCH in the 1960s. The term is no longer used, due to Sophia now being grouped with Waseda and Keio as Japan's top 3 private universities.

GMARCH

Originating in 2005, GMARCH is a widely used extension of MARCH, with G being Gakushuin University.

TMARCH

With T standing for Toyo University, the extension of TMARCH originated in 2023 as a result of Toyo's rise in prestige and reputation, with observers and pundits often comparing the university with the rest of MARCH.