短 大(たんだい)

たんだい

noun

junior college

1. junior college; two-year college (abbreviation)

A two-year (occasionally three-year) post-secondary institution in Japan, granting an associate degree (短期大学士(たんきだいがくし)). Short for 短期大学(たんきだいがく). Historically dominated by women's institutions emphasizing practical fields; the number of 短大(たんだい)s has declined sharply since the 1990s.

姉(あね)は短大(たんだい)を卒業(そつぎょう)した。

My older sister graduated from a junior college.

保育(ほいく)の資格(しかく)を取(と)るために短大(たんだい)に進学(しんがく)した。

I went on to a junior college to get a childcare qualification.

短大(たんだい)は四年制大学(よねんせいだいがく)より短期間(たんきかん)で専門(せんもん)的(てき)な知識(ちしき)を身(み)につけられる。

Junior colleges let you acquire specialized knowledge in a shorter period than a four-year university.

Short for 短期大学(たんきだいがく). The full form is used in formal documents; 短大(たんだい) is the everyday word.

Common collocations

短大(たんだい)に進学(しんがく)する: to go on to a junior college
短大(たんだい)を卒業(そつぎょう)する: to graduate from a junior college
短大(たんだい)卒(そつ): junior-college graduate (used on résumés)

Contrast with other institutions

大学(だいがく): university — four-year bachelor's program
専門学校(せんもんがっこう): vocational/specialized school — two or more years, more job-specific training
大学院(だいがくいん): graduate school

Etymology

短大 enrollment peaked around 1993 and has since dropped to about a fifth of its peak, as many institutions converted to four-year universities.

Related Words

Compare: 大学(だいがく) (university)

Compare: 専門学校(せんもんがっこう) (vocational/specialized school)

Compare: 大学院(だいがくいん) (graduate school)

general

Added 2026.6.5 13:08 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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