[Cross-Comparison of Preparatory Schools] Chiba/Saitama Top-Tier Edition (Shibuya Makuhari, Ichikawa, Toho University Toho, Showa Gakuin Shuei, Shibaura Institute of Technology Kashiwa, Senshu University Matsudo + Urawa Akenohoshi, Shukutoku Yono, Eiko, Kaichi, Omiya Kaisei)

This project aims to gather and cross-compare preparatory schools within the same deviation score range. This time, we will summarize the top-tier schools in Chiba and Saitama. We will use a deviation score of 55 or higher (Nichinoken) as a benchmark.

Initially, this started with only Chiba, but we added Saitama under the category of January entrance exam schools. As the number of schools has increased, I have been wanting to split them, but since there is a benefit to being able to compare them all at once, I will continue with Chiba and Saitama as is.

For Chiba, we have selected 6 schools: Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen Makuhari (Shibumaku), Ichikawa, Toho University Toho (Toho Dai Toho), Showa Gakuin Shuei (Showa Shuei), Shibaura Institute of Technology Kashiwa, and Senshu University Matsudo. For Saitama, we have selected 5 schools: Eiko, Urawa Akenohoshi Girls, Shukutoku Yono, Kaichi, and Omiya Kaisei.

We will delve into university entrance results and educational content, and perform cross-comparisons by creating graphs. By lining up multiple schools for comparison, I hope this will help you notice the characteristics of each and serve as material for exploring entrance exam trends.

1. Comparison of Deviation Score Trends

First, let's look at the trends in deviation scores.

Here, we look at the SAPIX 80% deviation score and the Nichinoken R4 (80%) deviation score. Since single-year graphs overlap and are difficult to read, we have calculated and graphed the 3-year average for each.

Since the number of schools has increased, the deviation score graphs will be displayed separately for Chiba and Saitama, which have different schedules.

Saitama Entrance Exams

Basically, we are aggregating data focusing on the first entrance exam and special scholarship entrance exams for top-tier students.

While Omiya Kaisei has been rising in recent years, the Saitama entrance exam is attracting attention due to the opening of Kaichi Tokorozawa and its joint entrance exam with Kaichi, leading to a significant increase in the number of applicants. Furthermore, there are many topics such as the Shukutoku Yono medical special entrance exam and the splitting of the Eiko A schedule, creating an atmosphere where it seems we won't be able to take our eyes off it for a while.
(It will be a long time before Kaichi Tokorozawa has graduates, but I will keep track of the deviation scores.)

Chiba Entrance Exams (January)

For Chiba as well, we will graph only the January entrance exams, which have a large number of applicants.

Overall, there are no big waves, and it feels calm. My impression is that it is stable, with no movements significant enough to disrupt the deviation score hierarchy. Even so,Ichikawa continues to rise, and I want to pay attention to how far this movement will go.

2. Comparison of University Entrance Results

Next is the comparison of university entrance results, which I'm sure many people are interested in.

National and Public University Achievements (2025-2023)

For national and public universities, the number of successful applicants divided by the number of graduates is calculated as the successful applicant ratio. Here, graphs are created for two categories: all successful applicants including ronin, and successful applicants who are current students.

Successful Applicant Ratio (Combined Current/Ronin)

Overall, schools in Chiba seem to have higher national and public university achievements than those in Saitama. I suspect this is related to the difference in entrance deviation scores and the scale of high school entrance exams.

Shibumaku having an overwhelming number of UTokyo successful applicants goes without saying, but as a runner-up, Ichikawa is increasing its achievements at difficult universities, centered on UTokyo. And perhaps the current situation is that Toho Dai Toho and Showa Shuei are neck and neck. Also, I think it is characteristic that Toho Dai Toho has many medical department students.

In Saitama, Urawa Akenohoshi is half a step ahead, followed by Sakaehigashi and Kaichi. Omiya Kaisei will have the generation that raised its deviation scores graduating soon, so I am keeping an eye on them from next year onwards.

