Founded in 1876, it became a national university in 1949, and currently comprises five graduate schools and four undergraduate faculties.

The university has been evaluated highly from the business world and was ranked first in Kantō (including Greater Tokyo Area) and Kōshin'etsu region and second in Japan by personnel departments of leading companies in Japan in 2020.

[5] The predecessor of the university, Yokohama Normal School, was founded in 1876.

[1] It became a Japanese national university in 1949 by the amalgamation of Kanagawa Normal School, Kanagawa Youth Normal School, Yokohama College of Economics and the Yokohama Institute of Technology.

The university has master's degree programs in engineering (1962), economics (1972), business administration (1972), and education (1979).