Also, Shibaura Kogyo Kashiwa and Senshu Dai Matsudo have few internal advancements despite being affiliated with universities, so they can effectively be called preparatory schools.

Successful Applicant Ratio (Current Students)

There is no major change in the situation even with current students only, but the high current student ratio of Showa Shuei might be worth noting. It surpasses Toho Dai Toho in difficult universities (Tokyo/Hitotsubashi/Tokyo Tech/Medical) and also surpasses Ichikawa in national and public universities overall.

Private University Achievements (2025-2023)

Since there are many duplicate successful applicants for private universities, the graph is created by stacking ratios rather than using a 100% scale.

Successful Applicant Ratio (Combined Current/Ronin)

I feel that the ranking is not much different from the one based on national and public university achievements.

Among them, it can be said that Sakaehigashi has many Waseda/Keio + Tokyo University of Science, and Omiya Kaisei has many MARCH. My overall impression is that there are relatively many Tokyo University of Science students, so perhaps many schools have a strong science orientation.

Successful Applicant Ratio (Current Students)

This is also a similar graph, and there don't seem to be any features worth commenting on.

Arts/Science Ratio

The ratio of humanities to sciences is calculated using the past three years of successful admission results for top-tier national and public universities (Tokyo, Hitotsubashi, Tokyo Tech, and medical schools). For details on the specific aggregation method, please refer to this past article: [Comparison of Humanities/Science Ratios in Preparatory Schools].

Overall, there seems to be a strong orientation toward the sciences. The strong focus on medical schools at Toho Dai Toho and Urawa Akenohoshi is also characteristic. Since the absolute numbers for the schools at the bottom are small, it is hard to say anything definitive based on this alone, but I would like to judge it while also looking at ratios for Tokyo University of Science and Sophia University.

Overseas University Results (2025–2023)

Finally, here are the numbers of students accepted to overseas universities. We have graphed the number of students accepted to prestigious universities (based on criteria such as the THE World University Rankings top 100; specifically, here) and the total number of students accepted to all overseas universities.

Shibumaku is in a league of its own, so I will set it aside, but Ichikawa and Shibaura Institute of Technology Kashiwa also produce a decent number of students. Let's look at the list.

As expected, these two schools produce successful applicants every year, and while the numbers are not large, I imagine it has become a direction for the schools. Other than that, it is about one student or none at all, so there does not seem to be much difference.

3. Comparison of Educational Content

Regarding the curriculum for subject learning, I believe all private integrated junior and senior high schools engage in so-called 'advance learning' aimed at university entrance exams, but since there is no information available to dig deeper and perform a cross-comparison, I will compare programs outside of regular classes.

Educational Environment

I will compare them based on the following perspectives that parents might be interested in.

1. Global Education

2. Inquiry-based Learning (+ Career Education)

3. Other Characteristic Education / ICT Environment

4. Presence of Advanced/Selection Classes

5. Optional Courses / University Entrance Exam Support

In addition to global and inquiry programs, I think the system for university entrance exams is also a point of concern, so I have added optional courses for study. I don't think you can determine whether or not a cram school is necessary based on this alone, but I think you can measure the school's stance (how much support they intend to provide) to some extent.

As you compare them, I think you will start to get a sense of where each school is focusing its efforts. Since these areas often reflect the character of the school, digging deeper into each one might help you identify your own criteria for selection.

4. Summary

That concludes the top-tier edition for Chiba and Saitama. My intention in compiling this was not to rank the schools or determine which is superior based on deviation scores or admission results, but rather to help clarify the direction and trends of each school.

While schools in Chiba and Saitama are often used for early entrance exams, I believe an increasing number of people, not just those within the prefectures but also those in other regions, are considering them as realistic options for enrollment while using them for early testing. Although the number of people who can apply to both Chiba and Saitama schools may be limited, I decided to compile them into a single list as it is easier to understand than aggregating them separately.

I hope this serves as an opportunity to discover new aspects you might have overlooked, provides more material for considering your decision-making criteria, and assists you in choosing your preferred school.

[Preparatory School Cross-Comparison Series]